text:
Intel® AI Lab is excited to release a set of new features for NLP Architect in version 0.3 of the library. Back in May 2018 at the inaugural Intel® AI DevCon (Intel® AIDC) in San Francisco, Intel AI Lab announced its first release of NLP Architect, an open source library for natural language processing (NLP) research and development. We have continued to develop and add new features, including additional NLP models and solutions in release 0.2. Today's release continues on this path.
Now let's look at some of the highlights of this release.
NLP Application: Topics and Trends Analysis
For the current release of NLP Architect, we have created an additional application: Topics and Trends Analysis. Users are often overwhelmed with information and are primarily interested in seeing phrases that summarize the key topics instead of combing through the data. Topical datasets can change over time as subtopics are added, changed or removed. Seeing the trend of extracted phrases is also of interest for users who want to know how their data is changing. The Topics and Trends Analysis application tackles both of these tasks.
This application consists of 2 major parts, as seen in the figure below.
The top process is called Topic Analysis. This module utilizes NLP Architect's noun phrase extractor to extract key phrases from text files and apply a scoring algorithm to guess how prominent a phrase is in the context of the processed corpora.
The second process requires two collections of key phrases extracted using the Topic Analysis algorithm. It ingests all the generated data and presents a collection of visual aids that help analyze emerging topics (hot topic) or out-dated topics (cold topic), clusters of topics and the ability to further process topics. We created a UI alongside these algorithms so users can try out this application using their own data.
Similar to Term Set Expansion which was made available in the previous release of NLP Architect, an integrated application on trend and topic analysis demonstrates representative workflow and allows users to visualize how to utilize some of the building blocks in NLP Architect to build more end-to-end applications for their use cases.
To learn how to run Topics and Trend Analysis on your data, visit the documentation website.
More Demos on NLP components
We understand NLP model results are often hard to visualize, so we added demonstrations for four components of NLP Architect: Named Entity Recognition, Intent Extraction, Dependency Parser, and Machine Reading comprehension. Check out the new UI in the screenshots below and visit this guide to learn how to fire up NLP Architect's demos.
Sparse\Neural Machine Translation Model
Neural Machine Translation (NMT) models are often over-parameterized and tend to be very large. Compressed models will serve as a good baseline for the developer community to develop optimized software kernels that leverage sparsity and quantization for efficient inference on limited-resource devices.
We integrate the pruning mechanism proposed by Zhu and Gupta into Google's NMT architecture and demonstrated how to prune the GNMT model up to 90% sparsity during training while maintaining a comparable accuracy (up to 1.5 loss in BLEU score). In addition, we show how to further compress the highly sparse models by uniform quantization of the weights to 8-bit Integer format.
Further documentation, examples for training and running inference, and two pre-trained sparse models can be found here.
Semantic Relation Identification
We implemented several semantic relation identification models in NLP Architect. These models detect semantic relations between two entities based on external knowledge resources. For example, the terms Big Blue and IBM have a redirect connection entry in Wikipedia which implies that they are opaque synonyms. In this version, we utilized external resources such as Wikipedia, Wordnet, VerbOcean, word embeddings and pre-processed databases. We deployed these semantic relation identifiers in a Cross Document Coreference model that detects whether mentions of an entity in two different documents refer to the same entity. These are early stage models, and we encourage users to find additional documentation and configuration details here.
We invite developers and researchers to try out NLP Architect, and we look forward to receiving feedback, feature requests and pull request contributions from all users. For a full list of additions and changes in this new version, please see the v0.3 release notes.
Credits go to our team of NLP researchers and developers at the Intel AI Lab: Peter Izsak, Anna Bethke, Daniel Korat, Amit Yaccobi, Jonathan Mamou, Shira Guskin, Sharath Nittur Sridhar, Oren Pereg, Alon Eirew, Sapir Tsabari, Yael Green, Chinnikrishna Kothapalli, Yinyin Liu, Guy Boudoukh, Ofir Zafrir and Maneesh Tewani.
Intel technologies' features and benefits depend on system configuration and may require enabled hardware, software or service activation. Performance varies depending on system configuration. No computer system can be absolutely secure. Check with your system manufacturer or retailer or learn more at intel.com.
Intel and the Intel logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other countries.
*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
© Intel Corporation.


text:
Thor is the exact definition of a gentle giant. He loves to play and run with dogs of all sizes, from mini labradoodles to big Newfoundlanders, just as long as they will play with him. Thor is a playful goof and he makes our day more interesting and full of laughter. He doesn't realize just how big he is and will take any chance he can get to try to be a lap dog and cover you in slobber. Congratulations Thor, you won Dog of the Week!
Click here to see Past Dog of the Week.
Powered by Facebook Comments

subset: commoncrawl


text:
JodieBowie hosted the brand new Southampton rock festival at the 1865. This is hopefully the first of many and she did a sterling job of getting the best new bands along with a living legend into the perfect venue.
The festival kicked off with Bournemouth band 27 Days who did a fantastic set. One of the highlights was their cover of I Believe in a Thing Called Love which showcased the great vocals of frontman Jordan. Next up came The wicked Jackals, whose energetic set went down well. Their high octane cover of Nut Bush City Limits was superb.
Southampton band the Outlaw Orchestra get better every time I see them and this was a brilliant set. Front man Dave has a great mix of stories that have the crowd enthralled and musically they are wonderful. Highlights for me were the brilliant Back To Georgia and Burn The House. Pete the new banjo player has fitted right in and adds another level. The crowd were on their feet throughout the set. They are in Bournemouth soon so go and catch them live. Beth Blade and the Beautiful Disasters burst onto stage with confidence and the tracks from their debut album Bad Habit went down well. Beth not only has an incredible voice, she is a great guitarist. One to watch out for.
Stop Stop were next up, full of riffs, banter and talent.
The iconic Marco Mendoza (Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, Black Star Riders, Ted Nugent, Dead Daisies) needed no introduction. Sheer talent and what a voice! From the second he was on the stage the crowd was his. He interacts with the crowd so everyone felt part of it. He was as happy off the stage playing in the crowd as he was on it.
If Marco doesn't have us singing or clapping along we are finger clicking. Micky Crystal on guitar and Kyle Hughes on drums are the perfect combination to Marco's out of this world bass skills. Viva La Rock and Hey baby were my favourites of this set.
Bigfoot are on their farewell tour, just nine dates left now. Musically, they are one of the best I have seen and Sean's vocals are incredible. How a band this good are calling it a day is beyond me. Fingers crossed they will reconsider.
The next band up were just the best British band to have formed over the past few years, Those Damn Crows. They are going from strength to strength and their debut album Murder and the Motive is a must-have. It was clear most of the people in the venue had the album and Shane's request to raise the roof with Blink of an Eye was easily completed. Rock 'n' Roll Ain't Dead was another track where the audience was as loud as the band. The next album is going to be one to watch and hopefully these guys will be selling out arenas soon.
Headliners were Massive Wagons, just off an arena tour with Lynyrd Skynryd and Status Quo, where they were outstanding. Another completely brilliant British rock band who again will be selling out arenas in their own right soon. Baz is a brilliant front man and the perfect end to a great night.
More please, Jodie, and soon.


text:
2019/20 Upper Deck SP Game Used Hockey Hobby Box
Upper Deck
PLEASE NOTE that as an Upper Deck Authorized Internet Retailer we are not able to ship
this product into the United States until it has been out for one full year (February 27, 2020).
- SP Game-Used Hockey is back with an abundance of limited edition memorabilia!
- Find a multitude of cards featuring jerseys, patches, pucks, sticks, gloves and net cord from the marquee NHL events: the Global Series, the Winter Classic, the All-Star Game & Skills Competition,and the Stanley Cup Finals!
- Look for 100 base cards and100Authentic Rookies(featuring members ofthe 2019-20 rookie class)serial #'d to each player'sjersey number.
- NEW! Be on the lookout for Showcase Standouts (w/ autograph parallels), a new insert featuring one-of-a-kind jersey & patch cards. The material comes from the jerseys worn at the annual NHL Rookie Showcase game.
- Collect a new wave of Draft Day Marks letterman cards, including veterans #'d to 10 and rookies #'d to 35 (per letter).
- Seek out Supreme Patches, Gloves, Sticks, Skates and Pads featuring a selection of the game's top stars accompanied by extra-large swatches of super-premium, game-used material!
- NEW! Snag All-Star Weekend inserts featuring banner and jersey swatches from All-Star Weekend. There's also an all-patch parallel numbered to just 5!
- Not only can you snag large banner swatches from All-Star Weekend, but also the Winter Classic, the draft, and the Stanley Cup Finals through the popular Banner Year insert! These swatches come from the actual banners hung by the NHL at each of these special events.
- Game Gear, Tools of the Game, Frameworks, A Piece of History, Locker Essentials and Draft Swag are back! Keep an eye out for premium material parallels numbered as low as 5.
Box Break:
- One (1) guaranteed premium autograph, premium memorabilia or autograph/memorabilia combo card!
- Three (3) more regular autograph, memorabilia or autograph/memorabilia combo cards.
1 pack per box, 6 cards per pack


text: It's a tragic confirmation. Julian Cadman's family had frantically searched for the British 7-year-old in the wake of Thursday's ISIS-claimed van attack on Barcelona's Las Ramblas landmark. Today Catalan police said he was among the Assault's 14 fatalities. One additional person was killed that in nearby Cambrils, and while police fatally shot five alleged jihadists there, preventing further casualties, they're still searching for the Barcelona driver. A local police chief speculated that he could have crossed into nearby France, even if checkpoints are operating on the normally open border.


