Large utilities plan to replace only half their fossil generation by 2035
The Sierra Club, an environmental group with a focus on reducing fossil fuel pollution, has graded 75 utilities on their resource plans through 2035. The average grade was a “D.”
Enabling distributed battery owners in every state to earn compensation
To help states launch programs to compensate owners of distributed batteries for providing energy at peak times, Solar United Neighbors has developed model legislative language. Under one approach, the owner of a 5 kW battery could earn $1,100 per year.
A high-renewables grid with faster transmission buildout can save $270 billion or more
The U.S. Department of Energy found increasing levels of savings under a high-renewables grid across three transmission frameworks: first, accelerated transmission expansion, then point-to-point high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission, then HVDC using more flexibly sized multiterminal converters.
Groups challenge TVA’s draft resource plan that commits to only 3 GW solar
Critics say the federally owned utility TVA, now at 2% solar, plans more gas units, no solar-plus-storage and no long-term storage, in a resource plan that lacks transparency, with no public hearing planned. They asked TVA’s board to ensure improvements.
How to quickly add gigawatts of batteries to the PJM grid
Mid-Atlantic grid operator PJM has a ready opportunity to enable substantially more battery capacity and prevent a near-term resource adequacy shortfall, says a trade group report.
Reaching 45% solar generation would save Southeast utilities $20 billion/year
Annual savings of $20 billion are possible across six Southeastern states by reaching 45% solar generation by 2035, according to a national laboratory study.
Firebrick thermal energy storage could reach 170 GW in the U.S. by 2050
Firebrick heat storage technology, not batteries, will be used to store energy for industrial process heat in a 100% renewable energy system, says a study out of Stanford University.
Solar tussles in Puerto Rico
Lawsuits, an imminent threat to net metering, and questions over commitments to the energy transition in some quarters pose real challenges for solar in Puerto Rico. Despite this, the US territory is still a high flyer in the region when it comes to distributed generation, while larger-scale solar and storage are on course to benefit from a US Department of Energy (DoE) loan guarantee.
Completing Western transmission lines would enable 73 GW of renewables and storage
The benefits of completing 12 Western transmission projects, as identified in a federal study, will form the region’s new baseline for a forthcoming National Transmission Planning Study.
Firebrick thermal storage for industry could receive $75 million in federal funds
Two projects that would store heat in firebricks for industrial use may receive federal funding, in part because the projects are deemed highly replicable.
