If you want the best news about what’s going on in the states and cities, read the State & Stakeholder Newsletter (August 25, 2010)

Solar Salt Lake: large PV installations in the queue

Salt Lake City:  home of the 2002 Winter Olympics, Rowland-Hall St. Mark’s School, the U of U, a highly evolved food culture, and if Utah Clean Energy (UCE) has anything to do with it, Utah will be home to some significant solar installations.

On a gorgeous August morning, I met Sara Baldwin, Senior Policy and Regulatory Associate for UCE, for coffee and to find out how solar is faring in a state of 2.2 million, most of who live along the Wasatch Front (north) and the St. George area (south). Sara manages the Solar Salt Lake Partnership project as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar America Cities Initiative.  Its ambitious goals, like developing a fully-scoped city and county-level implementation plan for at least 10MW of new solar PV installations in all sectors by 2015 (that’s an additional 10K solar PV systems), will be a challenge; Utah is a state where electricity costs are among the lowest in the country.

A combination of enthusiastic, committed stakeholders, well-directed ARRA funds, and favorable regulatory results is making for a radiant solar climate in Salt Lake City.  A community solar project in St. George, SunSmart,  will grow to 150kW (up from 100kW), ultimately topping out at 250kW.  Though it’s run into a few challenges in getting buy-in from the local community, Baldwin is focused on keeping the momentum for this pointed in the right direction.  And just next month, in September, Salt Lake County will hold a press conference to announce the state’s largest solar project — it is expected to be at least 1 MW, if not higher; this project will be located on the Salt Palace Convention Center in downtown Salt Lake City.  All this in a state with a total population of slightly more than 2 million.  Take a minute and read the full article.

Checked your calendar lately?  It’s almost September, and that means about six weeks until IREC’s Annual Meeting on Monday, October 11 in Los Angeles.  The Preliminary Agenda is out, and (as usual), chock full of talent and timely issues.  Hotel rooms are going fast.  Won’t you join us?

P.S.  Exhibition opportunities are now available for the 4th Clean Energy Workforce Education Conference, March 9-11, 2011 in Saratoga Springs, NY.  Exhibition spaces are limited; it’s first come, first serve.

Read the State & Stakeholder Newsletter, August 25, 2010

If you want the best news about what’s going on in the states and cities, read the State & Stakeholder Newsletter (August 11, 2010)

Solar licensing, coming soon to a state near you?

Today, only 14 states have established specific solar license classifications, typically sub-classifications of electrical or plumbing licenses, specifically defined to limit the scope of work to direct solar installations and maintenance tasks.  But the robust, steady growth of the solar industry over the past several years has escalated and amplified the solar licensing conversation.  Why does it matter? Who cares?

“Safety and quality installations are of the highest importance,” said IREC’s Director of Operations, Pat Fox.  “One approach to promoting safety and quality is through licensure.”

Currently, the variety of regulations that exist can confuse contractors wishing to enter the solar industry, and consumers looking for guidance when contracting for safe, high quality installations that will meet performance expectations

Enter IREC.

Recognizing an information gap, IREC, supported by DOE funding, created a solar licensing database, intended as a resource for policy makers, practitioners, consumers, and anyone else who may be involved in solar installations.  The state-by-state database of licensing requirements offers a handy comparison for reviewing the different approaches across state lines, and identifies the various practices for regulating the burgeoning solar installation industry.

“As licensing requirements emerge and change in individual states, IREC felt that it could contribute to the conversation by providing this resource of existing requirements that can be used as a reference tool,” said Fox, who is the prime author of the database.  It’s been in the works for a while.    Don’t worry; as changes (inevitably) occur in the solar licensing space, IREC will update this document to keep pace with those changes.

P.S.  The Preliminary Agenda for IREC’s 2010 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles in October is here!  Find out who and what’s on it.  Will we see you there?

Read the State & Stakeholder Newsletter, August 11, 2010

If you want the best news about what’s going on in the states and cities, read the State & Stakeholder Newsletter (July 28, 2010)

In IREC’s 2009 edition of U.S. Solar Market Trends, primary author, Larry Sherwood, provides public data on U.S. solar installations by technology, state and market sector.   According to Sherwood, the number of new grid-connected PV installations grew by 40% in 2009 compared with the number installed in 2008, and the two largest PV systems installed in 2009 together accounted for 12% of the annual installed PV capacity. Larry’s work is incomparable and detailed.  The report was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy through the Solar Energy Technologies Program.