text:
Infosys cuts full-year revenue guidance again4 min read . Updated: 14 Jan 2017, 04:08 AM IST
Infosys revenue declines 0.3% in third quarter, net profit increases 2.8%
Infosys revenue declines 0.3% in third quarter, net profit increases 2.8%
Bengaluru: Early signs of a turnaround at Infosys Ltd under its first non-founder CEO Vishal Sikka seem to be fading, as the company on Friday cut its full-year revenue forecast for the third time this financial year after posting a 1.4% sequential drop in dollar revenue in the December quarter.
Infosys's latest revision of its revenue outlook means the management has shaved $588 million off the $1.31 billion in new business it had expected to do this year in April, when it had guided for at-best growth of 13.8%.
Bengaluru-based Infosys was hit by an unexpected loss of business from Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc., estimated to be about $60-70 million. Negative cross-currency movements also hurt revenue.
ALSO READ | Infosys results provide little reason for cheer
But what is disconcerting analysts and shareholders is that 30 months after Sikka took over the CEO's role in August 2014, Infosys has struggled to deliver consistent earnings and failed to improve upon its performance of last year.
Despite being a seasonally weak quarter, Infosys struggled to report incremental growth in any of its markets or service lines.
Infosys said revenue for the three months to 31 December totaled $2.55 billion, compared with $2.59 billion in the September quarter. In constant currency terms, revenue declined 0.3% sequentially. Net profit grew 1.5% to $547 million from $539 million in the July-September period. In rupee terms, revenue declined sequentially by 0.2% to Rs17,273 crore, while net profit increased 2.8% to Rs3,708 crore. The company improved its operating margin by 20 basis points sequentially to 25.1% from 24.9% at the end of fiscal second quarter. One basis point is one-hundredth of a percentage point.
A Bloomberg survey of analysts had forecast revenue of $2.55 billion, or Rs17,286.40 crore, in the quarter and a net profit of $524.01 million, or Rs3,557.20 crore, in the October-December period.
Infosys now expects a 1.3% sequential dollar revenue expansion in the current January-March period, which is again less than the 1.6% sequential growth in the January-March period of last year. The company expects to grow between 7.2% and 7.6% in the full year, less than the 9.1% growth last year.
At-best 7.6% growth means Infosys will add $722 million in new business this year, less than the $790 million added last year.
ALSO READ | TCS Q3 profit rises 8% to $1 billion, beats forecasts
In constant currency terms, Infosys now expects to grow between 8.4% and 8.8% as against its earlier estimate of growing between 8% and 9% for the full year. This is again lower than industry body Nasscom's top-end projected growth of 8-10% for India's $150 billion outsourcing sector.
Infosys won $664 million in large deals during the third quarter, significantly down from $1.2 billion in the July-September period and $809 million in the April-June period.
This reversal in fortunes, bit by bit, at Infosys, is making stakeholders, including senior executives and investors, jumpy. Although overall attrition continues to be stable, five executive vice-presidents (EVPs) left Infosys last year, compared with three EVP departures in the first 17 months of Sikka's tenure (1 August 2014-31 December 2015).
"It is not an easy transformation," Sikka conceded when asked about the reasons behind the underperformance. "This industry (IT outsourcing) has grown using global delivery model and cheap costs. So the kind of organization and workforce transformation we are doing is a very challenging thing. It is going to take time and it is a lasting change and I'm encouraged by the progress we have made so far."
Investors on Friday punished the stock, which fell 2.49% to Rs975.15 on the BSE on a day the benchmark Sensex ended little changed at 27,238.06 points.
"The focus for us now is to first record a better Q4, because it helps us with a better exit rate as we step in the next financial year," a senior Infosys executive said on condition of anonymity. "Our problems in consulting and poor execution in some pockets is well-documented. But now we have to really make sure we do well in the current quarter."
To strengthen its execution, Infosys promoted S. Ravi Kumar, head of delivery, as deputy chief operating officer. He will work along with U.B. Pravin Rao, chief operating officer.
Infosys's larger rival, Nasdaq-listed Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp., too, cut its growth forecast thrice and has projected revenue growth of 9% in 2016 (Cognizant follows the calendar year as financial year). Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS), India's largest software services firm, does not give quarterly or yearly guidance, but after it reported on Thursday a poor 0.3% revenue increase in the December quarter, it will be a tall task for the company to even grow at over 6% in the current year.
ALSO READ | H1B visas: Infosys yet to observe changing approach by clients, says Vishal Sikka
"Both TCS and Cognizant too have had a weak year. But unlike Infosys, both have excellent execution capabilities. It is time Sikka and team really deliver on this 'renew and new' strategy. Surely, questions are being asked on the company's strategy after repeated disappointments," said a Mumbai-based analyst at a domestic securities house on condition of anonymity.
The US, which brings 62% of Infosys's revenue, declined by 0.6% sequentially, while business from Europe, which accounts for 22.2% of overall revenue, declined 2.5%. Banking, financial services and insurance, which brings more than a third of revenue, declined 0.8%.
The firm's attrition rate dropped marginally to 14.9% at the end of December from 15.7% during the September quarter.
Click here to read the Mint ePaperLivemint.com is now on Telegram. Join Livemint channel in your Telegram and stay updated


text:
If you have a new continuous cough, a high temperature, or a loss or change to your sense of taste or smell, do not come to our hospitals. Follow the national advice.
Please find information on our services and visiting restrictions in our COVID-19 section.
Patients and visitors must wear a face covering in our hospitals.
This site is best viewed with a modern browser. You appear to be using an old version of Internet Explorer.
Once HRA NHS permission and Local Trust Management Approval has been granted, research teams can start the research project. However, there is an ongoing requirement to keep the R&D Department, the Ethics Committee and the MHRA (if the research is a clinical trial) updated with study progress.
It is a requirement of Local Trust Management Approval at Oxford University Hospitals that the date of the first participant recruited to all research studies should be reported to the R&D Department. This is a written condition of approval. Ongoing recruitment should also be reported.
Commercially sponsored research being hosted at Oxford University Hospitals has additional recruitment reporting requirements:
Research recruitment reporting
Consent is the first and critical step in involving a patient:
Safety reporting is an essential aspect of Clinical Research and applies to both Clinical Trials and Clinical Research.
Safety reporting
Serious breaches of GCP must be reported to appropriate regulatory and ethical bodies, and may be required to be reported on the Trust incident management system too.
Serious breaches
All research approved at an Ethics Committee is required to report annually, on the anniversary of that approval, the progress of that research.
Changes to a research study need to be reported to appropriate regulatory or ethical bodies, and any NHS trusts hosting the research.
Substantial and Non-substantial Amendments
Please use the links below for information about conduct.


text:
Old Spice High Endurance Original Deodorant - 3 UNITSAC1787891
Old Spice High Endurance Original Deodorant Long lasting stick deodorant launched by the design house of Old Spice. This fresh masculine fragrance contains odor fighting ingredients which deliver a fresh clean scent and long lasting odor protection. 2.25 oz. - 3 UNITS


text:
WCPSEF Enhancing Education for All Students
Mar 9, 2018 (Hagerstown, MD) - By Macaroni Kid – Hagerstown, MD – Martinsburg, WV
Link to the article: https://hagerstown.macaronikid.com/articles/5aa2b069240dfe69a872265a/wcpsef-enhancing-education-for-all-students
The Washington County Public Schools Education Foundation, Inc. (WCPSEF) was established in 2009 to support and encourage the public schools in Washington County, Maryland. WCPSEF serves as a catalyst for uniting schools and their communities. Through volunteer efforts and funding from businesses, individuals, and civic organizations, the goal of educational excellence can be achieved.
WCPSEF enhances education for all students
by securing resources to support innovative teaching and learning.
The foundation is hosting our first signature fundraising event, Ready, Set, PLAY! This event will be Fun and Games for Moms and Sons, held on Friday, June 15, 2018 from 5:30-8:30pm at North Hagerstown High School. The event will have approximately 12 outdoor stations (Field Day Activities & Yard Games) along with approximately 12 indoor stations and activities (Arts & Crafts, Gaming, Creating, Playing, Etc.). This event is brand new and one of a kind in this area!!
Stay up to date on details of this event by clicking "Interested or Going" on the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1384682418324565/
The proceeds from the fundraising event will help to fund the organizations three ongoing programs, along with expanding opportunities to enhance education throughout Washington County.
The Innovative Grant Program (previously known as the Mini-Grant Program) is designed to encourage exceptional ideas that improve the educational process. Teachers in Washington County apply for grant funding and these awards support innovative projects that will positively impact student learning. The foundation has awarded over $100,000 since 2009 in grants to WCPS teachers to fund innovative classroom projects designed to enhance student learning. In 2016, we expanded to award our first Maxi-Grant which awards up to $5,000 and look forward to continuing this level of giving back to the WCPS teachers!
The foundation funds, organizes and operates the GLOW Financial Literacy and College Financial Planning Program. This program provides a curriculum designed to help high school students overcome the obstacles of applying for college and provide the tools necessary for student success during their college years and beyond. Community volunteers serve as mentors in the classroom to aid in curriculum instruction. We have reached over 650 students since 2013 and our volunteers have spent over 450 hours in the classroom. This program is currently intertwined into the AVID curriculum at North High, Smithsburg, South High and Williamsport in grades 9-12.
The foundation sponsors the FAFSA Frenzy program. Since 2014, this program has provided information and assistance to over 430 families. Our volunteers have helped families apply for and understand Federal Student Aid in order to attend college. Community volunteers have donated over 420 hours during FAFSA Frenzy events. In 2017, we expanded this program to partner with community organizations and start conversations with younger students about the importance of education beyond high school, the potential of attending college and possibilities of paying for their education beyond high school.
WCPSEF is involved with supporting education throughout the county and supports several other programs and initiatives. The foundation is an active partner with OnTrack Washington County: http://ontrackwc.org/ and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OnTrackWC.
To find out more, visit the foundation's website: http://wcpseducationfoundation.org/ or follow & like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/wcpseducfound. If you would like to make a donation or find out how you can support the foundation, please contact the Manager, Christina Williams by phone: 301-766-2925 or email: email@example.com.


