Focus
NREL study shows mass potential for storage to provide peaking capacity
Utility Dive – July 10
The booming U.S. battery storage market is showing no signs of slowing down, and a new report says its prospects could be even bigger than previously thought. According to a new study from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), every region across the country offers the potential for peaking capacity needs to be met by short-duration, four-hour battery storage systems. NREL's analysis demonstrated that roughly 28 gigawatts of peaking capacity in the U.S. offer the practical potential to be converted to four-hour energy storage, given current grid conditions and demand patterns. An increase in solar deployment, which NREL expects could be enabled by the deployment of storage for peaking capacity, pushes the practical potential for four-hour storage to 50 gigawatts of peaking capacity or beyond nationally.
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News
Nuclear commission considers fewer inspections
CBS News - July 17
Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff are recommending that the agency cut back on inspections at the country’s nuclear reactors, a cost-cutting move promoted by the nuclear power industry but denounced by opponents as a threat to public safety. The recommendations, made public this Tuesday, include reducing the time and scope of some annual inspections at the nation’s 90-plus nuclear power plants. The nuclear power industry has prodded regulators to cut inspections, saying that the nuclear facilities are operating well and that the inspections are a financial burden for power providers. Nuclear power, like coal-fired power, has been struggling in market completion against cheaper natural gas and other forms of renewable energy.
Utilities propose resiliency adders that could benefit California microgrids
Microgrid Knowledge - July 1
As California braces for a hot summer and another wildfire season, Pacific Gas and Electric and Southern California Edison have petitioned the California Public Utilities Commission to include “resiliency adders” in the Self Generation Incentive Program, which has become the state’s main program for providing incentives for the deployment of energy storage systems. California utilities are facing the fact that wildfire season could lead to widespread service disruptions, if the utilities see the need to trigger “public safety power shutoffs,” forced outages to avoid the possibility of energized wires sparking wildfires.
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Projects
L.A. looks to break price records with massive solar battery project
Greentech Media - July 1
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is considering a utility-scale solar-battery project that could shatter U.S. records to date, in terms of both storage capacity and low price. 8minute Solar Energy's Eland Phase 1 and 2 projects would each consist of 200 megawatts of solar capacity, along with at least 100 megawatts — and more likely 150 megawatts — of battery capacity, according to Eric Montag, LADWP director of strategic initiatives. The total project would add up to 400 megawatts of solar and 300 megawatts of energy storage, and could be submitted for approval as early as LADWP’s next commission meeting on July 23.
AEP utilities seek to add 1,485 MW of new wind generation
North American Windpower – July 16
Public Service Co. of Oklahoma and Southwestern Electric Power Co., subsidiaries of American Electric Power (AEP), are seeking regulatory approvals to purchase three Oklahoma wind projects totaling 1,485 megawatts. The projects, under development by Invenergy, include a 999-megawatt facility under construction north of Weatherford, a 287-megawatt facility being built southwest of Enid, and a 199-megawatt facility in development south of Alva. Collectively, the three facilities would provide more than 5.7 million megawatt-hours of new wind energy annually to serve customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Valley Fair owner aims to go green on shopping center overhaul
San Jose Spotlight – July 10
When the newly-expanded Valley Fair Mall in Santa Clara comes online next year, the busy shopping center will not only be bigger, but greener, according to the mall owners, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield. When complete, roughly 30 percent of the mall’s energy will be powered by its solar arrays. The solar installation is an early step in the retail giant’s efforts to reduce its global carbon footprint by 50 percent by 2030.
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