If you missed IREC’s 7/20 webinar with Justin Barnes (NCSC) and Larry Sherwood (IREC) talking about policies and U.S. solar market trends, don’t worry. It’s archived on the IREC website for your listening enjoyment.

It’s no summer holiday for IREC’s ISPQ program.  Pat Fox gives us an update of what’s going on, including the number of applications currently in the queue.  At this rate, she says, it’ll be a banner year for applications for training programs and trainers.  Now there’s an easier way for you to find online training courses that are ISPQ accredited.  It’s just a click away.

Love them or loathe them, learning objectives are a staple of the education world and are likely here to stay, according to Dr. Barbara Martin in part 2 of her five-part series on Good Teaching Matters.  In this issue:  how to write effective learning objectives.  What do you think about this series? Is it helpful to you?

There’s one more census to take this year. Our friends at SEPA/SEIA and the Solar Foundation have released a national solar census designed to gather data on U.S. solar labor supply and demand.  No one will come to your door; this is an online census.  Take a minute and respond.

Finally, NABCEP has released a revised job task analysis for its PV Installer Certification.  A wide-ranging group of subject matter experts reviewed the JTA.  If you’re sitting for the September 11th PV Installer Certification exam, you’ll want to review this important document.

P.S.  The results are in for the 2010 State & Stakeholder Reader Assessment.   In the next issue, I’ll share some of those results. Thanks to all who responded.

Read the State & Stakeholder Newsletter, July 28, 2010

If you want the best news about what’s going on in the states and cities, read the State & Stakeholder Newsletter (July 14, 2010)

IREC’s 2010 State & Stakeholder Reader Assessment–how are we doing?

If you’re reading this newsletter, you’re just the person we’re looking for.  Each year, we conduct an annual Reader Assessment to find out more about you, the individuals and organizations in the renewable energy community, to learn how you use renewable energy in your work, and to gauge the impact of IREC’s State and Stakeholder Newsletter on your organization’s missions.   Take a few moments and share your honest opinions with us about the State & Stakeholder Newsletter–what you like, what you don’t, what you’d like to see, what we can do better.   It’s very short–only five questions.  Many thanks for participating and for helping us improve the newsletter.

It’s been a few years in the works–IREC has just released the 2010 edition of its highly regarded and valuable Field Inspection Guidelines for PV Systems, authored by Bill Brooks.  This report, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, replaces the 2006 edition, also authored by Brooks.  Brooks tells us that these Guidelines are a complement to the Solar ABC’s current expedited permitting process for PV systems.  Bill has dedicated the Guidelines to his friend and colleague, Chuck Whitaker, who passed just as this project was getting started.

Our friend and brilliant educational expert, Dr. Barbara Martin, gives us part 2, Know Your Students, in her five-part  series, Good Teaching Matters.  If you’re an educator, or if you’re a student (or potential student), you’ll want to read this series of articles.

IREC kicks off its Fall 2010 webinar series on July 20th with  Justin Barnes of the N.C. Solar Center at N.C. State University discussing  state policies and trends based on DSIRE research and IREC’s Larry Sherwood will discuss his much anticipated solar installation trends in the United States.  The Fall 2010 webinar series runs through December, and includes community solar, fire codes and workforce development.

And speaking of webinars, NCSC’s Justin Barnes and Laurel Varnado will host a July 15th webinar examining net metering in retail markets.  Justin and Laurel will be publishing a paper later this year on this, and the webinar will explain the structure of their research. They’re interested in your comments and suggestions.   Kevin Fox will join them, discussing his experience working in states with retail choice and why this research is important.

You have until Friday, July 16th to submit applications for IREC’s 2010 Innovation Awards.  This year, IREC will present awards in six categories: small wind, clean energy workforce development, community renewables, clean energy financial incentives, clean energy regulatory policies, and clean energy ARRA projects. Projects must have been completed during 2009.

