RMEL eNews

Industry Information

Navigating the Challenges: Planning for Rising Electric Vehicle Adoption

A lot of factors are part of a well-planned community development: where the schools will be located, how many homes will be built, the exact number of Starbucks required to give residents their caffeine fix and more. But many cities and states are having to now take into account a new factor: the rate of electric vehicle (EV) adoption.

Visit https://www.tdworld.com/electrification/article/21272874/navigating-the-challenges-planning-for-rising-electric-vehicle-adoption to view the full article online.

Tripling Virtual Power Plant Capacity by 2030 Could Save $10B, Meet 20% Peak Demand: DOE

With electric vehicles and other distributed resources surging, virtual power plants may be at an inflection point, the Department of Energy said. Roughly tripling virtual power plant capacity to 80 GW to 160 GW by 2030 could save about $10 billion a year in grid costs, while redirecting spending on peaking power plants to distributed energy resources at a lower cost, the Department of Energy said.

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/virtual-power-plant-vpp-doe-liftoff-tesla-voltus/693525/ to view the full article online.

Wyoming Signs Contract to Advance Microreactor Deployment

BWX Technologies (BWXT) has entered a two-year contract with the Wyoming Energy Authority to evaluate the feasibility of microreactor deployment in the state. BWXT will work with Wyoming industries to define nuclear application requirements for supplying base heat and power to trona mining operations.

Visit https://www.power-eng.com/nuclear/wyoming-signs-contract-to-advance-microreactor-deployment/ to view the full article online.

US Won’t Reach Net Zero Emissions Without Transmission Buildout: DNV

A cumulative $12 trillion will be spent on clean energy in North America by 2050, but neither the U.S. or Canada are on track to meet their 2050 net-zero emissions targets, says a new report from analysis and consulting firm DNV.

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/net-zero-transition-clean-energy-north-america-transmission-buildout/694621/ to view the full article online.

Microsoft Job Posting Signals Commitment to Small Nuclear Reactors for Powering Data Centers

Microsoft wants to integrate advanced nuclear technology into powering its data centers. In a recent job posting, the company announced its search for a Principal Program Manager of Nuclear Technology, who would be responsible for implementing a global small modular reactor (SMR) and microreactor energy strategy.

Visit https://www.power-eng.com/nuclear/microsoft-job-posting-signals-commitment-to-small-nuclear-reactors-for-powering-data-centers/ to view the full article online.

US Energy Storage Capacity Additions Rise 161% in Q2, Set New Record: Report

The U.S. energy storage industry added 1,680 MW/5,597 MWh in the second quarter of 2023, marking the strongest quarter on record and reversing two straight quarters of stalled growth, said a report released by consulting firm Wood Mackenzie and the American Clean Power Association.

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/energy-storage-installations-record-growth-grid-scale/694773/ to view the full article online.

Climate Models Underestimate Renewables Progress, Overstate Net-Zero Costs: Study

“Plummeting” prices for solar power and storage over the last 10 years have made a net-zero transition more feasible than current climate scenario models indicate, according to researchers with the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change, or MCC.

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/climate-models-solar-renewables-net-zero/695000/ to view the full article online.

Solar Provided Two-Thirds of New U.S. Generating Capacity in July

In its latest monthly “Energy Infrastructure Update” report (with data through July 31, 2023), FERC says 47 “units” of solar provided 1,824-MW of new U.S. generation capacity or more than two-thirds (67.2%) of the total added during the month. The balance (892-MW) was provided by natural gas. This brought solar’s share of total available installed generating capacity in the U.S. up to 7.12%.

Visit https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/solar/utility-scale/solar-provided-two-thirds-of-new-u-s-generating-capacity-in-july/ to view the full article online.

Where Renewable Energy is Growing (and Where It Is Stalling)

Renewable energy capacity around the world more than doubled in the 10 years between 2013 and 2022, a newly released report from the International Renewable Energy Agency has found. However, progress has been quite lopsided, with large capacities having been built up in Europe and huge progress especially in the last decade happening in China.

Visit https://www.forbes.com/sites/katharinabuchholz/2023/09/29/where-renewable-energy-is-growing-and-where-it-is-stalling-infographic/?ss=energy&sh=764fe418354b to view the full article online.

Member Announcements

PNM Awarded Sustainability Initiative of the Year

The Business Intelligence Group recently named PNM as a Sustainability Initiative of the Year awardee in the 2023 Sustainability Awards program. The Sustainability Awards honor those people, teams and organizations who have made sustainability an integral part of their business practice or overall mission.

Visit https://www.pnm.com/documents/28767612/36968780/PNM+awarded+for+global+sustainability.pdf/d66cc20f-789b-fc3f-d1d5-56b7c1ebb610?t=1694031771668 to view the full article online.

