RMEL eNews

Industry Information

U.S. Storage Deployments Shatter Record in Q3, With 7.5 GW Projected by 2025: WoodMac

A record-breaking 476 MW of storage resources were deployed in the U.S. in the third quarter of 2020 – a 240% increase over the previous record, which was set in the previous quarter – a December report from Wood Mackenzie and the U.S. Energy Storage Association (ESA) found.

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/us-storage-deployments-shatter-record-in-q3-with-75-gw-projected-by-2025/591513/ to view the full article online.

Senate Votes to Confirm Christie, Clements to FERC

The U.S. Senate confirmed the nominations of Mark Christie and Allison Clements to join the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, bringing the commission to its full, five-member complement of commissioners for the first time in nearly two years. The confirmation came on a voice vote, FERC said.

Visit https://www.hydroreview.com/2020/12/01/senate-votes-to-confirm-christie-clements-to-ferc/ to view the full article online.

Floating Wind to Grow to 250 GW by 2050 Says DNV GL

A new report forecasts that with the right drivers in place, the installed capacity of floating windpower will grow from the existing 100 MW to 250 GW in 2050 – a 2000-fold increase.

Visit https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/2020/12/03/floating-wind-to-grow-to-250-gw-by-2050-says-dnv-gl/ to view the full article online.

IRENA and Ocean Energy Europe Partner to Drive Ocean Energy Industry

The CEO of Ocean Energy Europe (OEE), Rémi Gruet and the Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Francesco La Camera, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the annual Ocean Energy Europe Conference & Exhibition.

Visit https://electricenergyonline.com/article/energy/category/hydro/86/870232/irena-and-ocean-energy-europe-partner-to-drive-ocean-energy-industry.html to view the full article online.

ScottMadden’s New Energy Industry Update Explores the Past and Future of Electricity Markets

ScottMadden, Inc., one of North America’s leading management consulting firms specializing in energy, recently released its latest edition of The ScottMadden Energy Industry Update (EIU). Themed “Running Up That Hill,” this report explores how the energy industry is attempting to do extraordinary things in extraordinary times.

Visit https://energycentral.com/news/scottmadden%E2%80%99s-new-energy-industry-update-explores-past-and-future-electricity-markets to view the full article online.

Commercial Buildings Have Gotten Larger in the United States, With Implications for Energy

Commercial buildings have gotten larger in the United States as their floor space continues to grow faster than the number of commercial buildings, according to preliminary results from the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) 2018 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS).

Visit https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=46118 to view the full article online.

Safeguarding Smart Meters as Cyberthreats Surge

Over time, utility providers have rolled out increasingly advanced digitally connected devices to make their service infrastructure more efficient. One such product is the smart meter.

Visit https://www.power-grid.com/executive-insight/safeguarding-smart-meters-as-cyberthreats-surge/ to view the full article online.

FERC Approves NRG’s $3.6B Acquisition of Direct Energy Expected to Close Next Month

Earlier this week NRG Energy received federal approval for its estimated $3.6 billion all-cash acquisition of retail electricity distribution firm Direct Energy.

Visit https://www.power-eng.com/2020/12/02/ferc-approves-nrgs-3-6b-acquisition-of-direct-energy-expected-to-close-next-month/ to view the full article online.

A Storm is Coming, and It's Named EV

Twenty-five named tropical storms in 2020? A global pandemic making business air travel as scarce as a first-class upgrade used to be? What could be worse? According to Mike Rowand, director for technology development at Duke Energy, it could soon be "spreadsheet" buying of electric cars, trucks, and buses by fleet owners wanting to connect massive new electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure to your transmission and distribution (T&D) system.

Visit https://www.tdworld.com/electrification/article/21148623/a-storm-is-coming-and-its-named-ev to view the full article online.

Enbridge Clears Final Regulatory Hurdle for $2.6B Minnesota Pipeline Project

After six years of regulatory reviews, lawsuits and pushback by environmental groups, Enbridge’s $2.6 billion pipeline replacement project in northern Minnesota is set to begin construction after receiving all permits and approvals, the Star Tribune reported.

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/enbridge-clears-final-regulatory-hurdle-for-26b-minnesota-pipeline-projec/591464/ to view the full article online.

Member Announcements

Investing in Continued Reliability for Arizona

Nearly 1.3 million homes and businesses rely on us for safe, reliable power. And we deliver – ranking within the top 25% of electric utilities across the nation for frequency of outages in 11 of the past 12 years and within the top 25% for duration of outages in 9 of the past 12 years.

Visit https://www.aps.com/en/About/Our-Company/Newsroom/Articles/Investing-in-continued-reliability-for-Arizona to view the full article online.