text:
The American Express Singapore Airlines Krisflyer Credit Card (Blue) may be an underrated card as its earn rate is not high – 1.1 miles per dollar for local spend, 2 mpd for foreign currency in Jun and Dec, and 3.1 mpd for spending on Grab. However, it is the only AMEX Singapore Airlines Krisflyer card that is possible to obtain an annual fee waiver, and sometimes, there are pretty good promotions on this card!
What AMEX does now is to provide exclusive offers through the app or website (see below) that you need to "save" to your account. Each promotion has a limit, and you need to be fast and save the promotion before they run out.
Right now, there are 2 great promotions to take note of that will allow you to accrue bonus Krisflyer Miles.
- 3 bonus KF miles per $1 spent in foreign currency (Till 30 Apr 19)
For this promotion, you need to be the first 10000 cardmembers to save the offer. There is also a cap of 1500 bonus KF miles, meaning you should spend a maximum of $500 on this credit card (bearing in mind that Amex does have a high transaction fee for Forex). With 3 bonus KF miles, the net yield will be 4.1 miles per dollar on foreign currency, which is better than the other cards like Bank of China Elite Miles.
2. 4 bonus KF miles per $1 spent on mobile payment (Till 15 Jun 19)
For this offer, you need to be the first 15000 cardmembers to save the offer, and the cap is 1200 bonus krisflyer miles, meaning a maximum spend of $300 only. With 4 bonus KF miles, the net yield is 5.1 mpd – which is terrific! Simply save your card details and start using either Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay!
If you do not have this credit card yet, click here to sign up and you can receive $20 CapitaVoucher when you use Singpass's MyInfo to signup. The other perks are below:
- Receive a bonus of 5,000 KrisFlyer miles upon first spend on Card.
- Receive 7,500 bonus KrisFlyer miles upon spending S$3,000 in the first 3 months upon Card approval.
- Receive additional 7,500 KrisFlyer miles when you spend S$3,000 in the 4th to 6th month of Card Membership.
- Receive 1,500 KrisFlyer miles each, for the first two approved Supplementary Cards.


text:
A new study has associated eating bright yellow foods with happiness. A study in the U.K. interviewed about 1,000 participants about food consumption and emotions. Bright yellow foods were found to evoke the most happiness with foods such as omelettes topping the list. This is thought to be because the color yellow may remind us of the warmth of sunshine and children's toys. Red foods were found to evoke the second most amount of happiness with blue foods coming last on the list.
Key Takeaways:
- Research shows that people experience positive reactions to the color yellow because it reminds them of sunshine and children's toys.
- Yellow foods that made study participants feel most cheerful included omelettes, macaroni and cheese, and pancakes.
- Yellow vegetables such as corn, golden beets, and pumpkin are filled with vitamins and antioxidants.
"According to a U.K. study, eating yellow foods can also help improve your mood."
Read more: https://www.naturalnews.com/2019-01-14-eating-bright-yellow-foods-can-make-you-happy.html


text:
For Quotes In HI, NM, NY, RI, VT Or WA:
By clicking "Get a Quote" or "Quote Online", I consent to be contacted by representatives or agents of Augeo Affinity Insurance Services, Inc. or its affiliate/partner companies (even if I'm on a state or national do not call registry) at the e-mail, mobile phone and/or landline information I submitted, to provide me a quote or to obtain additional information needed to provide me a quote and to follow up with respect to a quote thereafter. The company may contact me through the use of an automated dialer or by use of a prerecorded message.
Dental insurance helps to pay a portion of costs associated with preventive, minor, and some
major dental care. Dental insurance will provide you and your family with the preventative care
needed to keep your smiles fresh and clean. Dental insurance is similar to other forms of
insurance, where you pay a premium and then obtain certain coverage related to your dental
Although dental health care is another form of protection that will need to be incorporated within your budget, it should be considered an important part of your medical care. Good oral hygiene and taking care of your teeth are crucial to your overall health and well-being. Research has shown that the failure to maintain good oral health can lead to a diminished quality of life and potential medical complications, such as heart disease and diabetes.
With Augeo Benefits, you can get affordable and quality dental insurance that will ensure you and your loved ones have healthy mouths, teeth, and gums. Take care of your smile and get a free dental insurance quote today.
Copyright 1998-2020, Safe Auto Group Agency, Inc.
4 Easton Oval, Columbus, Ohio 43219
Products and services may be offered through
Safe Auto Group Agency, Inc.
Apple logo and App Store service mark are registered trademarks of Apple Inc.
Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.


text:
Your friends are fundraising. Don't miss out, opt in.
Disability Initiative (DI) supports vulnerable adults with complex physical disabilities and neurological conditions such as stroke, brain injury, MS and cerebral palsy. DI is an inspirational charity that helps its beneficiaries achieve things they never thought possible. Be Inspired!
DI Registered charity number 1049002
"Dear Lucy, I wish you all the success for your satellite expansion in Fleet, good luck to you and all your staff, love Ian xx"
Ian Hoskin donated
£500.00 + £125.00 Gift Aid
"Great Giving Back Day Puppet had with DI, loved meeting you all! Very praiseworthy cause."
Carissa Wickremer donated
£10.00 + £2.50 Gift Aid
"Thank you DI for a wonderful Giving Back Day and for everything you do every day!
Marianne Calder donated
"Kostas Kalabokas"
Jess Willis donated
"Donation from NCS The Challenge Team Perham, many thanks for working with us and we hope this helps!! ALL THE BEST"
Ola Kolade (Programme Manager) donated
£180.42 + £0.00 Gift Aid
"Keep up the great work"
Anonymous donated
Chris Ramsey has raised $213.48 so far
I'm I am doing a 24 hour game stream to raise money for Chris Ramsey because This is where my wife goes and they help her out
Alison Dearmer has raised $60.28 so far
I'm Sponsored Slim - to raise money for DI for Alison Dearmer because they support me 3 times a week, totally amazing x


text:
Where else would you see 100+ educators enthusiastically dancing to Pop See Ko, but at the inaugural CUE Rock Star Primary Edition? We just closed out an amazing two days of fun, learning and connecting wrapped around our littlest learners. As I reflect back over the last two days, my mind is blown! I witnessed new learning, new connections, many "aha" and "switch flip" moments. The beauty is, that these things were not only happening within the sessions but throughout the whole two days. There were hallway conversations, lunch and learn opportunities, whitespace, and after-hours gatherings. Through these experiences, a camaraderie was formed and relationships were built that will transcend beyond the two-day camp. To me, this is key! It is not only what happens during the camp, but what continues…forward.
The chatter throughout the whole camp was the appreciation of the participants and presenters. They were appreciative to finally have some great professional learning opportunities focused specifically on their students and needs in mind. They felt valued and understood. Words that I heard repeatedly were: inspired, hope, empowered, energized and excited.
The camp was lead by an amazing CUE Rock Star faculty who acted as "activators" within and beyond their sessions. The passion, enthusiasm, and professionalism were apparent in everything they did. They went above and beyond just presenting in their scheduled sessions. All took on extra "lunch and learn" sessions or were involved in collaborating and connecting during "unstructured time".
Another wonderful thing about these two days was that the learning and growing went both ways. I think we would all agree with faculty:
It was great to be with like minded educators, and learn from them too! – Helen Kamali & Jackie Knudson
Beyond the faculty and the sessions, there were three lessons that we hoped our participants took away from the camp. One of the biggest pieces of the CUE Rock Star camps is the empowerment that the participants ARE the rock stars. This group owned it. Not only did we overhear amazing conversations, but we were able to see visible learning via Twitter.
On day two, we opened up the floor to those who wanted to share their learning or "aha moments". This was one of the best parts, for me…it was amazing to witness. They shared about things that they planned on taking back to the classroom to implement the next day or how the ideas and people within the camp spoke to them.
The second CUE Rock Star Lesson was: All learning is play…even for teachers. I believe that all in attendance would agree that not only was there tremendous learning but an incredible amount of fun. The positivity and laughter was contagious.
We all witnessed that there is power in pulling educators together that work with like populations, who have common environments and needs. In these more intimate setting provided through CUE Rock Star Camps. the conversations flowed, the ideas sparked and the enthusiasm was contagious. There is power in sharing our stories and we witnessed that power over these last two days. And although it was a long weekend, filled with a lot of learning, people were enthusiastic and on fire to put their new knowledge to use, and that is powerful.
Lesson number three was to "Be like Kayden". If you don't know Kayden, just look at her picture above as she experiences rain for the first time. We wanted our participants to leave the camp filled with a renewed hope, enthusiasm and empowerment to bring back and share with their staff and students.
Our hope is that these goals were met during this camp and look forward to the continued connections and learning as we all move forward.
But, I believe to truly understand the power of this CUE Rock Star Primary Camp, it is best to let our participants speak for themselves: CUE Rock Star Primary Reflection. Enjoy and keep doing amazing things for kids!
Thank you to Ben Cogswell for capturing attendee shreds at the end of Day 2. Check them out!
Rock Star Primary Faculty
Katherine Goyette: "Seesaws And Slides: Writing Past The Playground" and "Level Up Your Literacy Centers"
Susan Stewart: "Where Are We Going Next? Little Citizens In A Great Big Digital World" and "Hyperdocs: Interactive Lessons For Little Learners"
Helen Kamali and Jackie Knudson: "Take The Sheet Out Of Worksheet" and "Got Tech?"
Cori Orlando: "Primary Math Served Two Ways" and "What Are You Thinking? Show Me."
Sissie Lola: Social Media Director
Cate Tolnai: Director of Member Engagement, CUE
Cori is a mother of two amazing children and currently works as a TOSA in Simi Valley Unified School District. She is a co-moderator for both #SVTChat and #VCHSchat. Cori has presented various sessions for CUE Rock Star, CUE BOLD as well as within and outside of her district and county. She is also a frequent blogger on her site: http://leadinginlimbo.weebly.com/


