$7 billion in EPA grants to advance low-income residential and community solar
The “Solar for All” grant program is expected to begin accepting applications from states and other entities as early as this month, aiming to enable millions of families in low-income and disadvantaged communities to access solar energy.
Three ways states can fix interconnection of distributed solar and storage
States can remedy inadequate hosting capacity for distributed solar and storage, unfairly high interconnection costs for some projects, and other interconnection barriers, a consulting firm concluded.
USDA offers tool to help rural co-ops apply for $9.7 billion renewables program
Rural electric co-operatives seeking support for renewable and clean energy projects under a $9.7 billion USDA program can now access an emissions reduction calculator to begin preparing a preliminary application.
RFP alert: USDA opens $1 billion loan program for rural renewables, storage
Partial loan forgiveness will be granted for selected large-scale renewable energy projects, plus any associated storage, that will serve a mostly rural population. Loan forgiveness amounts will range up to 20%, 40% or 60%, based on the project’s location.
FEMA funds $97 million Puerto Rico microgrid with 15 MW solar, 12 MWh storage
The microgrid project is a rare example of the allocation of disaster relief funds for rebuilding Puerto Rico’s grid with solar and storage.
Clearway, Enel executives propose three ways to fix utility-scale interconnection
Systematic transmission planning within grid regions, a “connect and manage” approach to interconnection, and using automation in interconnection studies were key solutions that could make interconnection faster and lower-cost, two leaders of renewables development firms said on a webinar.
Flexible demand through participation by large customers in wholesale markets
Large industrial users of electricity that could use less electricity at high prices, or more electricity at low prices, could bid prices for their demand in day-ahead wholesale markets to help set market prices, integrate renewables, and lower system costs, according to an ESIG report.
CAISO transmission plan to support 17 GW of solar within a decade
The California grid operator said that interconnection requests for projects in the zones specified in its transmission plan would receive priority in its interconnection study process.
PJM’s pace of interconnection will not meet demand through 2028, says NRDC
States in the PJM market with renewable portfolio standard targets will “barely” be able to meet those targets through 2027, the environmental group NRDC said, while the region will consistently fall short of an estimated renewables potential.
Electrification could cost California up to $50 billion if loads are not managed
If California infrastructure needs for high electrification were met exclusively with distribution assets, without real-time dynamic rates and flexible load management strategies, the cost could reach $50 billion by 2035, a study by Kevala found.
