RMEL eNews

Industry Information

Energy Storage is a Cost-Effective Alternative to Transmission to Integrate Renewables: Study

Energy storage is a cost-effective alternative to traditional transmission lines for integrating renewable energy, maintaining reliability and modernizing the electric grid, according to a recent study.

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/storage-as-transmission-asset-iso-new-england/640115/ to view the full article online.

NuScale Power’s Small Modular Reactor Design is First in US to Get NRC Approval

The design is an advanced light-water SMR with each power module able to generate 50 MW. NuScale’s VOYGR SMR plant can house up to 12 factory-built power modules, about one-third the size of a traditional large-scale reactor, according to the DOE.

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/NuScale-small-modular-reactor-nuclear-NRC/641012/ to view the full article online.

Electricity Prices Surged 14.3% in 2022, Double Overall Inflation: US Report

The price of residential electricity is projected in the coming years to rise more slowly, the Energy Information Administration said Jan. 10. It jumped to 15.07 cents a kWh last year, from 13.66 cents per kWh in 2021. It’s projected to rise to 15.45 cents a kWh this year and by a penny in 2024.

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/electricity-prices-inflation-consumer-price-index/640656/ to view the full article online.

The Wettest Winter Storms in the Western U.S. are Growing Wetter, Larger

These storms are changing shape in a warmer world, sprawling to drench more land while also growing more intense at their cores, the Department of Energy’s PNNL said.

Visit https://www.hydroreview.com/environmental/research-shows-wettest-winter-storms-in-western-u-s-growing-wetter-larger/ to view the full article online.

EPA Proposes Denying Coal Ash Disposal at Six Plants

The agency also proposed a process for these coal plants to seek an extension, in the interest of addressing grid reliability issues.

Visit https://www.power-eng.com/coal/epa-proposes-denying-coal-ash-disposal-at-six-plants/ to view the full article online.

DOE Invests More than $130 Million to Lower Nation’s Carbon Pollution

Funding supports 33 carbon management projects to ramp up efforts to achieve nationwide goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Visit https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-invests-more-130-million-lower-nations-carbon-pollution to view the full article online.

Clean Tech Investment Reaches Par with Fossil Fuels, BNEF Says

The report said that almost every sector that it covered notched a new record level of investment in 2022, including renewable energy, energy storage, electrified transport, electrified heat, carbon capture and storage, hydrogen and sustainable materials.

Visit https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/solar/clean-tech-investment-reaches-par-with-fossil-fuels-bnef-says/ to view the full article online.

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $47 Million To Develop Affordable Clean Hydrogen Technologies

Projects funded under this opportunity will reduce costs, enhance hydrogen infrastructure, and improve the performance of hydrogen fuel cells advancing the Department's Hydrogen Shot goal of reducing the cost of clean hydrogen to $1 per kilogram within a decade.

Visit https://electricenergyonline.com/article/energy/category/biofuel/83/1002139/biden-harris-administration-announces-47-million-to-develop-affordable-clean-hydrogen-technologies-.html to view the full article online.

99% Of U.S. Coal Plants are More Expensive than New Renewables. a Coal-To-Clean Transition is Worth $589 Billion, Mostly in Red States

U.S. coal-fueled electricity generation is in secular decline, falling from more than half of our annual electricity supply 20 years ago to less than 20% today. This decline was initially driven by natural gas competition and energy efficiency improvements reducing electricity demand. But the acceleration of coal’s economic decline is now being driven by fast-falling clean energy prices—and smart government policy.

Visit https://www.forbes.com/sites/energyinnovation/2023/01/30/99-of-us-coal-plants-are-more-expensive-than-new-renewables-a-coal-to-clean-transition-is-worth-589-billion-mostly-in-red-states/?ss=energy&sh=385a77852510 to view the full article online.

Member Announcements

Great Plains Synfuels Plant Produces Record Tons of Anhydrous Ammonia in 2022

The Great Plains Synfuels Plant near Beulah, North Dakota, saw the highest annual anhydrous ammonia production on record in 2022. The last record production occurred in 2020. Improvements made in the facility over several years have improved the capacity and availability of the unit, said Aaron Marquardt, Dakota Gas fertilizer section manager.

Visit https://www.basinelectric.com/News-Center/news-briefs/Great-Plains-Synfuels-Plant-produces-record-tons-of-anhydrous-ammonia-in-2022 to view the full article online.

