A renewable path to Hawaii’s recovery
Given Hawaii’s audacious renewable energy goals it seems logical that industries such as solar can help be a big part of that recovery.
Dominion plans 16 GW of solar for Virginia by 2035
Under the utility’s latest IRP, Dominion plans to procure 16 GW of solar, 2.7 GW of storage and 5.1 GW of offshore wind in the next 15 years. Kicking off these new plans comes a request for proposals of 1 GW of solar or wind and 250 MW of energy storage.
Morning Brief: Houston is buying 100% renewable energy, SolRiver Capital has $200 million for solar projects
Also in the brief: Alchemy Renewable Energy has closed on deal to acquire a 44.5 MWdc solar energy portfolio, Ormat Technologies has begun the commercial operation of the Rabbit Hill Battery Energy Storage System, Kansas’ largest solar project ever has officially gone live and more.
Southern California Edison wants its new, huge 770 MW battery storage procurement online fast
In an era of plunging battery costs, these awards point to the end of intermittent renewables and the dawn of dispatchable solar and wind.
Morning Brief: Solar and wind are the cheapest new sources of electricity, Appalachian Power halts distributed projects
Also in the brief: Ohio regulators have approved an 80 MW array, Sierra Club responds to Duke’s climate report, Rhode Island funds brownfield projects and more.
Solar beats gas when utilities use all-source procurements
With an all-source procurement, a utility solicits bids to identify the costs of solar, wind and storage, which can be “significantly less expensive than new gas,” as an Indiana utility found. A clean energy group calls for state regulators to require all-source procurements, for the vertically integrated utilities that serve half the country.
Duke doubles renewable goals while staying committed to fossils
The utility giant now owns or purchases 8,000 MW of renewable generation, with plans to double that mark by 2025. However, while the company eyes zero-carbon electricity by 2050, it maintains that natural gas will remain a crucial source to achieve this goal.
California values distributed energy resources fairly — and ratepayers score a big win
Until now, the value of distributed energy resources has been robbed by as much as 50% because the CPUC’s avoided cost calculators did not include avoided transmission costs in valuations of DERs.
Morning Brief: 8minute Solar adds 3 GW of large-scale solar projects to the pipeline, Total wins projects in France
Also in the brief: California regulators will include avoided transmission costs to the valuation of distributed energy resources, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority has signed two power contracts, Philadelphia has reopened its Solarize Philly program and more.
Kauai was 56% renewably powered in 2019
Building on stretches of 100% renewable generation in late 2019, the island met 56% of its electrical demand with renewables over the year, easily surpassing state and local goals.