The 2010 Innovation Awards will be presented at IREC’s Annual Meeting on Monday, October 11 in Los Angeles. Long recognized as one of the most comprehensive one-day events that address updates and trends in state and local renewable energy issues, top state and national experts will discuss net metering and interconnection, clean energy workforce education, credentialing, best practices in state policies, and national solar market trends. As always, IREC’s Annual Updates and Trends Report will be distributed.  We’re saving a place for you!

Finally, our friends at the Solar Workforce Innovation Collaborative, comprised of SolarTech, NOVA Workforce Investment Board, and Foothill-DeAnza Community College District, was awarded $4M from California’s Green Innovative Challenge Grant Program to train Californians for jobs in a wide range of clean and green industries, including renewable energy generation, energy efficiency in buildings, alternative and renewable fuels and vehicles, energy storage, and water efficiency.  IREC will support the Collaborative by providing information and expertise on training trends and needs and best practices.  Congratulations!

P.S.

If you enjoy the resources and information we provide, please consider passing our website to a friend, or follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

Read the State & Stakeholder Newsletter, July 14, 2010

If you want the best news about what’s going on in the states and cities, read the State & Stakeholder Newsletter (June 30, 2010)

Good teaching matters

There’s no doubt that content is essential to effective training, but translating that content into useful and helpful information may be even more important than the content itself.  Like Edith Ann says, ““I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework.”

According to Dr. Barbara Martin, a former professor in the College of Education at the University of Central Florida and at Kent State University in educational technology and educational psychology, subject matter experts (SME) are indispensable when developing training courses.  “SME’s have technical skills and practical knowledge that are necessary to help non-expert students learn.  However, SME’s are rarely professional educators,” she said.  “They may not know to organize and present information, and they may not know how to develop and use tests and evaluation instruments to improve student learning and to improve the quality of the course.”

With the proliferation of renewable energy and energy efficiency training opportunities from San Diego to Sandusky, finding the right combination of the content and effective teaching  methods is a challenge but doable, if you know what to look for.  Whether you’re an educator or a student, you’ll want to read Martin’s piece, Good Teaching Matters, highlighting five important teaching practices that can improve the quality of a training course.

It’s big news in the small wind industry.  The Small Wind Certification Council (SWCC) now has 13 turbine models in the certification queue to AWEA’s Small Wind Turbine Performance and Safety Standard.  According to SWCC’s Executive Director, Larry Sherwood, the first turbine will be certified by Fall 2010.  Most of the turbines with pending certification applications will receive certification decisions in 2011.

Though next week is July 4th, IREC kicks off its Fall 2010 webinar series on July 20th with  Justin Barnes of the N.C. Solar Center at N.C. State University discussing  state policies and trends based on DSIRE research and IREC’s Larry Sherwood will discuss his much anticipated solar installation trends in the United States.  Other webinar topics include PACE financing, community solar, fire codes and workforce development.  The Fall 2010 webinar series runs through December.

July 16th is the deadline to submit applications for IREC’s 2010 Innovation Awards.  This year, IREC will present awards in six categories: small wind, clean energy workforce development, community renewables, clean energy financial incentives, clean energy regulatory policies, and clean energy ARRA projects. Projects must have been completed during 2009.

The 2010 Innovation Awards will be presented at IREC’s Annual Meeting on Monday, October 11 in Los Angeles. Long recognized as one of the most comprehensive one-day events that address updates and trends in state and local renewable energy issues, top state and national experts will discuss net metering and interconnection, clean energy workforce education, credentialing, best practices in state policies, and national solar market trends. As always, IREC’s Annual Updates and Trends Report will be distributed.  We’re saving a place for you!

Read the State & Stakeholder Newsletter, June 30, 2010

If you want the best news about what’s going on in the states and cities, read the State & Stakeholder Newsletter (June 16, 2010)

Remember summer?  The time when things (and people) slow down, move slower?  Don’t ask the DSIRE folks about a slow summer.  In today’s newsletter, DSIRE reports on the latest in incentive policies from 13 states. Take Colorado, where recently enacted ‘solar gardens’ legislation allows community net metering in IOU service territories, and where more renewables were added to the property tax incentive list.  Vermont tops the list of we-don’t-have-the-summer-doldrums with a renewable energy bill that affected several of the state’s renewable energy policies, including net metering and interconnection, tax credit, natural gas vehicle funding, FITs, and the state’s renewable portfolio goal.  And that’s news from just two of the 13 states.