Basin Electric Employees Present to Future Community Leaders

The goal of Energy and Natural Resources Day was to provide information about how energy and natural resources and their economics impact the Bismarck-Mandan community.

Visit https://www.basinelectric.com/news-center/news-briefs/basin-electric-employees-present-future-community-leaders to view the full article online.

Black Hills Corp. Completes 52.5-Megawatt Corriedale Wind Energy Project and Begins Commercial Operations

Black Hills Corp. (NYSE: BKH) announced that the company has completed construction on its $79 million Corriedale Wind Energy Project near Cheyenne, Wyoming, and the project is producing wind energy for customers who subscribed to its Renewable Ready Program.

Visit https://www.blackhillscorp.com/node/118212#.X8lAdlVKi70 to view the full article online.

Oklahoma’s First Battery Energy Storage System Provides Window Into the Future of Renewable Energy in Region

The profile of Rush Springs Energy Storage is rather unassuming – nine storage containers filled with thousands of the sort of battery modules you’d find in a laptop computer – but the site could have a groundbreaking impact on the future of renewable energy in the region.

Visit http://newsroom.nexteraenergy.com/Oklahomas-first-battery-energy-storage-system-provides-window-into-the-future-of-renewable-energy-in-region to view the full article online.

PacifiCorp Announces Joint Agreement to Advance Klamath River Dam Removal Project

PacifiCorp jointly announced an important agreement with the states of California and Oregon, and the Yurok and Karuk Tribes that we believe will overcome the remaining obstacles to advance the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement and complete the largest dam removal and river restoration project in U.S. history.

Visit https://www.pacificorp.com/about/newsroom/news-releases/pacificorp-announces-joint-agreement-to-advance-klamath-river-dam-removal-project.html to view the full article online.

Skookumchuck Wind Facility in Washington is Operational

Southern Power, a leading U.S. wholesale energy provider and subsidiary of Southern Company, announced that the 136-megawatt (MW) Skookumchuck Wind Facility in Lewis and Thurston Counties, Washington, is now operational.

Visit https://www.southerncompany.com/newsroom/2020/dec-2020/skookumchuck-wind-facility-in-washington-operational.html to view the full article online.

SRP, NAU Researchers Use State-of-the-Art Technology to Assess Forest Health

Researchers at Northern Arizona University (NAU) are using drones, airplanes and state-of-the-art laser scanning technology to conduct forest assessments around C.C. Cragin Reservoir.

Visit https://media.srpnet.com/srp-nau-researchers-use-state-of-the-art-technology-to-assess-forest-health/ to view the full article online.

Tri-State Filing Identifies 1,850 Megawatts of Additional Renewables, Energy Storage by 2030

Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association would more than double its currently contracted solar and wind resources by 2030, add energy storage, and reduce emissions to help meet the needs of its member electric cooperatives and public power districts, in the “preferred scenario” of its Electric Resource Plan (ERP) filed with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

Visit https://www.tristategt.org/tri-state-filing-identifies-1850-megawatts-additional-renewables-energy-storage-2030 to view the full article online.

RM Pilot Project Meets Generation Swings

The Rocky Mountain region is participating in a pilot program designed to meet swings in generation within the Western Area Colorado-Missouri, or WACM, Balancing Authority. The program – a partnership between WAPA and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association – allows WACM to use Craig Powerplant in Craig, Colorado, as a source of power in the case of system disruption or generation shortfall.

Visit https://www.wapa.gov/newsroom/NewsFeatures/2020/Pages/RM-pilot-project-meets-generation-swings.aspx to view the full article online.

Xcel Energy Named Recipient of the 2020 ReliabilityOne® Award for Outstanding Plains Region Suburban and Rural Service Area Utility

Xcel Energy was recognized by PA Consulting as a recipient of the 2020 ReliabilityOne® Award for Outstanding Reliability Performance in the Plains suburban/rural service area – recognizing the very best suburban/rural service area investor owned utilities in the United States.

Visit https://www.xcelenergy.com/company/media_room/news_releases/xcel_energy_named_recipient_of_the_2020_reliabilityone%C2%AE_award_for_outstanding_plains_region_suburban_and_rural_service_area_utility to view the full article online.

White Paper

Researchers Overcome Barriers for Bio-inspired Solar Energy Harvesting Materials

Inspired by nature, researchers at The City College of New York (CCNY) can demonstrate a synthetic strategy to stabilize bio-inspired solar energy harvesting materials.

Visit https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201123112446.htm to view the full article online.

Rocky Mountain Electrical League