Department of Energy commits to unleashing delayed efficiency standards

A coalition of ten states and the City of New York just announced that the Department of Energy has committed to push forward four delayed energy efficiency standards that could save utility customers more than $3.8 billion annually once in full effect -- and save enough electricity to power almost 4 million homes. Clearing the roadblocks for these long-overdue energy savings standards will help the environment, the economy, and our wallets -- all the while supporting President Obama’s climate plan to reduce carbon dioxide pollution. DOE sent a letter to the State of New York and others yesterday committing to issue Notices of Proposed Rulemaking this month for energy conservation standards for metal halide lamps, commercial refrigeration equipment, walk-in coolers and freezers, and electric motors in November. The standards, which are currently seven to eighteen months overdue, in violation of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, would become final next year.

New solar/geothermal zone approved for California

A new Solar Energy Zone in California will open public lands to utility-scale solar and geothermal development. The Department of Interior (DOI) has approved the West Chocolate Mountains Renewable Energy Evaluation Area on public lands in California's Imperial Valley. The landscape- scale assessment shows this area to be best suited for solar and geothermal power. Large-scale wind was rejected because of potential conflict with military training operations, BLM told the New York Times. DOI's Bureau of Land Management estimates the 64,000-acre area has the potential for 3.33 gigawatts of solar energy and 150 megawatts of geothermal power.

Solar, geothermal projects touted at Vegas summit

Solar projects in the desert, geothermal power in the mountains, and wind energy off the East Coast were cited as examples of progress from top U.S. officials and industry leaders during a green energy conference on Tuesday in Las Vegas. But nuclear power nearly stole the show after a federal court in Washington, D.C., ruled that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission violated federal law by failing to approve or reject a decision on whether to issue a license for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository some 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The decision generated sharp responses from several officials attending the conference, including Sen. Harry Reid and Gov. Brian Sandoval. They both oppose the project.

FERC's energy storage ruling could jump-start big batteries

If the price of grid-scale energy storage fell to zero dollars per megawatt-hour, regulators, and utilities would still be puzzled in how to deploy the boon of energy storage. That's because storage doesn't fit neatly into the electrical utility's regulatory universe of generation, distribution, and load -- or into the utility rate recovery structure. But that regulatory uncertainty is starting to clear. It started with FERC Order 755, enacted in 2011, a ruling from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that increased the pay for “fast” responding sources like batteries or flywheels that are bidding into frequency regulation service markets. Flywheel energy storage operator, Beacon, sells into this market. That opportunity for storage got bigger recently with the issuance of Order 784. It pits fast batteries, flow batteries, and flywheels against slower gas- or coal-fired plants in the ancillary services market. "FERC Order 784 is a huge step forward for energy storage, as it will help to open ancillary services markets for storage project developers. Also, it expands FERC Order 755 pay-for-performance requirements to ensure that speed and accuracy, two attributes where storage excels, is considered when utilities purchase regulation service for transmission. Finally, the new accounting and reporting rules introduced in this order will help utilities achieve rate recovery for energy storage equipment," said Janice Lin, Managing Partner, Strategen Consulting and Co-Founder and Executive Director of the California Energy Storage Alliance.

In Michigan, renewables costing utilities less than expected

Consumers Energy encountered two surprises this year after it fast-tracked a Michigan wind farm project to take advantage of expiring federal tax credits. First, the project will cost less than the utility thought it would to build, and second, technology advances mean each turbine will produce more power than previously projected. Citing those improved economics, Consumers Energy proposed last week to eliminate a surcharge on customers’ bills that was designed to cover the cost of complying with Michigan’s renewable electricity standard. The utility is downplaying the significance, but environmental groups are claiming a win, saying the proposal vindicates their position that utilities have exaggerated the cost of renewable energy.

Solar power sheds a little light on powerless communities

On the Navajo nation, where 18,000 people live without electricity, low-cost solar power is replacing kerosene and gasoline generators. Eagle Energy, the non-profit bringing solar power to the reservation, is working to build a market for the green technology. On the reservation, access to power is limited by geography and a history of border disputes between the Navajo and Hopi tribes. Eagle Energy, a Denver-based non-profit, donates and installs small solar panels on off-grid houses. While these set-ups can't power heating or cooling, or even a small refrigerator, they do charge cellphones and laptops. A mix of market forces are driving down prices for solar panels. Though prices have recently leveled off, they are at a historically low point, according to Shyam Mehta, an analyst at GTM Research. A combination of large subsidies in Europe and a boom in production in China have increased both supply and demand globally.

10 years after blackout, U.S. grid faces new threats

The U.S. electrical grid is better managed and more flexible a decade after its largest blackout but remains vulnerable to increasingly extreme weather, cybersecurity threats, and stress caused by shifts in where and how power is produced. Electricity customers have been giving the grid a bit of breathing room. Power demand has remained flat or even fallen in recent years as lighting, devices, appliances, homes and businesses have gotten more efficient and economic growth has been sluggish. All that reduces stress on the grid. At the same time, aging coal and nuclear plants are shutting down in the face of higher maintenance costs, pollution restrictions, and competition from cheap natural gas. Renewable generation such as wind turbines and solar panels is being installed, adding power that’s difficult to plan for and manage. Temperatures and storms are getting more extreme, according to federal data, and that increases stress on the grid by creating spikes in demand or knocking out lines or power plants. Some regulators and policymakers are increasingly worried about cyberattacks that could target systems that manage power plants or grids.

Oregon man files $5 million suit over wind farm noise

A year ago, Dan Williams moved from his home near Ione's Willow Creek wind farm to Walterville, Oregon. He said he couldn't take the noise of whipping turbine blades any longer. Williams filed a lawsuit Friday against Invenergy, the Illinois-based company behind the wind farm, for non-economic losses up to $5 million, as well as economic losses -- mostly related to property value depreciation -- for $170,000. Since Invenergy began construction on the 50 wind turbines at Willow Creek in 2008, it has fought in the courts over noise compliance.