Arvin Vohra

What a great program from GridLab. Taking the plunge into entrepreneurship can be daunting. Don’t let the fear win out. Support like this in the beginning is a great way to help with the transition. Kudos to GridLab

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It is exciting to see great discussions and policy work to expand Transmission Grid Capacity and the role of Grid Enhancing Technologies (GETs) in unlocking the Grid for more renewables. We at GridAstra acknowledge some of the pressing challenges mentioned - the laborious work to simulate GETs during studies and lack of software tools to help plan the Grid with GETs. GridAstra recently released ‘𝙁𝙐𝙎𝙄𝙊𝙉-𝙏 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿’ to address this very challenge by providing 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗿𝗶𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 (𝗚𝗘𝗧𝘀) 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀. The ‘𝙁𝙐𝙎𝙄𝙊𝙉-𝙏 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿’ can not only perform the detailed pre-projects and post-projects steady state analysis to identify the basecase and post-contingent constraints based on cluster studies, but can also provide automated suggestions for mitigating these constraints with GETs based controls. As a part of such GETs based control actions, it can automatically provide an optimal strategy by coordinating Grid Topology Reconfiguration and Advanced Power Flow Controllers (APFCs), or using any one of these control types based on your choice. In case you are wondering about where to place the APFCs in the Grid for optimal impact (with minimum APFC installation), our software can also help find that out for you! And last but not the least, this software can be easily integrated in your existing Interconnection Study workflows, thanks to its compatibility with industry-standard data formats. Ultimately, our goal with the ‘𝙁𝙐𝙎𝙄𝙊𝙉-𝙏 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿’ software is to empower Transmission operators, Utilities, and Generation project developers to reliably connect larger volumes of new generation in a much shorter period of time and at a much lower cost. If you are interested in a demo of our ‘𝙁𝙐𝙎𝙄𝙊𝙉-𝙏 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿’ software, please reach out to us at [email protected] or https://lnkd.in/g6BacNK5.

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The challenge before everyone driving our energy transition resides in bringing together EV, DER, OEM, DERMS, ADMS, Aggregators, and VPP providers -- "every stakeholder" together to accelerate innovation and help prevent grid reliability challenges before they happen. We are proud to be partners with Brian Grunkemeyer, Tyler Phillipi, and their team at FlexCharging, who, together with Rhythmos.io, are collaborating, innovating, and sharing critical insights to successfully meet and improve the future demands of today's grid. FlexCharging and Rhythmos.io are committed to working together to unify their efforts to advance electric transportation goals. https://lnkd.in/gyXzKubw

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FERC has approved interconnection reform - and this is *generally* good for the energy transition. That said the devil in in the details of how states and utilities implement these changes. Some improvements like penalties assessed against utilities for tardy studies, trying to clean out queue squatters, and expressly identifying certain technical flexibility into interconnection design are good. However, we have specifically seen "Cluster Studies" and higher financial security requirements stymie development and create very costly and endless loops of re-studies in many markets (utility and DG). Calling on American Clean Power Association (ACP) Solar Energy Industries Association and importantly state level advocacy and watch dog groups to closely watch and actively participate as the implementation of these changes occur at the state level PUCs and DPUs - ensuring proper accountability and fair play. https://lnkd.in/ewehaH52 NYSERDA New York Solar Energy Industries Association MID-ATLANTIC RENEWABLE ENERGY COALITION Renewable Energy Vermont American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) Smart Electric Power Alliance NECEC Cleantech Leaders Roundtable

