Energy | EnergyNorthwest.com

How Data—with Context—Will Drive a More Secure Energy Future

March 8, 2022

I’ve come to depend on the navigation system in my car. It predicts traffic jams, gives me the fastest route, informs me of store hours, and even tells me where to get a burger. To give me this experience, the navigation system draws on multiple data sources, puts it into context, and presents it through a single interface.

In order to efficiently navigate the energy transition, operators in power and utilities must reach the same level of maturity with their data. With multiple sources of data from sensors, to outage logs, to images—all stored in various enterprise systems—this industry won’t be able to unlock the full value of its data until it’s combined, contextualized, and available with less effort. Only then can we use it for a reliable, resilient, green energy future.

Getting to this point will require power and utilities companies to conquer the first challenge: bringing all their data together. Data and information are still extremely siloed in this industry; tucked away in legacy systems, deliberately locked in vendor point solutions, or stored inside the minds of domain experts.…

Solar Developer Has Plan to Turn Oil Wells Into Energy Storage

February 24, 2022

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A California developer of concentrated solar power (CSP) systems has announced an innovation that it says combines the company’s technologies to turn existing oil wells into energy storage sites that can provide clean energy.

Hyperlight Energy on Feb. 24 said it was launching Tectonic Sun, an electricity generation technology that when paired with the company’s Hylux solar thermal solution can provide “zero-carbon electricity” from oil wells “while reducing emissions during the extraction process at enhanced oil recovery [EOR] sites.” Hyperlight on Thursday said the new system “is capable of providing emissions-free power with 80% capacity factor for use at any time of day or night throughout the year.” (Go here to view a video detailing how the technology works.)

The company has a technology demonstration project, Tectonic Sun Alpha, at a Hathaway oil drilling site in Bakersfield, California. Hathaway is an independent, Bakersfield-based drilling company that operates six oil and gas fields in Kern County, California.

Repurposing Oil Wells

“The industry is increasingly embracing the concept of cost reduction through repurposing oil wells, as shown by the Department of Energy’s Geothermal Technology Office [GTO] recently announced group of projects aiming to use old oil wells to access traditional geothermal-based heat, and Southern Company’s research collaboration with innovator Petrolern, to ‘Convert Oil Wells to Geothermal Resources’,” said John King, CEO of Hyperlight Energy.…

Duke Energy Eyeing Coal Phaseout by 2035

February 20, 2022

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Duke Energy, the nation’s largest power producer, will dramatically slash coal generation’s share from the current 22% of total generation to 5% by 2030 and achieve a full phaseout of unabated coal by 2035. The company instead expects to deploy more than $ 130 billion over the next decade—$ 63 billion of which it will spend over the next five years—to fund investments in grid modernization and efforts to replace its coal fleet with renewables, natural gas, and emerging technologies.

The ambitious goals, unveiled as part of an expansion of Duke Energy’s “clean energy action plan” on Feb. 9, will keep the company on track to achieve 2020-announced commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by at least 50% by 2030 and to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, it said. Under the plan, the company will expand its 2050 net-zero goals to include Scope 2 and specific Scope 3 emissions.

“In its electric business, the company’s net-zero goal will include greenhouse gas emissions from the power it purchases for resale, from the procurement of fossil fuels used for generation and from the electricity purchased for its own use,” the company explained.…

CAISO Plan Calls for $30.5 Billion for Transmission—and More Renewable Energy

February 4, 2022

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California’s power grid continues to evolve and will look much different by 2040, according to a 20-year draft transmission plan released by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO). The plan calls for significant additional renewable energy resources, along with a $ 30.5-billion build-out of the transmission grid.

The outlook, developed by the grid operator along with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the California Energy Commission (CEC), provides details about how the state will meet increased demand for electricity. The plan said the state will need about 120 GW of new power generation resources added to the CAISO system by 2040, including energy storage, utility-scale solar, offshore wind, and imports of clean energy from other states.

“There is a critical need for more proactive, long-term transmission planning and coordination,” said Elliot Mainzer, CAISO president and CEO, in a statement released Feb. 1. “In developing the 20-year Outlook, we have worked closely with the California Energy Commission (CEC), California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and a diverse group of stakeholders to begin delineating the long-term architecture of the California grid and better align power and transmission planning, resource procurement and interconnection queuing.…

DOE Picks First Marine Energy Projects for PacWave Test Site in Oregon

January 30, 2022

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Eight ocean energy projects representing the first round of open-water testing at the 20-MW PacWave South wave energy test site off the Oregon coast have garnered a combined $ 25 million in federal funding to support technology research, development, and demonstration at the trailblazing facility.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) on Jan 25 announced the project selections as part of its “Advancing Wave Energy Technologies through Open Water Testing at PacWave.” The project selections are notable because they are among the first at an actual open-water test facility that is dedicated to accelerating wave energy technology to commercial viability.

PacWave South: Pioneering Testing in Open Ocean Conditions

“Waves are created when wind blows over the surface of open water in the ocean, and this movement results in a large amount of natural energy,” explained WTOP. To capture this energy and convert it to carbon-free electricity, researchers use WECs, but “advancing wave energy converters requires testing in realistic conditions,” it noted.…

Iowa Utility Proposes $3.9 Billion Renewable Energy Project

January 22, 2022

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A subsidiary of billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Energy has announced it plans to invest another $ 3.9 billion into renewable energy in Iowa, with a project that would add more than 2 GW of wind power to the state.

Des Moines-based MidAmerican Energy on Jan. 19 said the Wind PRIME project also includes solar power generation, and exploration of what the utility called new technologies, which could include small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs). The company said the project will advance MidAmerican’s transition to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. MidAmerican said construction of the project, after approval from state regulators, could begin as soon as 2024.

Kelcey Brown, CEO and president of MidAmerican, in a statement said, “As MidAmerican continues to progress toward delivering 100% renewable energy to our customers, we are also preparing to meet an important milestone of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. The Wind PRIME project will position us and our customers for a sustainable future, while ensuring we continue to deliver affordable and reliable energy.”…