RMEL eNews

Industry Information

DOE Releases Details for $8 Billion Hydrogen Hub Program

The federal government is funding regional hydrogen hubs to help decarbonize multiple sectors of the economy and push the U.S. closer to 2050 net-zero emissions. The money comes from the infrastructure law passed in 2021.

Visit https://www.power-eng.com/hydrogen/doe-releases-new-details-for-8-billion-hydrogen-hub-program/ to view the full article online.

Massachusetts Lawmakers Consider Ending Retail Electric Choice for Residential Customers

A sweeping Massachusetts bill aimed at driving climate progress includes a clause that would ban retail energy companies in the state’s residential sector. It would make Massachusetts the first state to reverse course on retail electric choice after allowing it for decades.

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/massachusetts-rollback-retail-customer-electricity-choice-bill/624968/ to view the full article online.

State Utility Regulators Urge FERC to Move up MISO’s Proposed 2030 Start Date for Aggregated DERs

The Midcontinent Independent System Operator shouldn’t be allowed to wait until 2030 before letting aggregated distributed energy resources participate in its power markets, according to state utility regulators.

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/oms-miso-aggregated-der-distributed-midcontinent-rooftop/625101/ to view the full article online.

Canadian Association Releases Hydropower Collaboration Success Stories

WaterPower Canada (WPC) has released a new collection of success stories titled Paths Forward 2022: Celebrating Indigenous businesses in Canadian hydropower.

Visit https://www.hydroreview.com/business-finance/canadian-association-releases-hydropower-collaboration-success-stories/ to view the full article online.

Rebuilding Domestic Solar Supply Chains Will Hinge on Incentives, Not Tariffs, Experts Say

In Episode 3 of the Factor This! podcast, Rhone Resch, the CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association from 2004-16, looks back at solar’s “boom” and his regret as the former head of the industry’s leading trade group of not prioritizing domestic solar manufacturing. He explains why now is the time to invest in a domestic supply chain.

Visit https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/podcasts/rebuilding-domestic-solar-supply-chains-will-hinge-on-incentives-not-tariffs-experts-say/ to view the full article online.

Statement: DOE Welcomes New Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Safety Measures Announced by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) welcomes the new carbon dioxide (CO2) pipeline safety measures announced by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) on May 26, 2022.

Visit https://www.energy.gov/fecm/articles/statement-doe-welcomes-new-carbon-dioxide-pipeline-safety-measures-announced-us to view the full article online.

U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator Opens Call for Participants, Announces New Partners

The Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator^TM (CECA) is now accepting applications from cybersecurity solution providers that offer strong authentication for distributed energy resources to protect the modern electrical grid and expedite bringing tested solutions to market.

Visit https://electricenergyonline.com/article/energy/category/ot-it/53/965187/u-s-department-of-energy-s-clean-energy-cybersecurity-accelerator-opens-call-for-participants-announces-new-partners.html to view the full article online.

EIA Explores Effects of Weather Projections on Energy Consumption in Buildings

Nearly half of the energy consumed in U.S. buildings in 2021 was used for heating and cooling, according to modeled estimates in our Annual Energy Outlook 2022 (AEO2022) Reference case. An Issues in Focus analysis on alternative weather assumptions highlights how different long-term weather projections affect space heating and space cooling demand in the U.S. residential and commercial sectors.

Visit https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=52678 to view the full article online.

The Coming War Over Crypto Regulation

On Tuesday, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) released bipartisan legislation aimed at clarifying the role of digital assets in the US economy.

Visit https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesbroughel/2022/06/07/the-coming-war-over-crypto-regulation/?sh=5ee58bba5b94 to view the full article online.

Steel Titan Buying Summit Utility Structures

One of the country’s largest steel manufacturers is acquiring a Pennsylvania-based company specializing in metal poles and steel structures used in utility and other infrastructure work.

Visit https://www.tdworld.com/utility-business/article/21243779/steel-titan-buying-summit-utility-structures to view the full article online.

Member Announcements

Austin Energy Crews Help Bring Power for the First Time to Homes in the Navajo Nation

Many members in the Navajo Nation have been waiting a lifetime to turn on their lights and take a hot shower. Thanks to a partnership between Austin Energy, the American Public Power Association (APPA), the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA), community members can do just that.

Visit https://austinenergy.com/ae/about/news/news-releases/2022/crews-help-bring-power-for-first-time-to-homes-in-navajo-nation to view the full article online.

APS Appoints Heflin to Lead Operation at the Palo Verde Generating Station

Arizona Public Service Co. announced that Adam Heflin has been named Executive Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer (CNO) at the Palo Verde Generating Station, effective June 6.

Visit https://www.aps.com/en/About/Our-Company/Newsroom/Articles/APS-appoints-Heflin-to-lead-operation-at-the-Palo-Verde-Generating-Station to view the full article online.

Basin Electric Board Approves Nearly a Half Billion Dollars in New Transmission Construction in Western North Dakota

In a major effort to maintain reliability for members, Basin Electric directors approved major transmission line and substation construction work at their May meeting.