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As we enter the fourth day of power outages in Texas combined with sweltering heat, the impact of hurricane Beryl illustrates both the impacts of climate change and the critical need to accelerate deployment of climate-tech solutions for a more resilient grid. Hurricane Beryl is yet another warning that climate change is upon us and accelerating. Warmer sea temperatures are driving more brutal and destructive hurricane seasons, with more powerful storms starting earlier in the year and occurring more frequently. While rising global temperatures ensure more frequent and deadly heatwaves - for over a year, every single month has been the hottest in recorded history, making extreme heat the new normal. From India to the middle east to the US, thousands have already died this year due to extreme heat. The combination of increasingly frequent and violent weather events, extreme heat and an antiquated, fragile grid are starkly illustrated by the 1.3 million homes in Texas still without power in the peak of summer heat. But it doesn't have to be this way. Climate-tech solutions, in particular distributed energy resources like solar and storage, are cheap, mature, and infinitely deployable technologies that can massively increase grid resilience and mitigate the compounding risks of heat and power outages during extreme weather events. In a world where roof-top solar and in-home battery storage compete on even playing field with centralized generation and distribution the grid is more resilient and power outages, when they inevitably occur, less deadly. DERs increase grid resilience by shifting generation, storage and distribution to the ultimate load (your home or local area). This takes pressure off the grid by reducing the need for antiquated, energetically inefficient T&D infrastructure that otherwise needed to link generation assets to load, through miles of expensive powerlines, transformers, etc., all susceptible to downed lines and overload. DERs also allow for demand response, load shifting, efficiency-as-a-service and other grid services that can stabilize the grid when power demand and generation capacity are dangerously unmatched. Simultaneously, DERs and microgrids mitigate the worst risks of inevitable grid failures. In home battery storage can keep your fridge running at a time when food and perishable items can't be reached. Rooftop solar can keep your air-conditioning running at the hottest parts of the day, and your cell phone charged, even if it takes days for your local utility to restore power. And these same assets can keep critical communication infrastructure up when emergency services need them most. And that's before even considering the fact that these technologies are already cheaper than conventional energy systems, faster and easier to deploy, and essential in reducing the carbon emissions driving this crisis in the first place. https://lnkd.in/g8bebhA8

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NEW PODCAST - energy transition VC Neal Dikeman comes on and basically makes the case that solar/batteries are going to crush natural gas for power generation starting now. Plus we go way deep into grid technologies. Link in the comments.

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The bipartisan Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 released by U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (I-WV) and John Barrasso (R-WY) takes a much needed step in accelerating the permitting process for critical energy projects in the U.S. As the legislation spornors's state (shared here), our outdated permitting system is stifling our ability to move clean energy projects forward, which in turn has adverse economic effects and inhibits our ability to reduce emissions. I'm glad to see these bipartisan efforts are moving toward fixing a broken permitting system that has shackled American energy production for far too long. #EnergyProduction #EnergyPermitting

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Stakeholder Collaboration Powers Charging Microgrid & Expansion Electrifying freight transportation hinges on effective stakeholder management. Microgrid-centric charging at truck stops and depots requires close collaboration between freight operators, truck stop owners, and turn-key EPC firms to streamline deployment and maximize value. Last article of 11 in US strategy with Rish Ghatikar: https://lnkd.in/g6adzrz9 Key Strategies for Success: • Build Partnerships: Engage freight operators to define charging needs and coordinate with EPC firms for modular, scalable microgrids. • Align Incentives: Leverage federal and state programs, like NEVI and the IRA, to reduce costs and encourage adoption. • Simplify Coordination: Standardize components and incrementally stage buildouts to manage regulatory and operational complexities. By working together, stakeholders can reduce costs, unlock new revenue streams, and drive environmental benefits. Microgrid charging creates shared value—improving air quality, reducing emissions, and enhancing community resilience—while aligning with the principles of Edward Freeman’s Stakeholder Theory. Effective collaboration is the foundation for sustainable, scalable freight electrification. Let’s make it happen.

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At EEI 2024 Jensen Huang talked about a new business model for electric utilities where the grid becomes a marketplace that dynamically connects new supply and demand (Pedro Pizarro got to teach Jensen the term "DERMS"). These new supply-demand load profiles will have an unknown impact on equipment performance including premature failure. Asset traceability will be increasingly important for monitoring, understanding, and predicting equipment performance resulting from these load profile changes.

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Vitesse Energy, LLC to Buy Bakken Pureplay Lucero in $220MM Deal Vitesse Energy will acquire Lucero Energy Corp.’s Bakken/Three Forks assets, including 25 net remaining locations, 1.9 net DUCs and 20 wells that are candidates for recompletions. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/gpvguvxb

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What if distributed energy resources could communicate and cooperate at the speed of thought? Imagine the possibilities. Locally-generated and shared power. Self-forming grids. Simple, scalable energy solutions. At SYNCRIS, our technical team is already delivering microgrid hardware with response times that are 10,000 times faster than industry, and we know that we can go even faster. Perhaps as fast as the neurons in your brain. And if that doesn't get you thinking... #grid_of_tomorrow #clean_energy_transition #we_got_this