The news from NABCEP hasn’t slowed down either.  Just this week, it released its Small Wind Installer Certification Exam Resource Guide, a useful and practical resource for those planning on taking NABCEP’s (first ever) small wind installer certification exam on 9/11 at various locations across the U.S.  Just a few weeks ago, NABCEP released its small wind installer certification application.

Applications flowing into IREC’s ISPQ credentialing program don’t know the meaning of the word ‘slower.’  IREC’s Director of Operations and ISPQ administrator, Pat Fox, has 10 applications in the queue.   If you’re considering applying for ISPQ’s accreditation or certification credential, you’ll want to read thinking about applying for the ISPQ credential to help you decide which credential is right for you.

IREC’s Annual Meeting is open for registration.  Scheduled for Monday, October 11 in Los Angeles, IREC will convene a one-day gathering of experts to share updates and discuss interesting (and innovative) trends in credentialing, regulatory affairs, clean energy workforce education, and state policies.  Each year, at the Annual Meeting, IREC’s Innovation Awards recognizes organizations and individuals who have implemented innovative projects during the previous year that promote and accelerate renewables.  This year’s categories include small wind, clean energy workforce development, community renewables, clean energy financial incentives, clean energy regulatory policies, and clean energy ARRA projects. Applications are due 7/16.

The 4th Clean Energy Workforce Education Conference, scheduled for March 8-11, 2011 in Saratoga Springs, NY, has just released its Call for Presentations.  IREC is the primary organizer of this conference; NYSERDA is the primary sponsor.  Deadline for proposal submission is October 1st.    

I’m waiting for the real summer slow down, maybe August?  Maybe December?

Read the State & Stakeholder Newsletter, June 16, 2010

If you want the best news about what’s going on in the states and cities, read the State & Stakeholder Newsletter (June 2, 2010)

If you’re thinking that you just received IREC’s State & Stakeholder Newsletter last week, you’re right.  You did.  I shuffled the regular schedule to give you an update from ASES 10 in Phoenix (5/25/10 issue). With this issue, I’m back on track.

Despite the short turnaround, there was still a lot of news from DSIRE.  I was especially intrigued by the three news items from the State of Maryland.  Though their session ended in April, some notable legislation passed.  SB 277 upped Maryland’s annual solar RPS benchmarks, and SB 287 renewed and revised its clean energy production tax credit.  Maryland’s net metering law, amended four times over the past couple of legislative sessions, was amended again–this time adding fuel cells.

Chalk up another state in the PACE financing column:  Georgia becomes the 21st state to  enact PACE financing programs. And though DSIRE reports on finalized legislation and rules only, the DSIRE folks report that there are other states considering PACE financing programs, so expect this number to increase.

Our friends at NYSERDA are embarking on a five-year plan to establish PV and small wind test and research centers in NYS.  Currently, there is only one accredited small wind and four accredited PV test centers in the U.S.  NYS higher education institutions (i.e., Clarkson University, Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY Canton, Alfred State, Binghamton University, and the Syracuse Center of Excellence) are part of the mix, to provide hands-on training to educate the next generation of clean energy workers.

It may hit triple digits here in Austin this weekend, but that’s a perfect time for the Texas Solar Energy Society’s Cool House Tour.  Always a great collection of cool homes, this year a zero energy home is on the tour.  I’ll be taking my sunscreen and water bottle with me as I tour the homes.

Don’t forget…registration for IREC’s Annual Meeting on Monday, October 11 in Los Angeles, is open, the day before Solar Power International 10 (October 12-14). We promise a full day of the latest in state and local renewable energy issues and trends, addressed by top state and national experts, discussing net metering and interconnection, clean energy workforce education, credentialing, best practices in state policies, and national solar market trends.  Join us, won’t you?

P.S.  Going to any of the upcoming renewable energy fairs?  Drop me a note and let me know what you liked best or found useful.

Read the State & Stakeholder Newsletter, June 2, 2010

If you want the best news about what’s going on in the states and cities, read the State & Stakeholder Newsletter (May 25, 2010)

It’s been a very busy couple of weeks…

Let’s start with ASES 10, Phoenix.  Team IREC was on the agenda in 10 sessions over three days.  Try as I did to be in two places at once, it just didn’t happen.  It was hard to get a seat for Larry Sherwood’s presentation on the 2009 U.S. solar market data.  IREC will release the full report–look for it in July.