Visit https://www.basinelectric.com/News-Center/news-briefs/Basin-Electric-board-approves-nearly-a-half-billion-dollars-in-new-transmission-construction-in-western-North-Dakota to view the full article online.

CPS Energy Preparing for Future Growth With Project in Southwest Area

CPS Energy is preparing for future growth in southwest San Antonio through an improvement project in the Loop 1604 west and Highway 151 corridor.

Visit https://newsroom.cpsenergy.com/cps-energy-preparing-for-future-growth-with-project-in-southwest-area-2/ to view the full article online.

El Paso Electric 11th Annual Summer College Internship is Officially in Session

El Paso Electric’s (EPE) Summer College Internship Program consists of 10 college students this year.

Visit https://www.epelectric.com/company/news/el-paso-electric-11th-annual-summer-college-internship-is-officially-in-session to view the full article online.

Evergy’s 2021 Sustainability Report Highlights Emission Reductions, Customer Assistance Resources and Robust Community Investment

Evergy published three reports, including its 2021 Sustainability Report, that provide details on the company’s achievements and progress toward environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives.

Visit https://investors.evergy.com/news-releases/news-release-details/evergys-2021-sustainability-report-highlights-emission to view the full article online.

NextEra Energy Resources, Tennessee Valley Authority and Meta Celebrate Commissioning of Tennessee’s Newest Large-Scale Solar Energy Project

State and local leaders joined executives from NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Meta to celebrate the commissioning of the state’s newest large-scale solar energy project – the Elora Solar Energy Center.

Visit https://newsroom.nexteraenergy.com/news-releases?item=123851 to view the full article online.

Initiatives Shaping Workforce to Better Serve Customers as We ‘Power The Future’

Omaha Public Power District is working to develop our strategic vision of Powering the Future to 2050, with a number of strategic initiatives helping to lay the path forward.

Visit https://www.oppd.com/news-resources/news-releases/2022/may/initiatives-shaping-workforce-to-better-serve-customers-as-we-power-the-future/ to view the full article online.

Gateway South Transmission Line Receives Nod to Proceed

The Wyoming Public Service Commission granted PacifiCorp certificates of public convenience and necessity (CPCNs) May 10, allowing two important transmission lines to proceed with construction.

Visit https://www.pacificorp.com/about/newsroom/news-releases/utility-regulators-grant-certificates.html to view the full article online.

PNM Issues Request for New Resources to Manage Combined Impact of Climate Change, Regulatory Delays and Supply Chain Issues

PNM issued a formal request asking energy developers to submit resource proposals that could add up to 700 megawatts to the PNM system with guaranteed in-service dates by or before May 1, 2023
or May 1, 2024, respectively. This comes as the Company expressed concerns over a potential energy shortage leading up to summer of 2023.

Visit https://www.pnm.com/documents/28767612/29865400/NEWS+RELEASE+-+PNM+issues+request+for+new+resources+to+manage+combined+impact+of+climate+change+regulatory+delays+and+supply+chain+issues.pdf/cedb47cf-04fc-ca77-fcc0-2cb1adcb567f?t=1653331187224 to view the full article online.

SRP Partners with SmokeD to Create and Test Wildfire Detection Systems for Transmission Line Corridors

Salt River Project is piloting a Smoke Detector Pilot Project that will act as a camera and smoke detector and provide an early-warning system for wildfires that occur near the utility’s transmission line towers in the Tonto and Apache-Sitgreaves national forests.

Visit https://media.srpnet.com/srp-partners-with-smoked-to-create-and-test-wildfire-detection-systems-for-transmission-line-corridors/ to view the full article online.

Sunflower’s Cody Forell Presents Podcast on the Structural Engineering Channel

In this episode, we talk to Cody Forell, Structural Design Engineer at Sunflower Electric Power Corporation, about transmission line design and what it is like working as a structural engineer at an electrical utility.

Visit https://engineeringmanagementinstitute.org/tsec-78-transmission-line-design-structural-engineering/ to view the full article online.

Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association Announces Strategic Reorganization

Barry Ingold has been named Chief Operating Officer; Elda de la Peña was named Chief Administrative Officer; and Bob Frankmore assumes Chief of Staff role.

Visit https://tristate.coop/tri-state-generation-and-transmission-association-announces-strategic-reorganization to view the full article online.

Driving EV Equity

Tucson Electric Power's transportation electrification programs are intentionally designed to ensure everyone – including disadvantaged communities and residents – can enjoy the benefits of electric vehicles (EVs).

Visit https://www.tep.com/news/driving-ev-equity/ to view the full article online.

Xcel Energy is First in the Nation to Add All-Electric Bucket Trucks to Fleet

Xcel Energy is taking the next steps in its journey toward electric transportation by becoming the first energy company in the nation to add all-electric bucket trucks to its fleet.

Visit https://co.my.xcelenergy.com/s/about/newsroom/press-release/xcel-energy-is-first-in-the-nation-to-add-all-electric-bucket-trucks-to-fleet-MCFAQNJJTNLFCKJIV3QX6NCGLTWU to view the full article online.

Rocky Mountain Electrical League