text:
SPAV Malware Scanner is a simple and lightweight antivirus application that allows you to protect your computer against malware.
The software automatically updates the virus database at startup. You can change the scanning speed in order to lower system resources consumption.
|Released: Nov 1st 2012
Rating: 2.1
594 2.1
|Size: 1.6 MB
|Downloads: 5783
Company: SPAV empty empty
|Systems: Win XP, Win XP 64 bit, Win Vista, Win Vista 64 bit, Win 7, Win 7 64 bit, Win 8, Win 8 64 bit, Win 2003, Win 2008, Win 2008 64 bit, Win 2008 R2
obrigado18 September 2018, emma said:
Regards29 August 2018, Greta said:
SPAV Malware Scanner keygen için teşekkürler19 June 2018, Lisa said:
SPAV Malware Scanner के लिए पैच के लिए धन्यवाद23 April 2018, Rebecca said:
thanks for working SPAV Malware Scanner keygen11 December 2017, cecilia said:
SPAV Malware Scanner کے لئے کریکر کے لئے آپ کا شکریہ
Your email will not be published. * Required fields
Welcome to new crack resource CrackDownloadz.com! Our service can generate cracks, keygens and serials for your software to unlock it. CrackDownloadz provides a lot of popular cracks and keygens. No spyware and adware at all, just download new cracks, keygens and serials. If you have a software that needs a crack feel free to contact us.
Also you may contact us if you have software that needs to be removed from our website.


text:
You are reporting the following comment to the PledgeBank team:
The card was always the McGuffin. It's not the card that's the problem, it's the register. When people find out about the register, that's when the penny drops. As long as we keep educating and informing and countering the hype and the myths, the resistance will keep growing.
Incidentally I've had a patronising and propagandising letter from the Home Office trying to justify the ID database on the basis of the ICAO biometrics requirements. I've written back pointing out the elementary nature of their confusion...Eleanor Crawford, 14 years ago.


text:
Guide wedding dress shops in Durham: Are you looking for your wedding dress and accessories? Find the best professional advice. In this section you can find in Durham many designers, prices, sizes, cuts and collections to find the wedding dress you want for your big day. Choose the nearest store from big names and ask for an appointment to try on the dress that best suits your style.
Rocks & Roses is a family run bridal boutique that began in 2015. They are located in Northallerton just south of Durham amongst the hustle and bustle of a lively town. They are enthusiastic about ensuring that brides and their family have an enjoyable and relaxed time. The owners and their team are... (Dresses for weddings Durham)


text:
- Cultural Diplomacy in the "New World City" Dec 3, 2015
- Australia on the UNSC: Big, Juicy and Decisive Oct 19, 2012
- UNSC countdown: The public diplomacy challenge to come Oct 18, 2012
- Australia's campaign for the UNSC: an optimistic view Oct 5, 2012
- Moving Australia's Public Diplomacy Beyond the Cult of Rudd Feb 29, 2012
Professor Caitlin Byrne is Director of the Griffith Asia Institute and a CPD Faculty Fellow. Prior to joining Griffith University, Caitlin was Assistant Professor of International Relations at Bond University, Gold Coast. Her teaching and research interests include contemporary and public diplomacy, with a special focus on Australia in the Asia-Pacific region, Korea and China. Caitlin is a former research fellow of the University of Southern California's Center for Public Diplomacy (CPD) and is currently associated with the Australian Studies program at Sun-Yat Sen University, Guangzhou.
Caitlin's research is published in a range of journals including the Hague Journal of Diplomacy, the Australian Journal of International Affairs, Sport in Society, Exchange: Journal on Public Diplomacy and CPD Perspectives. Prior to joining Bond University, Caitlin held a range of management and policy roles across government, including with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (1993-2001) and the Queensland Government's Office for Women (2003-2005). She has led major social policy and legislative reform projects including the implementation of Queensland's Adoption Act 2011, and conducted change management projects in the private and community sectors. Caitlin consults on occasion, and is currently working with DFAT in the development of an Australian global alumni engagement strategy. Caitlin is deeply engaged in Queensland's international policy community, including the Australian Institute of International Affairs and has been recently appointed to the Fulbright Selection Committee for Queensland.
Caitlin received both her LLB and Ph.D from Bond University in 1993 and 2010 respectively.
Caitlin's research project for the Center is titled 'Public Diplomacy and the United Nations Security Council: Securing a Seat at the Top Table'.
In The News:
Expanding the CPD Faculty Fellows Program, May 2017.
What's "In the Works" for Caitlin Bryne? August 17, 2015.