Connecting to the Grid Editor, Laurel Varnado, did presentation double time, with (I love this title) ‘the many flavors of net metering–regional policy trends,‘ rating tangy New England, Mid-Atlantic Creme Brule, the meat and potatoes Midwest…you get the idea.  But it was Laurel’s other presentation, the one with the conference-ish title of valuing solar through market diversity where she featured flora, fauna and feathered creatures to describe the diverse ecosystem of players in the solar policy world that, as she said, ‘make the most sense to me.’  I lament I missed that one. 

NCSC’s Ty Gorman’s shared his scholarly analysis of how state energy programs are spending their stimulus dollars on solar.  Though Amy Heinemann (NCSC), moderated the PACE session, she set the stage with a brief overview of the policy. Amy was later interviewed about the PACE policy by Renewable Energy World (REW).  And Joe Wiedman, Keyes and Fox, LLC, laid out the different varieties of community renewable policies in place in nine states, and shared IREC’s guiding principles for model community renewables best practices. Joe was also interviewed by REW.

At the ASES awards dinner, IREC’s Executive Director Jane Weissman received the prestigious Charles Greeley Abbot Award, ASES’s highest award, for her significant contributions to ASES and the field of solar energy.  With this award, Weissman joins a distinguished group of recipients, including some of the most renowned solar scientists and researchers. She is the third woman to receive this honor since it was first awarded in 1975.  An honor most well deserved, Ms. Weissman.

ASES may be over, but we’re already looking at October for Solar Power International 10, October 12-14, in Los Angeles.  Registration opens today.  And if it’s SPI, that means it’s IREC’s Annual Meeting, set for Monday, October 11th in LA.  We’ve also opened registration.

There’s no slowdown at NABCEP; it just released another new PV certification, this one for qualified electricians.  And it released its application to sit for the first small wind certification exam (9/11/10).

Our friends at Delaware Technical Community College have teamed up with legendary Roger Ebbage of Lane Community College to offer an energy management curriculum at DTCC.

Like I said, it’s been a busy couple of weeks.  I’m not complaining.

Read the State & Stakeholder Newsletter, May 25, 2010

If you want the best news about what’s going on in the states and cities, read the State & Stakeholder Newsletter (May 5, 2010)

As I write this post, I’m following the Twitter stream for the Good Jobs, Green Jobs National Conference in D.C. where IREC’s Jane Weissman, ever the most traveled Executive Director, presented on the state of green job training.  Jane was on a panel with Marcy Drummond, Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, Vice President for Workforce and Economic Development, and Sarah White, Center on Wisconsin Strategy, Senior Associate, discussing what she knows a lot about- policy options for implementing a greener, more coherent credentialing system (read my interview with her)— and ensuring equitable access.  We’ll make sure Jane’s presentation is available soon.

It’s less than a year out, but NYSERDA and IREC are already planning the 2011 Clean Energy Education Workforce  Conference, scheduled for March 8-11 in Saratoga, NY, the fourth national conference on educating the renewable energy and energy efficiency workforce.  As with the previous three conferences, this event promises to offer the most current information on instructional strategies, curricula development, credentialing, and best practices for training in the renewable energy and energy efficiency fields.

In a few days, Jane will be talking about green jobs at ASES’s conference.  Actually, the IREC team is all over the ASES agenda discussing community solar, connecting to the grid, net metering, state trends, solar market trends, and green workforce development.  If you’re poring over the agenda now, make sure  you get to some of these sessions.  Follow IREC at ASES May 18-21 through live Twitter streams (and become our Facebook fan, too).

The May issue of Larry Sherwood’s Small Wind newsletter is out with the latest in small wind energy news in the U.S., including a link to the April 25th edition of the Simpsons where Homer builds a backyard turbine (oh dear).

More news from our friends at NABCEP.  ED Ezra Auerbach tells us that its developing a Company Accreditation Program for renewable energy companies that meet specific and verifiable criteria based on business practices, hiring practices, and social and environmental policies and practices.  If you’re a company interested in helping develop this program, let them hear from you by May 21st.

