L.A.’s plan to harness Hoover Dam’s energy reserves

THE NEW YORK TIMES - Jul 16 The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, an original operator of the Hoover Dam when it was erected in the 1930s, wants to equip it with a $3 billion pipeline and a pump station powered by solar and wind energy. The pump station, downstream, would help regulate the water flow through the dam’s generators, sending water back to the top to help manage electricity at times of peak demand. The net result would be a kind of energy storage — performing much the same function as the giant lithium-ion batteries being developed to absorb and release power. The target for completion is 2028, and some say the effort could inspire similar innovations at other dams. But because Hoover Dam sits on federal land and operates under the Bureau of Reclamation, part of the Interior Department, the bureau must back the project before it can proceed. If the bureau agrees to consider the project, the National Park Service will review the environmental, scientific, and aesthetic impact on the downstream recreation area.

Stanford scientists advance new way to store wind and solar electricity on a large scale

STANFORD NEWS - Jul 19 A new combination of materials developed by Stanford researchers may aid in developing a rechargeable battery able to store the large amounts of renewable power created through wind or solar sources. With further development, the new technology could deliver energy to the electric grid quickly, cost effectively, and at normal ambient temperatures. The technology – a type of battery known as a flow battery – has long been considered as a likely candidate for storing intermittent renewable energy. However, until now the kinds of liquids that could produce the electrical current have either been limited by the amount of energy they could deliver or have required extremely high temperatures or used very toxic or expensive chemicals.

Arizonans for Affordable Electricity sues to block renewable energy initiative vote

PHOENIX BUSINESS JOURNAL - Jul 19 A lawsuit filed in Arizona Superior Court last Thursday by Arizonans for Affordable Electricity claims the Clean Energy for a Healthy Arizona initiative, which would require utilities to get 50 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2030, does not have enough valid signatures to make it on the November ballot. Arizonans for Affordable Electricity has received the majority of its funding from Arizona Public Service Co., the state's largest utility that has been fighting the initiative since it was announced.

New startup looking at tapping into abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal power

THINK GEOENERGY - Jul 25 With a pilot project possibly kicking off this summer in California, Eden GeoPower, a new technology startup is looking at using abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal power generation. The company is testing new technology that converts lower temperature heat from oil and gas wells that are exhausted into electricity. The process would allow cutting cost in geothermal development extensively, even up to 60 percent as estimated by the company.