text:
7 Jul 2017 by John Rampton
Malaysia looks to New Zealand for inspiration
In May 2017, we met a study group from Malaysia's large, vertically-integrated electricity utility, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB).
Tim Street, Alistair Dixon and I hosted the study group when they visited the Authority during their New Zealand trip. The group included senior regulatory and finance representatives who were interested in obtaining a better understanding of the workings of effective electricity markets.
Malaysia does not have a competitive electricity market; TNB own and operate generation, transmission, distribution, system operation and retail functions. However, there are some private power stations, and TNB also operates a 'single buyer' function that effectively aggregates electricity production at a wholesale level.
Malaysia is moving to separate the system operator and single buyer from TNB, which will likely prove to be the first step to further reform of the electricity system to deliver greater benefits. New Zealand's competitive electricity market was a key topic at the meeting—retail competition, price structures and performance monitoring created plenty of conversation.
Our discussions with TNB highlighted some areas of New Zealand's regulatory structure that are perhaps more difficult to understand from a distance. These areas include the roles and interface between the Authority and the Commerce Commission. The group found it interesting to compare the single regulator (Suruhanjaya Tenaga) in Malaysia with the New Zealand framework.
Even though our markets are quite different, the potentially disruptive effects of emerging technology on electricity systems are similar in Malaysia and New Zealand. There's no denying that emerging technology impacts us all, just in different ways.
It was interesting to explore the differences between New Zealand's market-based approach and the single monopoly supplier in Malaysia. What was clear was that New Zealand's markets can introduce change more swiftly, resulting in increased innovation, which leads to more efficient outcomes for the long-term benefit of consumers.
It's an exciting time in Malaysia's market development and they were keen to learn from their New Zealand experience. We enjoyed meeting the TNB group and were pleased to share guidance, advice and information with them. Likewise, it was equally valuable for us to consider what they're doing and what they plan to do next.
The TNB group representatives indicated that their visit to the Authority further confirmed their desire to move to more competitive, market-based outcomes. It led them to ponder a final question, "How long would it take for Malaysia to get an electricity market like New Zealand?"
13 Dec 2017 by Androula Dometakis
Your views on our proposed 2018/19 appropriations and focus
We invite you to share your views on our proposed appropriations for the 2018/19 year and the focus of our work programme.
The Authority is funded by the Crown through appropriations of public money. The Crown recovers the cost of this funding through the Electricity Industry levy on industry participants.
Before requesting this funding, each year we consult with levy payers in the electricity industry to take on board their feedback, improve our focus and comply with our requirements under the Electricity Industry Act (2010).
For 2018/19 we are proposing funding of $74.270 million to enable us to deliver core functions and progress our work to promote a competitive, reliable and efficient industry for the long term benefit of consumers.
More than 70 per cent of this money will fund the operation of the electricity system and market, with the remainder used to fund the Authority's core operating expenses and work targeted at facilitating consumer participation.
In addition to our core operational appropriation, we also seek funding for two contingent appropriations: Managing the security of New Zealand's electricity supply and the Electricity litigation fund. For 2018/19 we are proposing that these appropriations stay at the same level as in 2017/18.
Chart: Where our operational funding goes:
Proposed Electricity industry governance and market operations appropriation in 2018/19 ($74.270 million)
What's different this year
The electricity industry is undergoing transformation and responding to evolving technology, changing consumer expectations and increasing uncertainty. A significant commitment to market development is needed to ensure the industry remains flexible into the future so that consumers can make the most of opportunities resulting from innovation.
For the Electricity industry governance and market operations appropriation, our proposal of $74.270 million is a slight increase of $0.333 million from 2017/18.
This reflects a small increase in funding that we consulted on last year to enable the system operator to deliver improvements to its Electronic Dispatch Facility.
We are also seeking feedback about extra funding from 2021/22 that would be needed to enable the Authority's Board to make a decision to implement real-time pricing. Implementing real-time pricing will provide much better price certainty and unlock a range of opportunities for new technologies and new business models.
Our work programme
We're also seeking feedback on the six programmes covering our key project work. These programmes are aligned with our strategies for delivering long term benefit for consumers.
To help you understand more about how they align, we've included a short table that summarises the links between the programmes and strategies below.
Summary of our work programme framework
|Programme descriptions
|Alignment with our key strategies
|Programme A:
Evolving technologies and business models
|This programme covers initiatives to reduce inefficient barriers to the development and use of evolving technologies and business models across the supply chain.
|Reduce barriers
|Programme B:
Consumer choice and competition
|This programme covers initiatives to promote competition and empower consumer choice in the retail market.
|Improve consumer participation
|Programme C:
Pricing and cost allocation
|This programme covers initiatives to promote efficient pricing in markets and for monopoly services.
|Improve price signals
|Programme D:
Risk and risk management
|This programme covers initiatives to promote efficient management of capacity and energy risks.
|Increase flexibility and resilience
Programme E:
|This programme covers initiatives to increase the efficiency of electricity market operations.
|Enables all of our strategies
Programme F:
Compliance education
|This programme includes initiatives to improve participant compliance with the Act, regulations and the Code.
|Enables all of our strategies
You can find out more about what we're working towards by reading our 2017–2021 Statement of Intent which was released in June this year and our published work programme.
We need your views by 5 pm on 19 December. We always get great value from the input our stakeholders and levy payers provide and we appreciate the effort you put into this process.
The appropriations will be announced in the Government's Budget, which usually occurs in mid-May. The detailed information will be published in the Authority's Statement of Performance Expectations (SPE) for 2018/2019.
More detail including the full consultation documents are available on our website.
Note—we have corrected a typo in the consultation paper affecting Question 6 (Page 19). This question should refer to 2018/19 as opposed to 2017/18. The link to the consultation paper now refers to the document with this corrected.
7 Dec 2017 by Craig Evans
Multiple trading relationships
Currently consumers can only choose one electricity supplier with which to establish a relationship. The future could look very different as innovation creates new opportunities for consumer choice and control.
Consumers are used to receiving an electricity bill from only one supplier, typically their retail electricity company. But the electricity world is changing. Your experience with electricity will also change, particularly as existing and new suppliers use new and emerging technologies to provide innovative electricity services which give you more choice and control. As an example, we're seeing more consumers choose to generate their own electricity and explore the potential for battery storage.
The Electricity Authority wants to remove any unnecessary barriers to consumers taking advantage of this shift. We are considering whether consumers can easily establish relationships with more than one electricity provider if they wish to. For example, some consumers may want to buy electricity from one supplier and sell their excess electricity to a different party. Or they may want to engage with a party, that's not their retailer, to help manage electricity use. We want to remove any inefficient barriers to consumers making these choices.
The current market rules were not designed with this in mind. Instead, it assumed there would be one "trading relationship" at each location. The current arrangements may also be making it harder for new parties to get involved in the market because they don't have quick and easy access to the data needed to provide their services.
If this is the case, it may unnecessarily limit consumer choice and control.
Making it easier for consumers to have multiple trading relationships is likely to have benefits: more choice for consumers, greater competition and innovation in business models and services, more reliable supply and a more efficient electricity industry.
We're asking interested readers to share their thoughts with us as part of a new consultation on this idea of multiple trading relationships. Some of the questions we're putting to interested parties include whether the constraints to multiple trading relationships are material, what the benefits may be from removing or addressing any constraints and what services could be enabled if action is taken.
The consultation is open until 5pm on 27 February 2018, more information is available here.
22 Nov 2017 by Carl Hansen
Keeping the lights on
Electricity prices and risks of power blackouts have been grabbing headlines globally. New Zealanders need to know their electricity system has been performing effectively to manage dry winters.
It's been 25 years since one of New Zealand's most significant power crises: in the winter of 1992 street lights were turned off, people faced hot water restrictions and the country's major industrial power user had to cut consumption by a third.
Just shy of a decade later in 2001, and then again 2003 and 2008, Kiwis were asked to voluntarily cut electricity use when dry winters occurred.
Something similar could have happened again this year: we've just come out of yet another dry winter, not that the average consumer would have noticed. And that's a good thing, that's what we want. But we should also recognise and appreciate the major changes that have made it so.
The situation
Leading into winter 2017 there was extremely low rainfall around our South Island hydro lakes. The low inflows meant less generation capability heading into the cold months when electricity demand is at its highest level.
The industry closely monitored the situation in preparation for launching a public conservation campaign just in case it was needed. As it turned out, it wasn't. Had we faced this same situation 10 or 20 years ago people could have again been reduced to shorter showers and eating dinner by candlelight.
Figure 1: Hydro storage
What's changed
A range of different factors have made the market what it is today, enabling it to manage dry winters effectively. The biggest impact has been the introduction of transparency measures for retail electricity companies and large industrial customers and a plan where customers are compensated if they are asked to conserve power.
Stress testing
The 'stress testing' scheme was introduced in 2012. Under the scheme electricity retailers and large industrial companies have to disclose what they stand to lose if wholesale market prices rise to very high levels. The idea is that they can't skimp on insuring themselves from high prices (by buying specific financial products) and then complain when prices rise.
It was this sort of activity that played a large part in driving conservation campaigns in the 2000s.
Customer compensation
If a conservation campaign was launched now, electricity retailers would have to pay residential customers and other small consumers $10.50 a week. That could amount to almost $5 million a week for some retailers.
This scheme was launched in 2011 to reduce the incentive for retailers to lobby for conservation campaigns to lower their exposure to high electricity prices when lake levels are low. Instead, the retailers now arrange for backup generation to be run earlier and harder (generating more electricity) to limit price rises and conserve the hydro lakes.
In addition to these major reforms, our hydro lakes are also managed by more companies which appears to have encouraged better decision-making.
A successful industry
Around the world the risk of power blackouts as a result of limited generation capacity are not uncommon. The United Kingdom, for example, was warned this time last year that people could be facing blackouts over the festive season due to a lack of capacity.
Closer to home, just last month Queenslanders were warned they may be asked to conserve electricity use over summer to prevent blackouts.
