| Today's Top Stories
1. CA ISO ruling protects future grid reliability
2. ISO study prompts NSTAR action
3. Hurricanes spawn valuable research
4. More utilities turning control over to CA ISO
5. Duke Energy replacing coal with natural gas Also Noted: Spotlight On... SJE purchases CenterPoint assets
Grading renewables performance; shale gas potential and much more... Retailers harness renewable energy
Harnessing renewable energy sources is a huge part of energy efficiency, and as energy costs constantly rising, the importance of sustainability is going to remain dominant in the industry. Many utilities are embracing these sources and doing their part to invest in renewable energy and offer it to their customers. But utilities aren't the only ones who can make a difference, as large national retailers across the U.S. have started committing themselves to renewable energy and establishing "green" business practices.Slideshow California continues renewable energy push
California is one of the largest states in the U.S., and a huge consumer of electricity. Perhaps that's also why it's frequently among the nation's most aggressive pursuers of renewable and efficient energy policy, especially when it comes to solar power. State lawmakers are looking to add to that reputation and recently sent three pieces of renewable-energy-inspired legislation to the desk of Governor Jerry Brown. The bills all touch on solar energy policy and, if signed into law, would extend existing policies designed to encourage wide-scale adoption of solar energy technology. Feature
Utilities go retail
Energy is an important pillar of the connected home market, and big box retailers are capitalizing on emerging trends to converge upon the energy market. The proliferation of smart appliances, smart meters, and devices such as smart thermostats as part of the connected home will be further driven by growth in smartphone and tablet applications that allow users to more easily monitor, manage and control these technologies while away. Feature News From Across the Energy Industry:
1. Trilliant smart grid to help Texas co-op beat the heat
2. The impact of broadband
3. NYSERDA guide encourages EV adoption
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Today's Top News 1. CA ISO ruling protects future grid reliability
The California Independent System Operator last week approved a rule allowing it to prevent power plants from prematurely shuttering in the event that they are deemed needed to help avoid near-term grid reliability issues. The ruling resulted in part from an event earlier in 2012, when Calpine Corp., owner of the Sutter power plant, informed the ISO it would have to shut down if it remained unable to sign a power contract. Back in May, the ISO temporarily propped up the 525 MW natural gas plant by requiring state utilities to enter into power agreements with Sutter, allowing the plant to remain in operation through December 31, 2012. According to a California ISO report, Sutter is expected to have a significant impact on state energy reliability in the 2017-2018 timeframe, so members proposed a policy change aimed at avoiding future reliability issues. The provision passed Thursday allows the ISO to enter capacity contracts for reliability reasons two to five years in the future and would only be used after plant operators made "good faith" efforts to secure an energy contract. The provision was passed unanimously, according to a report by Platts. The ISO worked with the California Public Utilities Commission in developing the provision to ensure it did not interfere with existing regulations. "The ISO has worked hard to develop a backstop mechanism that preserves flexible and local capacity needed to reliably operate the grid while not undermining the CPUC resource adequacy requirements," said Keith Casey, California ISO's Vice President of Market and Infrastructure Development. For more:
-see this article Related Articles:
California ISO's new strategy
FERC rejects CAISO demand response plan
Read more about: Power Plants, California Independent System Operator
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2. ISO study prompts NSTAR action
On the heels of an ISO New England study recommending transmission lines as "the most prudent, cost-effective way to meet federal standards for backup power delivery to Cape Cod and the Islands," NSTAR Electric will begin construction of a new 345,000-volt, 26-mile transmission line in less than two weeks to improve the reliability of the electric grid serving Southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod. The $106 million project will include new transmission towers, 18 miles of new high-voltage electric lines, and placing existing lines onto their own structures. "This is a major electricity reliability project for the southeastern part of our state that will provide an enhancement of significance not seen in decades," said Werner Schweiger, President of NSTAR Electric. "When complete, the new transmission line will provide greater access to available power and an additional redundancy option in the event of an issue affecting the existing lines." Construction of the project which runs from Carver to West Barnstable on Cape Cod should be completed by summer of 2013. For more:
- visit this website Related Articles:
Record investments raise concern over new-transmission needs
FERC Order 679 leading to $23B in transmission investment Read more about: ISO New England
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3. Hurricanes spawn valuable research
When it comes to hurricanes, there could actually be good news for utilities. Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a more accurate method for predicting hurricane activity, giving utilities more confidence in their planning for hurricane season. The new model is said to be 15 percent more accurate than current state-of-the-art methods. Conventional models used to predict seasonal hurricane activity rely on classical statistical methods that use historical data to evaluate thousands of variables all occurring at different times and in different places. Adding to the challenge are the limits of historical data which go back just 60 years. The new "network motif-based model" evaluates historical data for all of the variables in all situations to identify the combinations that are most predictive of seasonal hurricane activity. Once the most important factors are identified, they are plugged into a program to create an ensemble of statistical models that present the hurricane activity for the forthcoming season on a probability scale. Through cross validation, the researchers witnessed an 80 percent accuracy rate of predicting the level of hurricane activity using the new method compared to a 65 percent accuracy rate for traditional methods. The newly identified factors, which are more relevant to the mechanisms that influence hurricane variability and behavior, should ultimately improve the ability to predict the track of hurricanes, their severity and how global climate change may affect hurricane activity well into the future. For more:
- see the report Related Article:
Utilities feel the wrath of hurricane season Read more about: North Carolina State University hurricane research
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4. More utilities turning control over to CA ISO
The California Independent System Operator Corporation Board of Governors has approved the addition of two new public power organizations as participating transmission members in 2013. The board of the only open-market power grid in the western U.S. approved application for Valley Electric (making it the first Nevada-based utility to join the ISO), and the City of Colton municipal utility. Upon the execution of a transmission control agreement, the utilities will become participating transmission owners subject to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission accepting the transmission owner tariff and transmission revenue requirement. The addition of Valley Electric and Colton bring the number of municipal utilities that have turned operational control and management of their transmission over to ISO to eight, including the cities of Anaheim, Azusa, Pasadena, Riverside, Vernon and Banning. For more:
- see this article Related Articles:
California ISO honored as IT visionary
Out-of-state utility close to joining California ISO
Valley Electric, ISO partnership opens renewable energy opps Read more about: Valley Electric, California ISO Board of Governors
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5. Duke Energy replacing coal with natural gas
Progress Energy Carolinas, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, this weekend officially closed its 61-year-old coal-fired H.F. Lee power plant near Goldsboro, N.C. The plant's retirement is the second so far under the utility's fleet-modernization program. The utility plans to retire more than 1,600 MW – about one-third – of its coal generating fleet and replace it with combined-cycle natural gas plants as part of its fleet-modernization strategy. For example, the utility is currently building a new 920 MW natural gas-fueled combined-cycle facility, five dual-fueled combustion turbines and natural gas pipeline extension. The project, with a total generating capacity of up to 1,800 MW should be operational in early 2013. Other plants scheduled for retirement in October of 2012 include the Cape Fear Plant and the Robinson coal-fired unit. The L.V. Sutton Plant is scheduled to be retired toward the end of 2013. Once the retirements are complete, the utility will have retired all of its coal-fired units that do not have advanced environmental controls. For more:
- see this article Related Articles:
Duke investigates carbon capture technology
Duke under fire for reliance on coal
Utilities face scrutiny for coal reliance Read more about: Progress Energy Carolinas, Duke Energy coal plant retirements
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Also Noted SPOTLIGHT ON... SJE purchases CenterPoint assets South Jersey Industries subsidiary South Jersey Energy has purchased a retail marketing book of Pennsylvania customers from CenterPoint Energy Services of Houston, Texas. Article Quick news from around the Web >The smart meter backlash continues. Article
>The search is on for the new chief of the Bonneville Power Administration. Article
>We Energies is disputing its "average" renewables grade. Article
>Can shale gas build tomorrow's energy bridge? Article
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