Texas Combined Heat and Power Initiative anticipates economic and environmental benefits from action by the White House in the Executive Order that the country achieve 40 GW additional combined heat and power by 2020. Only last month the State of Texas took action to cut red tape for installation of combine heat and power systems. These are among issues to be fully covered at CHP2012 Conference to be held October 15 – 17 in Houston, Texas.

Next month’s CHP2012 Conference and Trade Show coincides with several national developments reinforcing event host Texas CHP Initiative’s program on combined heat and power’s energy and environmental benefits. The Honorable Bill White, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy and three-term Mayor of the City of Houston, will provide the Keynote Address on private capital formation opportunities to help drive CHP deployment across the U.S. The White House recently issued an Executive Order that the country achieve 40 GW additional combined heat and power by 2020.

Typically fueled by natural gas, combined heat and power (CHP) is a form of efficient onsite power generation that provides most of a facility’s heating and electricity needs. CHP’s efficiency rates—roughly twice those provided by the electric utility model—derive from its capture and repurposing of exhaust gases (or “waste heat”) and from the avoidance of transmission losses. CHP also reduces net water usage and emissions, and it ensures energy security in the event of a blackout.

“The White House’s recognition of CHP’s benefits underscores the critical importance of addressing national energy reliability concerns while improving air quality and dramatically reducing water used for power production,” said Paul Cauduro, Executive Director of the Texas CHP Initiative. “We agree that the time for private industry to evaluate CHP is now and that numerous resources like the regional Clean Energy Application Center network are available to facilitate project development.”

The Executive Order recommends that certain federal agencies provide outreach and technical assistance on CHP, convene regional and national stakeholders to identify opportunities, and find other ways to spur investment in energy efficiency technologies. The White House’s issuance follows recent market, regulatory, and environmental developments that have concurrently enhanced CHP’s economic feasibility and outlook:

  • Increasing water scarcity due to sustained droughts and cooling needs of central power plants;
  • Resource adequacy concerns due to grid strain and low reserve margin projections;
  • Anticipated federal emissions standards for criteria pollutants and greenhouse gases;
  • Rising electricity prices and heat rates;
  • Local and state efforts to incentivize or streamline permitting for CHP systems; and
  • Declining natural gas prices.

CHP2012  will be held Oct. 15-17 in Houston, Texas and is being co-hosted by the Texas CHP Initiative and International District Energy Association. For more information, visit www.chp2012.com.  

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The Texas Combined Heat and Power Initiative (TXCHPI) is a non-profit association of business interests that supports clean, energy-efficient, CHP technology applications in industrial, commercial and institutional settings.

The Gulf Coast Clean Energy Application Center, one of eight regional centers supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, provides general outreach and technical support for CHP projects in Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas.