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The POWER Interview: Financial Benefits of Energy Storage

November 5, 2020

The post The POWER Interview: Financial Benefits of Energy Storage appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Speakers at POWER’s recent Distributed Energy Experience were unanimous in their agreement that energy storage is a game-changing technology for the power generation sector. Storage provides for more reliability and resilience, and already is proving its importance to supporting the growth of solar and wind power.

Utilities are incorporating storage into their generation portfolios. It is often featured as part of microgrid configurations, and the business community has discovered the cost-effectiveness of storage in commercial and industrial distributed generation systems.

Abbot Moffat, Director of Business Development / West for Rubicon Professional Services, provided POWER with his insight into energy storage. Rubicon is a team of experienced design and construction experts that works on projects for several industries, including alternative energy, data centers, health care, telecommunications, and power plants.

POWER: What are the financial benefits for a utility to incorporate energy storage into its project portfolio?…

Energy Deals Shift to Renewables and U.S. Shale Bargains

October 24, 2020

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The post Energy Deals Shift to Renewables and U.S. Shale Bargains appeared first on POWER Magazine.

At a time when deal activity in the energy and natural resources sector has slowed dramatically—down 26.2% globally year-on-year—one development in particular may define the industry’s near-term future.

In mid-May 2020, French oil major Total opted not to pursue a deal, announced in 2019, to purchase the African assets of Anadarko Petroleum, a U.S. producer that was being acquired by Occidental Petroleum. Two weeks after it withdrew its $ 8.8 billion proposal for offshore oil and gas properties in Ghana, Total announced it would spend about $ 3.8 billion for a majority stake in a renewable energy project in the British North Sea. Total’s decision to move away from traditional oil and gas investments could be an indicator of what lies ahead for the industry.

The oil and gas sector was already on the brink of radical change before the COVID-19 pandemic crushed global demand for energy.…

What Is Siemens Energy? CEO Tells All

September 3, 2020

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Siemens announced the spinoff of its Power and Gas division on May 7, 2019. It was part of the company’s Vision 2020+ strategy. On Sept. 1, Siemens Energy laid out its post-spinoff plans during a virtual capital market presentation.

Siemens Energy’s Portfolio

Leading up to the event, Christian Bruch, who was appointed CEO of Siemens Energy on May 1, 2020, offered power industry media insight on the company. During the August 27 video conference with reporters, he said, “For me, it’s important that people really understand what we put together here, because it’s a quite unique company in terms of what the portfolio is—what the business is. So, for me, it’s really putting together a leader in the energy industry, which cuts across really from conventional generation to renewables from generation of electricity over transmission to storage or green hydrogen. So, it’s quite a diverse picture.”…

Clean Energy Adds Jobs, but Pace Is Slow

August 16, 2020

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The post Clean Energy Adds Jobs, but Pace Is Slow appeared first on POWER Magazine.

An analysis of federal labor data for the clean energy sector shows renewable energy and other industries are adding jobs after months of declines brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. But the gains in July were lower than those in June, signaling sectors such as solar, wind, energy storage, energy efficiency, and electric vehicles continue to struggle amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), and other clean energy advocacy groups responded to a report from BW Research Partnership released August 12 that showed clean energy industries added 3,200 jobs in July, a far cry from the more than 106,000 jobs added in June. The groups, though, said the sectors’ combined unemployment is still about 15% below the levels from earlier this year, prior to pandemic-induced lockdowns that resulted in more than 620,000 lost jobs in the clean energy sector at the peak of job losses in May.…

[VIDEO] POWER Insights: Developing Reliable, and Efficient, Energy Solutions

August 7, 2020

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The post [VIDEO] POWER Insights: Developing Reliable, and Efficient, Energy Solutions appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Ameresco has a 20-year history of providing energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions for its customers across North America and the UK. The company works on upgrades of facility infrastructure, and develops, builds, and operates renewable energy plants.

The company also works with customers on tailored financial solutions to bring projects to fruition. Ameresco’s business engages with clients on both sides of the meter, with an eye toward reducing operating expenses, upgrading and maintaining facilities, stabilizing energy costs, and increasing energy reliability.

Ameresco was founded in 2000 by George Sakellaris, a pioneer in the energy service business. Much of the company’s recent work centers around microgrids, as Ameresco works to provide more reliable and resilient power both in support of the grid, and for installations off the grid. Among its projects is a comprehensive energy solution for the U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island in South Carolina (Figure 1), and a microgrid at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine.…

Xcel Energy Approved to Run Two Coal Units on Seasonal Basis

July 20, 2020

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The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved Xcel Energy’s request to offer two of its coal units into the Midcontinent Independent System Operator market on a seasonal basis. That means the company can idle the two units for six months of the year, which is expected to save customers money while also reducing air emissions.

“This is an important proposal and I appreciate Xcel Energy bringing it forward,” said Commissioner Matt Schuerger. “I think this highlights Xcel’s focus on saving their customers money, on meeting Minnesota’s environmental policies, and in being responsive to the investigation the Commission opened.”

Under the order, Xcel would be allowed to operate the Allen S. King Generating Station and Unit 2 of the Sherburne County Station (Sherco 2) from June through August and from December through February, while idling the units during the remaining six months, unless required to meet reliability needs.…