Renewables

DC just proposed a first-of-its-kind regulatory body—and utilities should pay close attention.

CLICK HERE - Joint Release: Councilmembers Allen and Cheh to introduce bill modernizing DC’s energy grid

icf.com - by Steve Fine and Matt Robison - April 17, 2018

Two Washington, D.C. City Council members proposed a remarkable change in utility regulation last week. Mary Cheh and Charles Allen introduced a bill to create a Distributed Energy Resource Authority (DER Authority): a first-of-its-kind regulatory body that would be empowered to undertake traditional utility planning functions, and with a specific mandate to assess any proposed utility grid investment greater than $25 million and open it up to competitive bids.

Frank says his experience with electrical work helped him tackle the solar panel installation.

cnn.com - by Paul P. Murphy - April 19, 2018

Another day, another blackout in Puerto Rico; Wednesday's blackout was the latest to hit the island still recovering from Hurricane Maria. But one man beat the power outages and his troublesome gas generator by switching to solar power.

"As I'm typing this, we are in the middle of a blackout and my fridge, lights and fans are running worry free," a man named Frank told CNN.

(CLICK HERE - READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

Microgrid at Princeton University

utilitydive.com - March 20, 2018

The National Academy of Sciences defines “resilience” as the ability to prepare and plan for, absorb, recover from, and more successfully adapt to adverse events.  Since the September 2017 DOE NOPR to FERC, the energy industry has been working overtime to better define resilience.  FERC unanimously set aside the “90 days on-site fuel storage” provision espoused by DOE and opened a new docket (AD18-7) to more fully examine the current state of grid resiliency, asking the nation’s seven RTO’s and ISO’s to provide their definition of resiliency relative to the bulk power system by March 9.  Those ISO/RTO comments reflected regional variances as expected while sharing a common thread of the paradigm shift underway from central station power plants to more distributed generation . . . 

dailytimes.com - by John Sniffen - March 19, 2018

Four partners are working with the Kerrville Public Utility Board on developing community solar power generating systems.

During their regular monthly meeting Wednesday morning, KPUB directors will consider authorizing agreements with Mo-Ranch, the Texas Lions Camp, Schreiner University and the City of Kerrville for systems to be installed on their properties . . .

 . . . The community solar effort is the result of KPUB being selected by the Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative to participate in a $5 million prize competition aimed at expanding solar electricity access . . . 

 . . . The systems will provide power to the hosting nonprofits, and to low- to moderate-income homes. It will also help reduce summertime peak demands and associated costs.

(CLICK HERE - READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)