Sunrise brief: A Texas-sized ‘oops’ for grid operator ERCOT
Also on the rise: Researchers use AI to model how grid failures cascade in a disaster, VEIR raises capital for its novel transmission line technology, NV Energy issues a community solar RFP, Freedom Solar gains two new partners, and Daqo New Energy signs a polysilicon supply deal.
The Texas blackout is a man-made disaster of epic proportions
The ERCOT market has served Texans well, producing low energy costs and the nation’s leading market for renewable energy. This same system also failed the state’s residents and businesses spectacularly in a moment of great need.
As Texas recovers, report warns grid operators to plan better for extreme weather
Grid planning fails to consider extreme climate scenarios that a resilient grid needs to handle, said EPRI’s president and CEO. “Traditional planning processes do not represent how resources actually perform under extreme conditions.”
Probes launched as Texas works to get the lights back on
For many Texans, this week’s blackouts seem a lot like a 2011 winter storm that was supposed to have ushered in a host of reforms.
Sunrise brief: Texas grid struggles to recover from winter storm, massive outages
Also on the rise: Appalachian Power issues an RFP for 300 MW of renewables, Canadian Solar closes its Japan fund, and a battery recycler is acquired.
Sunrise brief: Southeast utilities ask FERC for market changes that could help renewables
Also on the rise: ERCOT orders rolling blackouts as 30 GW of resources are forced out, PNM shareholders OK merger with Avangrid, location is key when talking about DERs, and Dominion claws back from a big ice storm.
SCE agrees to $2.2 billion payout to settle wildfire claims
The fire destroyed more than 1,600 structures, injured three firefighters and killed three people in November 2018 as it burned near Malibu.
Sunrise brief: PepsiCo doubles goals to address ‘severe’ climate change impacts
Also on the rise: A coalition of 600 groups urges President-elect Biden to halt utility service shutoffs due to the pandemic, Harrison Street expands its solar owneship portfolio, and a Florida real estate developer eases its way into the solar sector.
Agencies release final report into California’s heat-related blackouts
The report confirms CAISO’s initial findings that a trio of factors were responsible for the blackouts: extreme weather conditions, resource adequacy and planning processes, and market practices. It also outlines steps that already have been taken to better ensure supply adequacy and reliability.
Urban land and aerosols could accelerate hail storm formation
Research from the U.S. Department of Energy has found that urban landscapes and man-made aerosols have the potential to accelerate hail storm formation, make their winds harsher and direct these storms toward cities.
