RMEL eNews

RMEL Member Information

Join RMEL's Groups on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook

RMEL's trusted network is now accessible on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. These are forums intended for RMEL members only. Working side-by-side in a cooperative manner, RMEL members band together for the common goal of bettering the industry and improving service for utility customers. For more than 100 years, these key principles have proven successful, and more importantly, are tried and true methods for building strong business relationships.

RMEL Champions is a prestigious group of RMEL supporters with access to useful and beneficial promotional opportunities. Thank you 2022 RMEL Champions!

Visit https://www.rmel.org/RMEL/Join/RMEL_Champions/RMEL/RMELMembers/RMEL_Champions.aspx?hkey=8eeb3961-71d6-4e18-9db3-82926dd88da1 to view the full article online.

Industry Information

With Manchin’s Support, Democrats Unveil Bill with $369B in Energy, Climate Spending

The bill contains tax credits to spur clean energy production, domestic clean energy manufacturing as well as consumer incentives for energy efficiency and electric vehicles. It also contains funding for transmission development.

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/manchin-democrats-climate-bill-energy-legislation-congress/628329/ to view the full article online.

DOE Announces Up to $6 Million to Develop Useful Products from Coal and Coal Wastes

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) has announced up to $6 million available for research and development (R&D) projects that will repurpose domestic coal resources for products that can be employed in clean energy technologies such as batteries and advanced manufacturing.

Visit https://www.energy.gov/fecm/articles/doe-announces-6-million-develop-useful-products-coal-and-coal-wastes to view the full article online.

Federal Hydropower Permits and Licensing: Avoiding Delays and Staying on Track

Costly impacts from climate change have gotten our collective attention as we search for ways to mitigate those impacts and transition to a carbon-free future. The U.S. hydropower industry is poised to make a significant contribution to clean energy production as part of the Biden Administration’s efforts to reduce fossil fuel use.

Visit https://www.hydroreview.com/hydro-industry-news/federal-hydropower-permits-and-licensing-avoiding-delays-and-staying-on-track/ to view the full article online.

Pattern Energy Buys 3-GW SunZia Transmission Project to Deliver Wind Energy from New Mexico to Arizona

Pattern Energy expects to begin full construction of the SunZia transmission project and the SunZia wind projects next year, with operations for the bi-directional power line set to start in 2025, and the wind farms coming online in early 2026, according to the company.

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/pattern-energy-buys-sunzia-transmission-line/627458/ to view the full article online.

Hybrid Wind+Storage Project Now Operational in Texas

A 350 MW wind farm paired with a 137 MW/204.6 MWh battery storage facility is now operational in Texas. The Azure Sky project in Throckmorton County is Enel Green Power's first hybrid wind+storage project. It features 79 wind turbines— a mix of Nordex and Vestas models. Wärtsilä supplied the battery storage system.

Visit https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/storage/hybrid-windstorage-project-now-operational-in-texas/ to view the full article online.

Ford Counting on U.S.-Mined Lithium to Power its EV Growth Plans

Management at Ford Motor Company continues to move aggressively to advance the company’s goals of converting its fleet to electric vehicles in the years to come.

Visit https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidblackmon/2022/07/25/ford-counting-on-us-mined-lithium-to-power-its-ev-growth-plans/?sh=56f74bf26eff to view the full article online.

Fitch Rating: Modest U.S. Public Power Effects from Potential Rolling Blackouts

Summer capacity constraints and rolling blackouts are not viewed as a near-term risk to U.S. public power and electric cooperative credit quality, Fitch Ratings says.

Visit https://www.tdworld.com/utility-business/article/21246910/fitch-rating-modest-us-public-power-effects-from-potential-rolling-blackouts to view the full article online.

WAPA Approves Interconnection Bid for 504 MW Wind Project

The project would be owned by ConnectGen, and is designed to include up to 149 wind turbines. In addition to the turbines, the proposed project would include access roads, collection lines, substations, control buildings, meteorological towers and other related infrastructure.

Visit https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/wind-power/wapa-approves-interconnection-bid-for-504-mw-wind-project/ to view the full article online.

