Alltricity Network eNews

Industry Information

Drought is Hampering Hydro Generation by Double-Digit Percentages in the U.S. this Year

In its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecast that electricity generation from U.S. hydropower plants in 2024 will be 13% less than the 10-year average, the least amount of electricity generated from hydropower since 2001.

Visit https://www.hydroreview.com/hydro-power/dams-civil-structures/drought-is-hampering-hydro-generation-by-double-digit-percentages-in-the-u-s-this-year/ to view the full article online.

Texas A&M Wants to Host Next-Gen Nuclear, Small Modular Reactor Testing

With data center demand showing no sign of stopping, Texas A&M University System officials have taken the first steps to provide testing sites for next-generation nuclear reactors on land it owns, projecting that it will become the only higher education institution with a commercial reactor site license.

Visit https://www.power-eng.com/nuclear/reactors/texas-am-wants-to-host-next-gen-nuclear-small-modular-reactor-testing/ to view the full article online.

Carbon Removal Developers Unveil First All-Wind-Powered Direct Air Capture Plant

Carbon removal project developers Return Carbon and Verified Carbon are collaborating on a direct air capture facility that will run entirely on wind power, a feat the pair called a first for the sector.

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/carbon-removal-developers-unveil-first-all-wind-powered-direct-air-capture-hub/733895/ to view the full article online.

Inflation Reduction Act Changes ‘Not a Day 1 Priority’ for Trump, Congress: Crux

The incoming Trump administration and Republican-controlled Congress are unlikely to fully repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, but some changes to the landmark 2022 climate and infrastructure law are likely to be enacted in 2025 and phased in over the following years, digital tax credit marketplace Crux said in a post-election report.

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/inflation-reduction-act-trump-changes-solar-battery-tariffs/734105/ to view the full article online.

Gold in them Hills? Quaise Energy Piloting Deep Geothermal to Decarbonize Mining

Quaise and NGM are exploring additional decarbonization of the latter’s newly commissioned 200-megawatt (MW) solar power plant by using geothermal heat from NGM’s land and subsurface holdings to hybridize on-site power generation.

Visit https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/baseload/geothermal/gold-in-them-hills-quaise-energy-piloting-deep-geothermal-to-decarbonize-mining/ to view the full article online.

Geothermal: The Promising, Ancient Giant in Infancy

In the world of renewables, geothermal electrical generation is a giant in infancy, ready to be tapped. According to the Department of Energy (DOE) the US is projected to generate 90 gigawatts (GW) of electricity from geothermal sources by 2050.

Visit https://www.forbes.com/sites/patsapinsley/2024/12/04/geothermal-the-promising--ancient-giant-in-infancy/?ss=energy to view the full article online.

Facebook Owner Meta Seeks Up to 4 GW Nuclear Capacity

The company, which includes Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp among its brands, is releasing a request for proposals "to identify nuclear energy developers to help us meet our AI innovation and sustainability objectives".

Visit https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/facebook-owner-meta-seeks-up-to-4gw-nuclear-capacity to view the full article online.

The U.S. Can (Almost) Make All the Solar Modules it Needs

The United States added a record-breaking 9.3 GW of new solar module manufacturing capacity in Q3 2024 via five new or expanded factories in Alabama, Florida, Ohio, and Texas. At the end of Q2 2022, prior to the passage of domestic manufacturing and procurement tax credits, the country’s module manufacturing capacity was less than 7 gigawatts (GW) – capacity has nearly quintupled since then, now nearing 40 GW.

Visit https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/solar/the-us-can-almost-make-all-the-solar-modules-it-needs/ to view the full article online.

Mitsubishi Electric Subsidiary Invests $86M in Switchgear Factory

The company’s investment is in response to growing demand for transmission and distribution grid products as the U.S. makes progress on its renewable energy and decarbonization goals, the company stated.

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/mitsubishi-subsidiary-invests-86-million-switchgear-pennsylvania-facility/734456/ to view the full article online.

Member Announcements

LCRA, Coastal Bend Radio Coalition Join Forces to Keep First Responders Connected Outside Their Service Areas

The Coastal Bend Public Safety Radio Coalition, an alliance of South Texas first responders, is connecting to the Lower Colorado River Authority’s radio system to enhance regional emergency communications, creating one of the largest public safety emergency communications networks in Texas. The expanded network will enable the first responders to maintain continuous radio coverage during hurricane evacuations and other emergencies that take them outside the Coastal Bend.