Three WAPA Divisions to Pursue Final Negotiations with Southwest Power Pool Regional Transmission Organization

Western Area Power Administration has announced that its Colorado River Storage Project and Rocky Mountain region will pursue final negotiations toward full membership in the Southwest Power Pool Regional Transmission Organization. WAPA's Upper Great Plains region will pursue final negotiations to expand its participation in the SPP RTO in the Western Interconnection.

Visit https://www.wapa.gov/newsroom/NewsReleases/2023/Pages/three-wapa-divisions-pursue-final-negotiations-spp-rto.aspx to view the full article online.

SRP Invests More than $2.6 Million in Research and Development Projects with ASU, NAU and UArizona

As part of ongoing research and development efforts to improve the Valley’s power system and watershed, this school year SRP invested more than $2.6 million in 36 projects with Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona. These projects are part of SRP’s commitment to the reliable delivery of power and water, and each project is assessed for further deployment in future.

Visit https://media.srpnet.com/srp-invests-more-than-2-million-in-research-and-development-projects-with-asu-nau-and-uarizona/ to view the full article online.

United Power and Xcel Energy Announce Strategic Relationship for Power Supply

The utilities are entering a power supply arrangement that would provide United Power access to Xcel Energy’s increasingly carbon-neutral portfolio to the benefit of Xcel Energy customers and United Power members.

Visit https://www.unitedpower.com/united-power-and-xcel-energy-announce-strategic-relationship-power-supply to view the full article online.

Construction Begins on Carbon Capture Pilot Project at Wyoming ITC

Membrane Technology and Research (MTR), a tenant at the Wyoming Integrated Test Center located at Basin Electric’s Dry Fork Station, has begun construction on its large-scale carbon-capture pilot project, part of a program through the U.S. Department of Energy.

Visit https://www.basinelectric.com/News-Center/news-briefs/Construction-begins-on-carbon-capture-pilot-project-at-Wyoming-ITC to view the full article online.

Xcel Energy Proposes Adding Unprecedented Renewable Energy and Storage to Advance Colorado’s Clean Energy Goals

The company’s Clean Energy Plan proposes to double the amount of renewable energy on the system and invests up to $15 billion across Colorado, while taking advantage of $10 billion in Inflation Reduction Act tax credit benefits to reduce costs and support customers, communities and workers in the state.

Visit https://co.my.xcelenergy.com/s/about/newsroom/press-release/120-day-report-news-release-MCZH45IPKRO5BBBB337BZC2A544Q to view the full article online.

EDF Renewables North America Signs Agreement with El Paso Electric for Solar+Storage Project

The PPA covers the output from the 150 MWac Milagro Solar and the 75 MW / 300 MWh Milagro Storage Project, which are slated for commercial operation in 2025. The Milagro Solar+Storage project, located on undeveloped private land in the Santa Teresa area of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, expects to create approximately 200 jobs during the peak construction phase.

Visit https://www.epelectric.com/company/news/edf-renewables-north-america-signs-agreement-with-el-paso-electric-for-solarstorage-project to view the full article online.

NextEra Energy Announces Sale Agreement for Florida City Gas and Reaffirms Long-Term Outlook

"We are pleased that FPL has reached this agreement to sell FCG to Chesapeake Utilities," said John Ketchum, chairman, president and chief executive officer, NextEra Energy. "This transaction allows us to continue our strategy of redeploying capital into our core businesses."

Visit https://newsroom.nexteraenergy.com/2023-09-26-NextEra-Energy-announces-sale-agreement-for-Florida-City-Gas-and-reaffirms-long-term-outlook?l=12 to view the full article online.

White Paper

New Battery Holds Promise for Green Energy

A chemist envisions a future where every house is powered by renewable energy stored in batteries. He has created a new battery that could have profound implications for the large-scale energy storage needed by wind and solar farms.

Visit https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/09/230906122111.htm to view the full article online.

New Study Reveals the Power of Railroads to Buffer Coal Plants from a Carbon Emissions Tax

A new study suggests that railroads are likely to cut transportation prices to prop up coal-fired plants if U.S. climate policies further disadvantage coal in favor of less carbon-intensive energy sources.

Visit https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/09/230907162612.htm to view the full article online.

How Wind Turbines React to Turbulence

The output of wind turbines can rise or fall by 50 percent in a matter of seconds. Such fluctuations in the megawatt range put a strain on both power grids and the turbines themselves. A new study presents a new stochastic method that could help to mitigate these sudden swings and achieve a more consistent electricity production

Visit https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/09/230919154844.htm to view the full article online.

Predicting the Sustainability of a Future Hydrogen Economy

As renewable energy sources like wind and solar ramp up, they can be used to sustainably generate hydrogen fuel. But implementing such a strategy on a large scale requires land and water dedicated to this purpose.

Visit https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/09/230921154439.htm to view the full article online.

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