From the PES Corner - September 2010

Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for your support of IEEE and its wholesome endeavors. My life in engineering entangles with Boy Scouting, as my husband (Merv Wagner) has been a Scoutmaster of a Boy Scout Troop (Troop 43 in Newport News) for over 5 contiguous years. This summer we were merit badge counselors with a very large undertaking spurred by a Ralph Russell of the Richmond PES Chapter. IEEE volunteers and friends (emeritbadges.com) piqued the interest of as many scouts as possible. We captured the attention of nearly 1100 scouts, competing with over 100 other merit badges, a slew of pioneering activities, Mysterium Compass, Technology Quest, and the seemingly endless lines of patch traders. IEEE sponsored two booths for this 100 years of Scouting; PES being a significant contributor, to enlighten these young people in the wonders of electrical and electronic engineering. You can take pride in being a part of an organization devoted to technology, and its advancement, by inspiring the next generation.
This is important with respect to power generation issues nearing limelight here in Hampton Roads. During the April tour of Surry Nuclear it was brought to PES attention how Dominion Virginia Power is watching the upcoming availability of Plug in Hybrid and Plug in Electric Vehicles (PHEV/PEV) with more than one wary eye. Then, it was emphasized that the Commonwealth of VA is currently at a -2 Megawatt capacity, importing electricity from other states!. We struggle with this issue intimately, too. Just drive within 40 miles of Dendron (Surry County) in any direction, and see controversy posted in yards, with signs that support Cypress Creek and oppose Coal Plant building. There is a sense that neighbors of 30 years quit talking to each other over this single issue; the passion runs so deep! Sept. 15th is the next tour of Surry, and sign up for that closes Aug 30 to get the form to Surry for security review. Dawn Ostenberg will be the ExCom Rep on that tour. Please contact me if you would like to tour Surry, as we will schedule more tours in the future.
The new determination to become gasoline independent, further aggravated by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the need for America to get back in the auto manufacturing world are going to change the nature of electricity in the home place. The need for understanding of this issue is wide, because it will affect us as consumers of electricity. Taking the first step to understanding how wide the impact will be in the community, PES is having a joint meeting with IEEE in Oct to bring Dr. Saifur Rahman from Virginia Tech to discuss it. This year's Distinguished Lecture promises to be a grand event, with time on our side. It is at Point Plaza Suites, and we currently have space for up to 300 people. Attendance is anticipated to be at least 100, and it is going to be more widely disseminated than the Practical Lessons of Wind Power Generation. Certificates of Contact hours, if not official Professional Development Hours (PDH) will be provided to attendees. This will appeal to PE's from several engineering disciplines outside of IEEE and Power, and is not just for engineers. Please share the invitation to anyone you know with an interest. Bring your spouses, your friends, colleagues from work, as this meeting is not just for engineers, but is open to the public. If you have a neighbor or coworker who plans to buy a PHEV or PEV, link them to the registration page below. Discussion will include changes needed to home electric service to accommodate charging these vehicles at home. Register early to assure your seat!
Vtools Meeting Announcement Also note that late registration for the Oct 6th meeting, which starts Sept 16th, is $45 for all, no exceptions. Finally, HR-PES welcomes any membership support in the form of organizing tours, assisting with meeting logistics, or bringing in new topics for technical meetings. If you can volunteer an hour every week, if you can come early to a meeting to assist with registration, or have some other talent to contribute, your energy would be a welcome asset! Contact me at jennifer.ammentorp@ieee.org  to learn how you can help and make it better. Remember "Many hands makes for little work."
Jennifer Ammentorp
jennifer.ammentorp@ieee.org