Against this backdrop, it's important to understand how our industry has changed to better manage dry winter situations.
New Zealanders should feel comfortable the industry is working to avoid similar situations as those in the United Kingdom and Australia from happening here unnecessarily. We may be small but our power system is mighty and envied by many international players.
2 Nov 2017 by John Rampton
Data and data exchange for market transactions consultation
The electricity industry data system needs to support innovation while also continuing to support existing ways of doing business.
The electricity industry is changing rapidly as advancements in technology and new business models make it possible to do things differently. These advancements provide low-cost opportunities to bring new sources of generation, storage and demand response into the market—which have the potential to provide substantial long-term benefits for New Zealand electricity consumers.
With this changing environment, the Authority is examining whether any changes to the data system are required to promote innovation and more participation. Specifically, creating a neutral platform where new technologies and business models can come into market may require revising the industry's data systems—how data is collected, processed, stored and exchanged. In particular, the data system may need to deal with more parties, more transactions, more data types and more volumes of data.
In September 2017, we published a consultation paper about data and data exchanges for market transactions. The consultation paper is a forward-looking, high-level check of whether the data system continues to be fit-for-purpose in this changing environment. We have identified a number of data-related matters that may need to be addressed to accommodate the range of new and innovative technologies already coming to market today. This includes minimising inefficient barriers to more data exchanges, more participation, new business models and new products and services. We also want to make sure that the data system continues to support existing ways of doing business and is 'backwards compatible' to the extent this achieves long-term benefits for consumers.
We are seeking your views on the issues identified in this consultation paper and whether any other changes to market processes, systems and rules may be required. We are particularly interested in your experience in using the data system, data-related matters you think should be addressed and how. Based on your comments, we may pursue further work to develop the market arrangements and data system.
Submissions on our consultation close at 5 pm on Tuesday, 7 November 2017.
5 Oct 2017 by Craig Evans
Sparking innovation in the energy industry
In late 2016 the Electricity Authority asked distribution companies to make public their plans for reforming the prices charged for use of their lines. Now participants in the electricity technology accelerator, Lightning Lab Electric, have credited access to those "pricing roadmaps" as key to their innovations.
Lightning Lab Electric was a four-month, mentor intensive, business acceleration programme held from May to September. The Electricity Authority was keenly interested and involved in the programme, which aimed to provide participating teams with structure, start-up methodologies, business skills and focused support so they can prove, build and launch ideas into market.
As the name suggests, the focus was on sparking innovation in the energy industry. Mentors and stakeholders were brought together with innovators to market test concepts and determine if they were worthy of further development and investment.
Four teams were chosen to take part, with the final part of the programme, a 'demo day' to stakeholders, held in early September, which I was excited to attend.
It was great to hear two teams in particular reference the importance of understanding how distribution companies are planning to address their pricing structures as they developed their innovations.
One team, Ampli, has developed what it calls a 'Smart Grid Enabler'— that is, "a platform that specialises in information sharing, smart meter analytics and modelling for lines companies and electricity retailers".
Ampli's innovation may help distribution companies better inform the development of what the Electricity Authority calls 'service-based and cost-reflective pricing'. Essentially, we expect distributors to provide their customers (those who buy and sell electricity services using their network) with the best possible price information about the value or cost of using the network. This will help consumers to make better decisions about how and when to use electricity. Ampli says its platform takes half hour consumption data from retailers, anonymises it, aggregates it, and uses comparative billing to produce information which lines companies are then able to analyse for the purpose of developing cost-reflective pricing.
Another participating team, emhTrade, also found transparency around distribution pricing plans useful in developing its innovation. Its emh app enables consumers to set personal power preferences to make a positive impact on their bill, community and planet via a transactive grid.
Put simply, it allows people to trade electricity to peers through existing distribution lines.
The other two teams involved in the accelerator were Polanyio and Mlabs. Polanyio is focused on streamlining procurement in the electricity industry via a shared platform that engages with brokers, retailers and consumers providing the "best fit between customer demand profile and retailer pricing offers".
MLabs is aiming to revolutionise high-speed, high-voltage electrical protection systems through machine learning and cloud-based computing.
All four of the participant teams are undertaking exciting and innovative work with an aim to improve elements of the electricity industry.
There's so much potential in New Zealand for consumers to really benefit from the innovation and change happening in the electricity sector. We want to reduce any unnecessary barriers and ensure the market is flexible enough to allow for change. It's great to see entrepreneurs such as the Lightning Lab participants encouraged in their efforts to enter the market and we look forward to seeing more of it.
To read more about how we're working to facilitate this, see what we're doing around enabling more parties to take part in the electricity market.
3 Oct 2017 by Carl Hansen
Our 2016/17 Annual Report
Today we published our Annual Report for the 2016/17 financial year, which demonstrates strong improvement across our three key outcomes of competition, reliability and efficiency.
Between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2017, five electricity retailers entered the market, taking the total number to 29. Competition forces market players to continually look for new and better ways to serve customers and adapt quickly to technological innovations, delivering large gains for consumers over the long term. For the first time in the history of New Zealand's retail electricity market, small to medium companies now account for more than 10 per cent of market share.
We have also seen improved reliability and efficiency in the market; hydro generators effectively managed lower-than-normal rainfall in the South Island during the 2017 winter. In addition to these positive results, consumers are becoming increasingly confident that the electricity market is operating as it should. Consumers' perceptions of competition, reliability and efficiency in the electricity market have increased across the board. For example, 59 per cent of consumers surveyed in 2017 said, "There is a reliable supply of electricity each day, that is, a good balance is achieved between the cost to consumers of power cuts versus the cost of maintaining electricity supply." Whereas, 2015 survey results were 48 per cent.
In regards to compliance, the number of serious breaches investigated by the Authority decreased in 2016/17 to a total of four, down from six in the previous year. This is a positive result as it indicates the Authority is doing its job in encouraging market players to operate in accordance with the rules governing the electricity market.
The Authority and NZX celebrated 20 years of New Zealand's wholesale electricity market in October 2016. While many of the foundations set in 1996 still remain, the market has evolved considerably over those 20 years and a key job now is to ensure it remains flexible for the future. Looking forward, we are focused on continuing to reduce unwarranted barriers to evolving technology and new business models and facilitate greater competition, and to pave the way for pricing that reflects the cost of delivering electricity to consumers.
Overall, the 2016/17 year has been a positive one for the Electricity Authority as we continue to ensure positive outcomes for the long-term benefit of consumers.
A PDF version of the Annual Report is available on our website. Alternatively, you can request a hard copy of the Annual Report by emailing your name and postal address to firstname.lastname@example.com.
31 Aug 2017 by Tim Street
More accurate pricing can unlock technology potential
It's important to improve the certainty and reliability of spot price information to enable the growth of new technology, such as batteries and electric vehicles, and business models.
For example, batteries can help to meet demand in peak periods, but need reliable spot price information to ensure they contribute energy at the most valuable times. It's likely that consumers will be less inclined to invest in and use batteries if they can't get reliable spot price information to help them make those decisions.
Currently, spot market prices are finalised two or more days after 'real-time'—after generators have supplied electricity to the market and consumers have used the electricity. However, if prices were finalised in real-time, participants and consumers would receive more price certainty and could make better decisions about their electricity use.
On 1 August we published a consultation paper on our real-time pricing proposal. If progressed, our proposal will be a major development for New Zealand's electricity market, and is the result of a detailed programme of work over many years.
Our proposal would enable smarter decisions which are likely to save consumers money and reduce the overall investment that New Zealand needs to make in the power system. Prices would be more actionable and more efficient, and the process would be simpler and easier to understand.
"More actionable" means consumers and participants can trust and respond to the prices they see in real-time. More efficient means consumers and participants would be much less likely to regret their decisions, and prices reflect the cost of resources actually used to run the power system at the time.
In August 2017, the Authority and system operator held two briefings to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to ask questions in advance of finalising their written submissions. The briefings were a valuable opportunity for interested parties to raise and discuss issues, and we appreciated the opportunity to provide clarity. Slides and video recordings from the briefings are available on our website.
Submissions on our consultation close at 5 pm on Tuesday, 26 September 2017.
29 Aug 2017 by Carl Hansen
Prerequisites for a competitive retail market
Earlier this month I presented at the recent Singapore Electricity Roundtable, sharing thoughts on what's needed to create a successful competitive retail market.
Singapore has similar electricity market arrangements to New Zealand. And while Singapore doesn't have a competitive retail market for residential consumers yet, it's interesting to see they have a lot of retail competition for non-residential consumers.
So whilst we know there is always more work to do, I thought I'd share my perspective on what the Authority believes to be key drivers of success here in New Zealand.
New Zealand's energy market has become increasingly competitive since full retail competition was introduced in 1999. As at 31 July 2017, consumers had 40 retail brands to choose from, delivered by 29 parent companies.
Market share snapshot
Competition brings long-term benefits for consumers because retail companies are forced to innovate to deliver better offerings to gain and retain customers.
In each distribution network region across New Zealand the largest retailer has experienced diminishing market share. The average market share of the largest retailer in a network region was 76 per cent in 2004. That has almost halved so that the largest retailer in each region now holds, on average, 42 per cent of the market as a result of other large players having gained more customers.
From my perspective there are four key prerequisites to developing a successful retail market.
- A level playing field
It's crucial that potential market players believe there is a level playing field. If they don't then they're unlikely to enter and compete.
- Reduction of barriers to retailer expansion
Competition can be seriously compromised if market players face high barriers to expanding their business. Therefore, the Authority is focused on minimising inefficient barriers for retailer expansion.
- Low barriers to consumer action
It's important that consumers believe they can exercise meaningful choice when they want it.
- A vigilant regulator
There will always be a time when 'the going gets tough'. In these instances it's important there is a vigilant regulator focused on market-oriented solutions.