NPPD Beginning Siting Study for Small Modular Nuclear Reactors

Under legislative bill 1014, the State of Nebraska allocated $1 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to complete a siting study for small modular reactors. As an owner of a current operating nuclear power plant, Cooper Nuclear Station, NPPD qualified to apply for these funds to complete the siting study.

Visit https://www.nppd.com/press-releases/nppd-beginning-siting-study-for-small-modular-nuclear-reactors to view the full article online.

CPS Energy Starting Reliability Project to Address Booming Growth in Northwest Bexar County Area

CPS Energy will improve the current infrastructure and distribution of its electric service to support the reliability in the growing Cross Mountain area, located in the northwest section of Bexar County. According to the U.S. Census, from 2010–2020, the Cross Mountain population grew three times faster than the City of San Antonio.

Visit https://newsroom.cpsenergy.com/cps-energy-starting-reliability-project-to-address-booming-growth-in-northwest-bexar-county-area/ to view the full article online.

Evergy Seeks to Add Generation Resources

Evergy issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for generation resources to serve its customers. The all-source RFP solicits bids for Evergy’s purchase or contracting of up to 1,240 megawatts (MW) of energy resources that will be in service by 2026. The RFP is Evergy’s first since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.

Visit https://investors.evergy.com/news-releases/news-release-details/evergy-seeks-add-generation-resources to view the full article online.

NextEra Energy Announces Leadership Succession at Florida Power & Light Company; Eric Silagy To Retire, Armando Pimentel Named President and CEO, FPL

NextEra Energy, Inc. announced that Eric Silagy, chairman, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), has notified the company of his intention to retire after 20 years with the company, including 11 years leading FPL. Armando Pimentel, who previously served in several senior executive roles with NextEra Energy, will rejoin the company and is named president and CEO, FPL.

Visit https://newsroom.nexteraenergy.com/2023-01-25-NextEra-Energy-announces-leadership-succession-at-Florida-Power-Light-Company-Eric-Silagy-to-retire,-Armando-Pimentel-named-president-and-CEO,-FPL to view the full article online.

Neset-to-Northshore Transmission Project Energized

The 27-mile transmission line begins at the existing Neset Substation east of Tioga, North Dakota, and ends at the new Northshore substation south of Ross, North Dakota. According to Bobby Nasset, Basin Electric civil engineering supervisor, the project will provide capacity to serve increasing load growth in the region.

Visit https://www.basinelectric.com/News-Center/news-briefs/Neset-to-Northshore-transmission-project-energized to view the full article online.

Form Energy Partners with Xcel Energy on Two Multi-day Energy Storage Projects

Form Energy, Inc., an American technology company developing and commercializing a new class of cost-effective, multi-day energy storage systems, announced that it has entered into definitive agreements with Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) to deploy its iron-air battery systems at two of Xcel Energy's retiring coal plant sites.

Visit https://co.my.xcelenergy.com/s/about/newsroom/press-release/form-energy-partners-with-xcel-energy-on-two-multi-day-energy-storage-projects-MC6Q2GVPIR6RAV3GGPKNNDTRH4WM to view the full article online.

White Paper

Cheap, Sustainable Hydrogen through Solar Power

A new kind of solar panel has achieved 9% efficiency in converting water into hydrogen and oxygen--mimicking a crucial step in natural photosynthesis. Outdoors, it represents a major leap in the technology, nearly 10 times more efficient than solar water-splitting experiments of its kind.

Visit https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230104115158.htm to view the full article online.

A New Tool Helps Map Out Where to Develop Clean Energy Infrastructure

The Geospatial Energy Mapper is an interactive online mapping tool that can help identify areas across the country that are suitable for wind, solar, and other clean energy infrastructure projects.

Visit https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230110191426.htm to view the full article online.

Hydrogen's Place in an Increasingly Connected Energy Web Shows Need for Regulatory Change

Capturing the potential profits and jobs offered by a growing hydrogen industry may need as much innovation in regulatory agencies as it does in the research laboratories, according to new research from The University of Texas at Austin. The work highlights the increasing complexity and interconnected nature of energy markets as disparate regulatory agencies push for increased use of clean energy sources.

Visit https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230117110430.htm to view the full article online.

Harnessing Solar Energy: New Method Improves Readings of Double-Sided Panels

A leading laboratory in photonics and renewable energy at the University of Ottawa has developed a new method for measuring the solar energy produced by bifacial solar panels, the double-sided solar technology which is expected to meet increased global energy demands moving forward.

Visit https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230118111644.htm to view the full article online.

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