Sara Baldwin, Utah Clean Energy, gives us a rundown of what’s been happening in Utah lately, including the recent Solar America Cities meeting where Solar Salt Lake was awarded SAC’s Barrier Buster Award for its efforts to improve Utah’s net metering rules (with thanks to the legal eagles of Keyes and Fox).

With Spring in full bloom just about everywhere, it’s a sign that those summer renewable energy fairs can’t be far behind.  I’m always happy to include those kinds of events in IREC’s online calendar.  If there’s a summer fair out there, let me know, OK?

P.S.  Kudos to ASES for publishing a letter on its website discussing concerns about Arizona’s new immigration law, and how it might affect upcoming conference goers.

Read the State & Stakeholder Newsletter, May 5, 2010

If you want the best news about what’s going on in the states and cities, read the State & Stakeholder Newsletter (April 21, 2010)

As I was putting this newsletter together, I realized that there were three significant news items from IREC’s ISPQ program–all within the past two weeks.  Any one of these items would be newsworthy, but three?

To start with,  it just received its 100th application for the prestigious ISPQ credential.  According to Pat Fox, ISPQ’s Program Manager, by the end of Q1 2010, seventeen credentials were awarded, including the first small wind credentials for a continuing education program and a certified instructor.  These 17 credentials represent a 237% increase over the same period last year.  And there appears no end in sight.  In fact, to help with the audit process, ISPQ is looking for a few good auditors.  As Pat says, auditor assignments are dependent on the volume of ISPQ applications received, and although ISPQ is currently experiencing exponential growth, the volume and frequency of applications requiring audits varies.  As a result, the position of Auditor is part-time and intermittent, but if you’re interested, and can fulfill the qualifications, consider applying to become an IREC ISPQ Registered Auditor.    Lastly, it’s now easier than ever to find where ISPQ accredited programs and certified trainers are located in the U.S. with a clickable, regional map of the U.S.   Check it out and let Pat know what you think.

Just last week, I learned that Sue Gouchoe, Policy Program Manager for the North Carolina Solar Center at NC State University, is leaving DSIRE to work on other projects, including some work with Clean Power Research. For the past decade, Sue nurtured and grew the DSIRE database into a powerhouse resource, now used by a quarter million people monthly.  And, according to colleague, Rusty Haynes, her karate skills are unnerving.

It’s big news for ICLEI and ICMA (and for IREC, too), recipients of a $10M grant from DOE’s Solar America Cities Technical Outreach to accelerate the adoption of solar among local governments.  ICLEI and ICMA will outreach to thousands of local governments across the nation, sharing best practices for increasing solar energy use in their communities. DOE’s exemplary, Solar Powering Your Community: A Guide for Local Governments, will serve as the foundation for the outreach efforts.  IREC, North Carolina State University, the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), Meister Consultants Group, and The Solar Foundation will partner with ICLEI under this award.  Congratulations to all.

IREC’s Community Renewable Power Proposal, released last month, incorporates best practices for co-investment in local renewable power installations.  IREC’s proposal builds upon the best elements of community solar and renewables programs that have been adopted by a number of municipal utilities and policy makers from California, Washington, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont and Rhode Island.  Joe Wiedman is still accepting comments and questions on the proposal.  Let him hear from you.

The last issue of this newsletter highlighted Greener Skills: How Credentials Create Value in the Clean Energy Economy, a brilliantly written report by Sarah White and colleagues from the Center on Wisconsin Strategy that makes the case for a national policy of portable, transparent, industry-specific credentials — and state-supported pathways up to them.  Despite her ridiculously busy schedule, Sarah generously found time to answer a few questions about the challenges and possibilities in building a fair education training system for the green energy economy.  It was a treat to talk with her.

And finally, our friends at NABCEP have released a new job task analysis (JTA), this one for  PV Technical Sales Certification, designed for those involved with non-installation aspects of the sale and commissioning of a PV system. “The launching of this Certification broadens the career path opportunities for those who are successful PV Entry Level Exam candidates,” says NABCEP’s ED, Ezra Auerbach.

Next month, IREC will be in Phoenix at ASES 2010.  I’ll share their busy schedule with you.

P.S.   Now you can follow us on Facebook and Twitter.  Join the conversation.

Read the State & Stakeholder Newsletter, April 21, 2010