Western RTO Could Add up to $79.2 Billion to Regional Economy, Report Finds

The creation of a West-wide regional transmission organization could generate between 159,000 and 657,000 permanent jobs through 2030, as well as up to $79.2 billion in additional gross regional product per year across the 11 Western states.

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/western-rto-could-add-up-to-792-billion-to-regional-economy-report-finds/628172/ to view the full article online.

Member Announcements

Apache County Receives Arizona Broadband Development Grant

TEP and SRP jointly support project which will change the economic future for Northeastern Arizona cities transitioning away from coal.

Visit https://www.tep.com/news/apache-county-receives-arizona-broadband-development-grant/ to view the full article online.

WAPA Finalizes Rail Tie Wind Project Environmental Review, Approves Record of Decision

Western Area Power Administration announced a record of decision, or ROD, approving the interconnection of the proposed Rail Tie Wind Project to WAPA’s transmission system.

Visit https://www.wapa.gov/newsroom/NewsReleases/2022/Pages/wapa-approves-interconnection-for-rail-tie-wind-project.aspx to view the full article online.

Salt River Project Awarded Climate Registered™ Platinum Status and Joins Ranks of US Climate Leaders

The Climate Registry announced that Salt River Project (SRP) has been awarded Climate Registered™ Platinum Status, the first electric utility in the U.S. with this distinction for the 2020 reporting year.

Visit https://media.srpnet.com/salt-river-project-awarded-climate-registered-platinum-status-and-joins-ranks-of-us-climate-leaders/ to view the full article online.

Xcel Energy Proposes Minnesota Energy Connection Power Line to Replace Retiring Coal Plant with Renewables

Xcel Energy has begun developing the Minnesota Energy Connection, a new power line in Minnesota that will connect renewable energy to the existing grid at the Sherco power plant, which will retire all coal generation later this decade.

Visit https://co.my.xcelenergy.com/s/about/newsroom/press-release/xcel-energy-proposes-minnesota-energy-connection-power-line-to-replace-retiring-MCH2FCUPO3HRFWTBHJGADEMXUTY4 to view the full article online.

NPPD Ranks Among the Best for Wholesale Rates

Nebraska Public Power District’s (NPPD) wholesale electric rates have once again ranked amongst the lowest in the country compared to roughly 800 wholesale electric providers.

Visit https://www.nppd.com/press-releases/nppd-ranks-among-the-best-for-wholesale-rates to view the full article online.

WAPA Joins with Tucson Electric Power to Rebuild Transmission Line

WAPA and Tucson Electric Power announced a joint participation agreement to rebuild approximately 60 miles of the Parker-Davis Project transmission system.

Visit https://www.tep.com/news/wapa-joins-with-tucson-electric-power-to-rebuild-transmission-line/ to view the full article online.

Basin Electric Directors Vote to Return $28.2 Million Back to Members

At their July board meeting, Basin Electric directors authorized the retirement of more than $13.2 million in patronage capital credits as well as a $15 million bill credit to be implemented on members’ July 2022 wholesale power bill.

Visit https://www.basinelectric.com/News-Center/news-briefs/Basin-Electric-directors-vote-to-return-28-2-million-back-to-members to view the full article online.

White Paper

Fuel Cells: Novel Multi-Proton Carrier Complex as Efficient Proton Conductor at High Temps

Fuel cells often fall short when it comes to operating at temperatures beyond 100 degrees Celsius owing to their dependence on water as a proton conduction medium. To overcome this issue, a team of researchers designed a new hydrogen-bonded starburst-shaped metal complex consisting of ruthenium (III) ion and six imidazole-imidazolate groups.

Visit https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/07/220718122241.htm to view the full article online.

Toward Manufacturing Semitransparent Solar Cells the Size of Windows

A peel-off patterning technique could enable more fragile organic semiconductors to be manufactured into semitransparent solar panels at scale.

Visit https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/07/220719113406.htm to view the full article online.

All-in-One Solar-Powered Tower Makes Carbon-Neutral Jet Fuel

Researchers have designed a fuel production system that uses water, carbon dioxide (CO2), and sunlight to produce aviation fuel. They have implemented the system in the field, and the design could help the aviation industry become carbon neutral.

Visit https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/07/220720121020.htm to view the full article online.

Rocky Mountain Electrical League