Two approaches to prevent queue-jumping by thermal generation
A study from Grid Strategies and ACORE finds evidence that priority transmission access offered by three grid operators has yielded generating portfolios “heavily weighted” to thermal resources. The study favors transmission planning followed by recruitment of projects that can use planned transmission capacity to enter the interconnection queue. A limited non-discriminatory “fast path” could meet near-term reliability needs.
Plan now to achieve faster clean energy support under a future president, report says
To enable construction of federally supported clean energy projects during a single presidential administration, a report offers 14 recommendations, and an overriding imperative to plan now.
Grid operator PJM reports progress on interconnecting new generation as capacity costs surge
PJM said it agrees with many of the recommendations for speeding transmission interconnection made by the nonprofit group RMI, and reported it has completed 600 interconnection studies in less than 22 months under its current interconnection study process. Even so, a GridLab report says PJM would have substantially lower capacity costs next year if a modest portion of renewable and storage projects in PJM’s queue had been set to reach operation by then.
In Puerto Rico, residential solar and storage growth outpaces utility-scale developments
Puerto Rico has reached 1.3 GW of residential solar and 185,000 residential batteries, with Wood Mackenzie expecting three more GWh of residential storage by 2029. Utility-scale solar and storage projects are gearing up, as described by an attorney with McConnell Valdés.
In Virginia and New Jersey, solar and storage goals include surplus interconnection
Incoming governors in New Jersey and Virginia campaigned on broad clean energy platforms, while Advanced Energy United sees underused points of interconnection as the best solar and storage opportunity in Virginia.
Illinois to add 3 GW of batteries, saving consumers $12 billion over 20 years
Illinois is set to issue procurements for 3 GW of battery storage, under a bill expected to be signed by Governor JB Pritzker. Transmission improvements to speed renewable deployment are also in the works.
Florida utility on pace to reach 93 GW solar, 50 GW storage by 2045
While utilities in neighboring states are “dabbling” with solar, Florida Power & Light is combining solar and storage as a “workhorse” technology, said a nonprofit executive.
Geothermal developer Mazama Energy aims for 5¢/kWh power
Mazama Energy says it has accessed a world-record high temperature geothermal resource, and that hotter underground rocks can enable lower-cost power.
New York utility aims to expand its flexible interconnection pilot
After operating a 15 MW solar plant with flexible interconnection that requires occasional curtailment but not grid upgrades, Avangrid seeks to expand flexible interconnection to additional portions of its distribution grid.
Solar deployment and policies have had a mixed effect on electricity prices, researchers find
While large-scale solar and wind deployment “may have reduced” retail electricity prices over the past five years, net energy metering and renewable portfolio standards generally increased prices, the researchers found. But states with the highest renewable generation in 2024 had among the lowest prices.