Visit https://www.lcra.org/news/news-releases/lcra-coastal-bend-radio-coalition-join-forces-to-keep-first-responders-connected-outside-their-service-areas/ to view the full article online.

Platte River and Owner Communities Take Charge with Battery Storage Projects

Platte River Power Authority (Platte River) is partnering with its owner communities of Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland on battery storage projects as the public power utility continues working toward a noncarbon energy future. A battery project will be installed in Estes Park and will be partially funded by a grant from the Department of Energy through the Colorado Department of Local Affairs.

Visit https://prpa.org/news-releases/platte-river-and-owner-communities-take-charge-with-battery-storage-projects/ to view the full article online.

Austin Energy Explores Potential Game Changer for Geothermal Energy in Texas

Continuing as a leader in clean energy innovation, Austin Energy is partnering with Exceed Energy Inc. to pilot a first-of-its-kind advanced geothermal project near its Nacogdoches biomass-generating facility. The pilot is expected to be online and producing carbon-free electricity in 2025 and could signal the next green energy innovation in Texas.

Visit https://austinenergy.com/about/news/news-releases/2024/austin-energy-explores-potential-game-changer-for-geothermal-energy-in-texas to view the full article online.

CPS Energy Recognized by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy for Casa Verde Program and by The U.S. Department of Labor for Veteran Support

CPS Energy has recently received two awards; one from The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) for its commitment to energy efficiency through its Casa Verde program and another from the U.S. Department of Labor’s HIRE Vets Medallion Program for its commitment to hiring and retaining veterans as part of its workforce.

Visit https://newsroom.cpsenergy.com/casa-verde-veteran-support-recognized/ to view the full article online.

Arizona Utilities Plan to Join Markets+ to Strengthen Grid Reliability and Resilience

Arizona Public Service (APS), Salt River Project (SRP), Tucson Electric Power (TEP) and UniSource Energy Services announced plans to join Southwest Power Pool’s (SPP) Markets+, a day-ahead and real-time energy market that is anticipated to span through the northwest, southwest and mountain west regions of the U.S.

Visit https://media.srpnet.com/arizona-utilities-plan-to-join-markets-to-strengthen-grid-reliability-and-resilience/ to view the full article online.

APS Secures its Largest-Ever Energy Supply to Reliably Serve Customers

Arizona Public Service (APS) has signed agreements to add new energy supplies to its energy mix – APS’s largest-ever planned addition of new power sources. In all, APS will add nearly 7,300 megawatts (MW) of renewable power, battery energy storage and natural gas to meet the state's growing demand for energy.

Visit https://www.aps.com/en/About/Our-Company/Newsroom/Articles/APS_Secures_its_Largest-Ever_Energy_Supply_to_Reliably_Serve_Customers to view the full article online.

Xcel Energy Using AI Technology to Detect Wildfires in Texas Panhandle

Xcel Energy is increasing its wildfire detection and mitigation efforts in the Texas Panhandle by introducing artificial intelligence to spot fires early. First responders and firefighters will have immediate access to this data, shortening response times.

Visit https://corporate.my.xcelenergy.com/s/about/newsroom/press-release/xcel-energy-using-ai-technology-to-detect-wildfires-in-texas-panhandle-MCJQJAEYRTBZEFBBTON334QSURGQ to view the full article online.

White Paper

Power Grids Supplied Largely by Renewable Sources Experience Lower Intensity Blackouts

New research into the vulnerability of power grids served by weather-dependent renewable energy sources (WD-RESs) such as solar and wind paints a hopeful picture as various countries around the globe attempt to meet their climate emissions targets -- with the research showing grids with high penetration of WD-RESs tend to have reduced blackout intensities in the U.S.

Visit https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241106171849.htm to view the full article online.

Engineered Additive Makes Low-Cost Renewable Energy Storage a Possibility

As part of an effort to overcome the long-term energy-storage challenge, engineers have invented a water-soluble chemical additive that improves the performance of a type of electrochemical storage called a bromide aqueous flow battery.

Visit https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241122160758.htm to view the full article online.

Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources Will Increase Price Tag to Decarbonize the Grid

A new study warns that current plans to achieve zero emissions on the grid by 2050 vastly underestimate the required investments in generation and transmission infrastructure. The reason: these plans do not account for climate change's impacts on water resources. Specifically, changes in water availability caused by climate change could decrease hydropower generation by up to 23% by the year 2050, while electricity demand could increase by 2%.

Visit https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241125125033.htm to view the full article online.

Alltricity Network (formerly known as RMEL)