Following on from these four key prerequisites, there are three outcomes which demonstrate the existence of a successful, competitive retail electricity market.
- Price changes reflect cost changes. In theory a competitive market should deliver prices reflecting the efficient costs of supply. If price changes are broadly reflective of cost changes over a reasonable period of time then we can take that as an indication the market is workably competitive and prices are reasonable.
- Diverse range of choices. As consumers are highly diverse in their preferences, a wide diversity of choices available in the market indicates retailers are facing strong competition to meet the needs of consumers.
- Technology changes are adopted quickly. Over the long term, innovation delivers the largest value gains for consumers, typically far greater than the value gains from prices more accurately reflecting costs. We're now seeing various electricity retailers bringing innovations to the market—from communications advances offering the ability to charge customers differently to new ways of packaging power bills.
But one additional thing is needed to demonstrate a successful competitive market. All industries experience tough times and so, a successful competitive retail electricity market is one which "lasts the distance". That is, its fundamental features, prices and other key terms and conditions, are determined by market forces and are robust to serious adverse events.
We're pleased to see that consumers now rank the electricity market as the third most competitive retail market behind supermarkets and the telecommunications industry.
The Authority is continuing with its comprehensive programme of work to continue improving these measures, all the details are available on our website.
3 Jul 2017 by Craig Evans
New Zealand's electricity market compares well
Compared to markets in and near the US, the New Zealand electricity market is less complex and more durable. Our focus on promoting workably competitive markets is also a more effective way for responding to innovation and change than approaches being tried elsewhere.
Many people involved in the US-based markets are concerned about adapting wholesale market design to respond to new technologies and renewable energy targets. In particular, capacity mechanisms appear vulnerable to new technology and changes to how electricity networks are being used, for example from increased investment in batteries and demand response for electricity markets. A further problem faced in the US-based markets is a lack of integration and coordination in the design of wholesale markets and downstream markets. This lack of integration is undermining the US-based wholesale markets, inhibiting the development of the retail market and, more than likely, contributing to an inefficient uptake of evolving technologies. Fortunately, the market governance arrangements here in New Zealand avoid this by providing the Authority with a whole-of-market and supply chain focus.
Various US government subsidies have led to a massive increase in wind generation, which has had some interesting market effects, including increasing periods of negative prices. A key concern about wind generation is that it will not be flexible and fast enough to maintain system reliability and security.
New York State has developed a "Reforming the Energy Vision" (REV) programme in response to some of the same issues we are facing in New Zealand—including inefficient distribution prices encouraging consumers to invest in solar panels. However, the contestable focus of the REV programme will face challenges because it does not have the solid platform that New Zealand has following the changes to industry structure in the late 1990's and subsequent efforts aimed at promoting workably competitive markets.
The distributor and default retailer for New York City, Consolidated Edison, is starting a roll out of 5 million smart meters which they expect to take until 2022. There is considerable interest in New Zealand's approach to metering, and some surprise that we have achieved 75% penetration without explicit regulatory intervention regarding metering functionality. This success is partly because retailers are responsible for installing meters—metering is a contestable service and so is best provided by a range of contestable providers, rather than a monopoly provider (such as a distributor).
In the US, there is considerable regulatory oversight of wholesale prices due to concerns with the prices bid by generators through the wholesale market process. Regulatory intervention in the wholesale market is one reason for a "missing money" problem because wholesale prices do not allow generators to recover their fixed costs. The solution to this problem appears to have been to introduce capacity markets. In contrast, New Zealand and Australia are developing wholesale markets that encourage competition rather than trying to regulate wholesale prices. This is because, in practice, it is difficult to distinguish whether high prices are a result of a competitive market process, or are the outcome of the exercise of market power.
Retail competition can lead to large value gains for consumers in the long-term, and assure consumers they are paying reasonable prices. But in New York State, retail competition is compromised by a widespread perception that electricity retailers are fraudsters and scammers, and this means very few people switch from the default utility supplier. Here in New Zealand, there were 28 independent retailers operating at the end of March 2017, and there were 40,691 switches during March 2017 (the highest count in the 2017 calendar year to-date).
My over-arching impression is that New Zealand's electricity market is much better placed than most other jurisdictions to manage the fundamental changes being experienced by the electricity industry. Although we still have some work to do, we are further along than many jurisdictions and have a superior platform (market design and industry governance). The Authority has a comprehensive programme of projects aimed at identifying and reducing inefficient barriers and allowing for more participation. On 30 May 2017 we released a consultation paper titled, Enabling mass participation in the electricity market: How can we promote innovation and participation? We are seeking views on opportunities for more participation across the electricity supply chain, and on changes needed for consumers to benefit from innovation—the consultation closes on 11 July 2017.
We're looking forward to further engagement with participants and expect it to be a fascinating and thought-provoking time of change for the industry.
Craig visited the US to attend the 34th Electricity Intermarket Surveillance Group (EISG) Conference. The EISG brings together organisations responsible for electricity market surveillance and monitoring in Canada, the US, Mexico, Colombia, Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. The Electricity Authority hosted the 32nd EISG Conference in April 2016.
While in the US he also met with representatives from New York State's generation and transmission business, The New York Power Authority; the New York distributor and default retailer, Consolidated Edison, and the New York State Department of Public Services. He also met with an electricity consultant to utilities and governments across the US and an expatriate Kiwi working for an electricity retailer in New York.
27 Oct 2016 by Carl Hansen
Plenty of food for thought at APERF
I recently returned from the 2016 Asia Pacific Energy Regulatory Forum (APERF) in Seoul, Korea. The forum brings various Asia-Pacific counterparts together, where they can share best practice regulatory and market arrangements.
I attended the forum with Authority Chair Brent Layton and board members Susan Paterson and the Hon. Roger Sowry. Dr Stephen Gale, Commissioner at the Commerce Commission, also joined the New Zealand delegation. Over the course of the 2-day event, we met with delegations from South Korea, the United States, Australia, Tonga, China, Japan, Singapore and the Philippines.
A key take-away from this years' forum was how important it is to have well-functioning wholesale electricity markets. Electricity markets are highly dynamic and security of supply considerations are important factors in all jurisdictions. All countries who attended the forum are at different stages in their development, so the topics ranged from a need for flexibility, to concerns over inefficient capacity, to wholesale market developments.
The presentations from the US delegation showed their strong focus on creating more flexibility in the electricity system. The California ISO can experience big changes in solar and wind power—often just as demand is increasing rapidly—making flexibility and fast ramp rates in other sources of generation vitally important. Flexible demand response systems are a key focus in the US.
There are a wide range of reforms coming into the Japanese market and the Japanese delegation gave an interesting presentation about transmission pricing issues in their country, with several problems similar to those the Authority discussed in its transmission pricing paper released earlier this year. An interesting insight was that in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, 30 nuclear stations were taken out of operation but there was still just enough capacity for the country to operate without experiencing ruinous black-outs. The head of the Japanese delegation highlighted how this level of excess capacity is not efficient.
Often the talk these days is on micro grids, so it was interesting to hear from delegates about exploratory work on a super grid connecting South Korea, Japan, China and Russia. SoftBank has indicated willingness to fund the project but there remain significant issues about how much each country would pay for the super grid.
We had an engaging bilateral meeting with the Electricity Market Authority (EMA) of Singapore, whom we enjoy a close working relationship with. Singapore is moving to full retail competition and from vesting to hedge contracts, so we were able to provide our insights in this area. We've been happy to welcome the EMA's Allan Chong to our Market Design team, while he's on secondment for six months. Our team has really valued his contribution, and I'm sure he's found it to be an equally valuable career experience.
Outside of APERF, we also had a very good meeting with Enernoc Korea. Enernoc has seen a dramatic increase in their business—offering demand response capacity to the market—following government determination to pursue a wide range of options to avoid a repeat of rolling outages in earlier years. In fact, the Korean market is now Enernoc's second largest demand response programme in the world, after PJM in the United States.
Tokyo will host the next APERF in 2018. There are major reforms due to be introduced in Japan in 2020, so I'm looking forward to see how things are progressing in 2018.
27 Oct 2016 by Carl Hansen
Celebrating twenty yearsnow what's next?
On 1 October 1996, New Zealand's competitive wholesale electricity market started.
We celebrated the milestone of twenty years of the wholesale electricity market on 4 October 2016. Over 100 guests representing key players from the industry then and now joined us in Wellington to share stories and reflect on the achievements of the industry.
My history in the electricity industry goes back to 2000 when I joined an economics consulting firm, so compared with some of the guests, I'm still a relative newcomer. In his welcome speech NZX Chief Executive Tim Bennett likened the event to a school reunion. I think that was pretty accurate.
Most of the last twenty years has been smooth sailing for the wholesale electricity market, but of course there have been a few storms from which we have learned about various weaknesses where refinements were needed. But overall, there is a huge amount to celebrate in a market characterised by its innovation.
New Zealand was only the third jurisdiction in the world to establish a wholesale electricity market, behind England and Wales (1990) and Norway (1993). New Zealand's market design included several innovative world firsts, including incorporating half-hour market pricing and internet-based electricity trading.
When the wholesale market first began in 1996 there were only a few generation companies selling into the market and the trading options for managing risk were extremely limited. Now, we have 35 generation companies selling to the wholesale market and 47 traders purchasing from it. Risks can be managed through a vibrant and rapidly growing futures market, through cross-hedging to manage hydro risks and through the fast-developing financial transmission rights market.
Other major changes have come about through the methods we have in place to manage security of supply risks and the development of full retail competition in 1999.
The design of the market is put under the microscope whenever we receive visits from international academics and regulators and participants from other jurisdictions. Without exception, they all express admiration for the high quality design of the New Zealand electricity market, and the determination to craft market-oriented solutions wherever possible.
We are now at an interesting juncture. The opportunities presented by evolving technology are set to challenge many of the market structures currently in place, while providing consumers with more choices and control than ever before. The Authority is committed to removing any inefficient barriers to consumers engaging with evolving technology.
