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The Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded capacity contracts of up to $ 1.5 billion to four major transmission lines under its Transmission Facilitation Program (TFP) to aid the transfer of 7.1 […]
The post $ 1.5B Federal Boost for Four Major Transmission Projects as DOE Unveils National Grid Study appeared first on POWER Magazine.
In a long-awaited study of electricity markets and grid reliability, the Department of Energy has called out natural gas as the No. 1 reason for retirements of coal and nuclear plants, breaking from the Trump administration’s prior talking point blaming regulations and renewables for the nation’s shrinking coal and nuclear fleets.
The report attributes four factors to the increase in coal and nuclear retirements: low-cost natural gas; low growth in electricity demand; an increase in variable renewable energy (VRE); and regulatory compliance.
“The biggest contributor to coal and nuclear plant retirements has been the advantaged economics of natural gas-fired generation,” the report says, noting that natural gas surpassed coal as the largest source of electricity generation in the U.S.
The study goes on to conclude that: “The increased use of natural gas in the electric sector has resulted in sustained low wholesale market prices that reduce the profitability of other generation resources important to the grid. The fact that new, high-efficiency natural gas plants can be built relatively quickly, compared to coal and nuclear power, also helped to grow gas-fired generation.”…
Pairing energy storage with rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems has been widely touted as the path for greater deployment of renewable energy, but a new study from researchers at the University of Texas suggests doing so may actually increase overall energy consumption and emissions.
The study, “The Impacts of Storing Solar Energy in the Home to Reduce Reliance on the Utility, ” was based on data collected in 2014 by non-profit firm Pecan Street from 99 homes in the Austin, Texas, area with solar PV systems that were mostly in the 3-kW to 6-kW range. The homes did not have storage installed; rather, the study used operational data to estimate the impacts of adding it.
Two models were used, one (which the authors called “target zero”) that sought to keep the connection with the grid as close to 0 kWh as possible (in other words, minimizing both injections and demand), and another (called “minimize power”) that sought to maximize self-generation using forecast data for future demand and generation.…
Complying with reliability standards requires considerable resource planning. The tools and suggestions provided here may help engineers conform to new generator relay loadability requirements. But compliance isn’t the only reason to be an early adopter; doing so can also avoid unnecessary downtime and reduce maintenance costs.
If you are the owner or operator of a generation facility connected to the bulk electric system (BES), starting a new year may trigger some anxiety regarding regulatory requirements. In particular, the October 2019 deadline to demonstrate compliance with the North American Electric Reliability Corp.’s Generator Relay Loadability Standard (NERC PRC-025-1) just got a little closer. But not to worry, there are resources that can streamline the work required and make your job a little easier.
PRC-025-1 is just one of the reliability standards created following the 2003 electric power blackout that affected 50 million people in the U.S. and Canada. As the most widespread blackout in North American history, it is estimated to have cost between $ 7 billion and $ 14 billion.…