California utility re-starts gas plant using battery system
Imperial Irrigation District says its use of a battery system to restart a combined-cycle gas turbine is the first such “black start” use of a battery in the United States.
Senator Chuck Grassley questions DOE grid reliability study
The Republican senator from Iowa has stepped in to the debate, expressing concerns about the study’s credibility and whether or not its conclusion has been pre-determined.
37 states take action on grid modernization during Q1
A new report series from NCCETC takes a look at the increasing state-level policy activity around getting U.S. grids ready for a clean energy future.
Energy trade groups send grid reliability reports to Energy Secretary Perry
SEIA, ACORE, AEE and AWEA express concerns that the former Texas Governor is starting his inquiry into grid reliability with a faulty premise by conflating coal and nuclear generation with reliability.
Renewables peak at 2/3 of California demand
As has happened many times in Germany, a week of high wind and solar demand coincided with a spring weekend day, and the result was record penetration of renewable energy.
Tesla, Green Mountain Power launch battery-aggregation program
The battery giant is partnering with one of New England’s most solar-friendly utilities to create an energy storage program that will provide a range of storage options for GMP customers.
Study: Solar micro-grids can help military fight cyber, physical threats
A team from Michigan Technological University is assessing the technical and economic viability of military microgrids run on solar power.
Solar, wind begin to help meet summer peak in Texas
The latest reports by ERCOT estimates that the state will add nearly 900 MW of utility-scale solar this year, as renewables continue to replace older fossil fuel plants.
California grid operator gets ready for August eclipse (with graph)
With California getting a higher portion of its electricity from solar than any non-island nation, the stakes are high with this summer’s eclipse. Fortunately, Europe has already been down this road.
Report: Near-total renewable energy systems cheaper than gas in 2030 (w/ chart)
A report released last week by Climate Policy Initiative stresses flexibility and shows how energy storage and limited gas generation can support a power system dominated by renewables at a lower cost than conventional generation.