So in October 2036, will we be celebrating forty years of the wholesale electricity market? Or will the new world of block chain, household generation and storage systems, mobile apps and the 'internet of things' have transformed the market so dramatically that the wholesale market we know today is no more? It'll be fascinating to see how things evolve over the next few years, and I'm personally very excited to be helping consumers get the most from the industry during this transformative period.
18 Oct 2016 by Carl Hansen
Our strategic focus for 2016/17
Rapid evolution is occurring in and around the electricity sector and it is imperative we identify and remove any inefficient barriers to emerging technology affecting the electricity sector.
In our 2016/17 Statement of Performance Expectations (SPE) we identified that the implications of new technologies and business are likely to have a significant impact on the electricity sector. We expect new technologies to create many new options for how electricity is generated and used, meaning consumers will have far greater choice and control than ever before. This could also have a significant impact on market participants, with the potential for new and innovative players to enter and grow market share.
We have reoriented our work programme
Our 2016/17 work programme supports our SPE and gives indicative information about major projects for the year ahead.
We consider evolving technologies and innovative business models are increasingly blurring the traditional demarcation between retail market, wholesale market and transport activities. We are concerned that the current Code and market facilitation measures, market administration and operational processes and its compliance arrangements may inhibit dispersed forms of generating, storing, transporting and purchasing electricity. We are keen to remove barriers to these developments, including removing barriers to residential consumers purchasing directly from the wholesale electricity market or from local generators.
With these influences in mind, the new market development programmes for 2016/17 are:
- Programme A: Evolving technologies and business models. This programme aligns with our strategy to reduce barriers.
- Programme B: Consumer choice and competition. This programme aligns with our strategy to improve consumer participation.
- Programme C: Pricing and cost allocation. This programme aligns with our strategy to improve price signals.
- Programme D: Risk and risk management. This programme aligns with our strategy to increase flexibility and resilience.
- Programme E: Operational efficiencies. This programme covers initiatives to increase the efficiency of electricity market operations.
- Programme F: Compliance education. Our compliance function plays an integral role inensuring the integrity of the electricity market. Please note that the compliance programme remains unchanged from prior years.
We have revised our work programme to ensure we are able to consistently and proactively pursue our statutory objective of promoting competition, efficiency and reliability for the long term benefit of consumers. Figure 1 below demonstrates how our programmes, functions and strategies support our statutory objective.
As always, we remain focused on providing opportunities for parties to innovate and compete, and on promoting choice for consumers.
Figure 1: Our strategic framework.
13 Sep 2016 by Fraser Clark
Smart meters: Enhancing competition and enabling new consumer technologies
The electricity industry is facing a wave of new technology that is challenging the way the industry works, and increasing the choices available to consumers. Smart meters are playing an important role in enabling these choices.
New technology is changing the way we can buy, use and even generate and sell power. Smart meters, and the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) that manages the meter data, are one of these new technologies. Smart meters have been a game changer in the industry, improving customer service while also providing the basis for the innovative business models being adopted by new entrant retailers. Looking ahead, smart meters will be a tool to help change the way we use electricity and facilitate other new technologies such as batteries and electric vehicles.
More than 70% of NZ homes (over 1.5 million meters) are now benefiting from smart meters and their ability to provide more accurate consumer invoicing. These consumers' electricity invoices are now based on actual meter reads rather than estimates. Smart meters also provide much less invasive meter reading. Consumers with a smart meter don't have to open their properties to a meter reader.
In the last five years, 21 new retail brands have entered the market. Most of these retailers have built their business models to use smart meter data to reduce costs, increase efficiency, improve customer service and offer new services and tariffs. Some of these new retailers are growing their market share rapidly, encouraging other, existing retailers to create new services to retain customers.
Retailers are now using smart meters to provide a gateway for services such as Electric Kiwi's free 'hour of power', Flick Electric's wholesale price-following tariff and Glo-bug's web-based prepay service.
Smart meters will enable consumers to get the maximum benefit from new technologies such as battery storage, solar PV and smart home technology. They will also help consumers to benefit from cost reflective pricing such as 'time of use' tariffs. When used together, smart meters and new technologies that enable consumers to decide how they use and generate power will deliver significant benefits for consumers. Using a smart meter with solar PV and battery storage could help a consumer decide when, and how much, power to buy from or sell into the grid. Smart meters enable 'time of use' tariffs by recording exactly when consumers use or generate their power throughout the day.
New Zealand's competitive electricity market is world-leading, and is supported by the successful roll-out of smart meters. These smart meters are providing a gateway to the electricity market for other emerging technologies. As the market regulator, we are looking forward to the challenge of ensuring the market continues to evolve and adopt new technology, with consumers receiving the benefits.
30 Aug 2016 by Rory Blundell
ACCC and AER Regulatory Conference 2016
We sent three delegates to the ACCC/ AER regulatory conference in Brisbane. This was a two day conference with international delegates from America, Britain, Australia and New Zealand. There was also an additional half day conference run by the Energy Networks Association of Australia.
The Authority sent Tim Sparks and Daniel Vincent from our Market Design team and me, as part of our international engagement programme, and to get an update on international regulatory developments.
Part of our work at the Authority is to engage with other international organisations to be able to judge how the New Zealand market is doing at an international level.
The main conference theme was around economic regulation of electricity markets, and answering the question: "does the conventional wisdom still apply?"
Delegates discussed the big issues in infrastructure regulation with a view to how evolving technologies are creating new issues.
We were particularly interested in the future of the electricity industry and what it may mean for regulating the grid. One of the sessions was based on the structural implications of energy disruption, with the emergence of new technologies and new forms of service delivery.
The electricity market is changing, with the increase in use of battery storage, solar PV, electric vehicles and other distributed energy resources. Most international delegates are facing these same issues in their home environments.
There was a broad consensus that the future electricity industry looks very different to the industry of today. The advent of peer to peer trading in electricity will require significant change to the regulatory framework for many countries. Most regulators are concerned with staying ahead of the curve, to make sure their rules allow for well-functioning markets. This concern means that conferences like these are great talking and learning points where regulators can come together and discuss how best to adapt to these emerging trends.
Tim, Dan and I made some valuable contacts with Australian electricity industry participants, and we will be sure to keep up conversation with them, to stay in touch with international developments. We also had good discussions with international delegates on their emerging technologies and their role as regulators overseas.
We also got some great insight into the Australian regulators' definition of the line between monopoly and competitive elements, and the extent to which regulated monopolies can participate in competitive markets.
We look forward to being able to use these relationships and thinking in our future work.
28 Jul 2016 by Rory Blundell
Real residential energy prices reduce for the second year running
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment statistics show that the energy component of residential retail electricity prices have dropped.
We recently released our residential performance document, which details how the residential electricity market performed in 2015.
In June 2016 the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) released revised national-level residential electricity cost data for the year-ended March 2016.
These figures provide an indicator of the average cost of a residential consumer's energy and lines charges. And the good news is (allowing for inflation) the energy component of these costs has dropped across both the years-ending March 2015 and March 2016.
The sales-based electricity cost data published by MBIE is based on total national revenue and consumption volumes obtained from retailers each quarter.
Costs are split between lines components, and energy and other components. The combined data covers all residential consumers, on all tariffs and all levels of consumption, and takes retailer discounts into account. This means that the final figures are a robust indicator of the average cost per kilowatt-hour that was actually paid by residential consumers.
Figure 1 shows movements in the energy component of residential retail prices since 2010, expressed as average cents per kilowatt hour (c/kWh) consumed, in both nominal and real (i.e. adjusted for inflation) terms.
Figure 1 : Nominal and Real Energy Component of Residential Average Electricity Prices, year-ending March 31 (GST inclusive)
Figure 2 below compares the breakdown between the lines component and energy component in real terms, since 2010. The energy component is associated with the competitive part of the electricity sector. Those costs have reduced across both the years-ending March 2015 and March 2016.
The lines component is associated with the part of the industry that is regulated by the Commerce Commission because of its monopoly characteristics. Those costs saw an increase in the year-ending March 2015, off-setting the reduction in the energy component, but reduced in the year-ending March 2016.
Figure 2 : Real Residential Average Electricity Prices - Lines Component vs Energy and Other, year-ending March 31 (GST inclusive)
There is a significant seasonal aspect to electricity consumption, with most households consuming more during winter months than during summer. Figure 3 below illustrates this seasonality, with consumption and total expenditure on energy being shown for each quarter since April 2013.
Consumers will be pleased to see that, on average, real expenditure on the energy component of electricity costs reduced year-on-year in all quarters of the March 2016 year.
Figure 3: Quarterly real average household expenditure on energy vs quarterly consumption, grouped by year-ending March
A full description of MBIE's price monitoring can be found on their website.
Further analysis and commentary can be found in the Authority's 2015 review of the residential electricity market.


text:
These simulations are made for the location of station 271 Central Eastern
Gotland Sea of the Baltic Sea at 20 deg E and 57.3 deg N with a water depth
of 250 m. Initial conditions for temperature and salinity are derived from
measurements. Meteorological forcing was available from the ERA15 reanalysis
data set (http://wms.ecmwf.int/research/era/Era-15.html).
For the penetration of solar radiation into the water column, fairly
turbid water (Jerlov type IB) is assumed. Salinity concentrations are nudged
to observations with a time scale of 2 days.
The simulation is carried out for the years 1980-1990.
For the discretisation, the water column has been
divided into 100 vertical layers, with a strong zooming towards the surface,
resulting in a mean near-surface resolution of less than 0.5 m.
The time step for these simulations is set to 10 minutes.
For details of the gotland scenario see:
Burchard, H., K. Bolding, W. Kuehn, A. Meister, T. Neumann, and L. Umlauf, 2006:
Description of a flexible and extendable physical-biogeochemical model system
for the water column, J. Mar. Syst., 61, 180-211, 2006.
Data files:
meteo.dat meteorological data extracted from the ERA15 reanalysis data set
sprof_271.dat deep salinity profiles at station 271
tprof_271.dat deep temperature profiles at station 271