DOE proposes ten “national interest” transmission corridors
Eight of the ten transmission corridors proposed by the U.S. Department of Energy would facilitate transmission between grid regions; one would expand transmission within the Mid-Atlantic’s PJM grid region; and one would expand transmission in the Northern Plains.
Sunrise brief: Venture capital funding in energy storage increases 59% year over year
Also on the rise: Agriculturally integrated solar takes flight. ADT security exits rooftop solar business. And more.
Utility trade groups call for $1.2 billion to boost transformer manufacturing
To cure a shortage of distribution transformers, trade groups representing the utility and housing industries have called for federal funding to boost U.S. manufacturing of the equipment.
Group interconnection studies: Beneficial but not a panacea
IREC’s latest analysis compares group studies with serial solar interconnection studies, concluding that while group studies can help manage queue challenges, they don’t significantly expedite necessary grid upgrades.
Overhaul regional grid operators to speed renewables, says energy lawyer
Harvard law lecturer Ari Peskoe says the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission should require regional grid operators to add “under-represented voices” such as state regulators to their boards, to help speed adoption of new technologies.
Flow battery capacity and longevity boosted by an unexpected ingredient
Researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory demonstrated the use of sugar water to improve the performance of flow batteries for grid-scale energy storage.
California evaluates impacts of an RTO and its effects on state energy goals
A report requested by California’s legislature discusses both expected cost savings from expanding the state’s grid operator into a regional transmission organization, and a potential loss of state policy control.
A year of solar industry proposals to clear interconnection queue logjams
Industry participants proposed many solutions this year to speed interconnection studies. Although federal regulators included key solutions in a proposed rule, for now the logjams and cost allocation problems continue.
RFP Alert: DOE Transmission Facilitation Program seeks capacity contracts
A federal program to help deploy new or expanded transmission capacity will favor transmission projects that will deliver renewable power, because contributing to lower greenhouse gas emissions is one of several evaluation criteria.
Sunrun completes successful residential virtual power plant in New England
In the hot summer months, thousands of residents with solar-plus-battery systems networked together to reduce peak energy costs and provide grid stability for ISO-New England’s customers.