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It feels so good to support a new renewable energy JV focused on data centers that is 100% Tribally owned with Colusa True Enterprises. Colusa Indian Energy bring 20+ years of energy experience and True Family Enterprises brings 30+ years of capital investment experience. 🍃⚡️🪶💚 “‘We've had people trying to throw capital at us,” Ahmann said. “We weren't ready yet, and we wanted to wait for the right money, the right partner. There's a lot of capital that's not right for Indian Country. We connected with True, and we found out (they are) the right partner." Their new joint venture, Colusa True Enterprises, aims to help tribes develop major energy projects that could transform reservation economies. The company offers what Ahmann called a “turnkey energy solution,” managing microgrid development from start to finish. These projects, he says, are designed to attract data centers, distribution centers, or other energy-hungry operations.’” https://lnkd.in/gM9Utpir

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Capacity market prices for energy in PJM surged, signaling a crucial demand for additional generation. PJM Interconnection's footprint is set to allocate $14.7 billion for capacity in the 2025/26 delivery year, a substantial rise from $2.2 billion in the previous auction. Stay informed about the energy sector's evolving landscape: [Link to the article] #EnergyMarket #CapacityAuction #PJMInterconnection

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For anyone who will be at IEEE Power & Energy Society T&D Conference feel free to stop by our panel session on #EVs and #gridreliability. Will be an interesting cross-sector discussion including technology provider, independent system operator, and utility perspectives among others. E-mobility is driving the blending of Transmission and Distribution system planning, design, and operations. Particularly with the growing prevalence of distributed energy resources, IoT and grid-edge technologies, and virtual power plants (#VPPs).

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It’s so obvious what’s happening. Lines companies and regulators need to get out of the way (and react much faster than they are) to let the flow accelerate. https://lnkd.in/g9k-z-v7

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Hybrid power plants should be able to systematically replace older combustion turbines anywhere in the world. The current push to install new fossil-gas power plants to meet computing demand is incredibly backward looking. The world is changing so fast at this point, if you try to advance while looking backward, you're going to end up flat on your ass, getting trampled by the people passing you.

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Canary Media with an article on how rural electric cooperatives are tapping into the IRA to fund the shift from fossil to renewable generation. "How $7.3B will help rural co-ops build clean power—and close coal plants This Inflation Reduction Act program is offering 16 rural electric co-ops financing to overcome the up-front costs of shifting from dirty coal to clean power. Rural electric cooperatives, which bring electricity to the most sparsely populated parts of the country, are getting their biggest federal investment since the New Deal — and this time around, the money is going to help fight climate change. Last week, the Biden administration announced $7.3 billion in financing for 16 rural co-ops serving about 5 million households across 23 states. The money will be administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which implemented the Rural Electrification Act, the 1936 law that financed the buildout of the grid in more remote areas of the country. It will also be matched by more than $29 billion in private investments with a goal of building more than 10 gigawatts of clean energy. That’s a big jump from the nearly 16 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity co-ops have today." Read more at https://conta.cc/4d4kLmE #solar #energy #solarenergy #renewables #renewableenerg

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The best Defense is a good Offense. But industries facing change typically delay for so long - they are severely disrupted - and lose new growth markets as well. Grid Science is focused on supporting future-forward utilities to successfully navigate the present. We recently participated program supported by the California Energy Commission to deliver such breakthrough innovation. We build AI native services that transform the value equation for distributed solar and battery companies, EV charging infrastructure projects, utility distribution operations - all while protecting against floods and preventing wildfires. Grid Science AI is the backbone of tomorrow's grid. Innovation finds a way. The City of Ann Arbor just launched a Sustainable Energy Utility within DTE's distribution grid to focus on "energy generation at the point of energy use" to improve Resilience, Reliability, and Clean Energy. Utilities that fight change will face similar efforts or even succession. PG&E has had 6 rate increases in 2024 alone. Society and industry will not accept a double or triple rate base because a monopoly wished to profit maximize capital expenditures. As Berkshire Hathaway Energy warned in last year's shareholders letter, investor owned utilities "might no longer attract the savings of American citizens and will be forced to adopt the public-power model." Our country faces a critical challenge to advance new grid enhancing technologies that will slow electricity bill increases, keep the power on, while resulting in a healthier utility - and a thriving American economy. California has historically led the US in energy innovation and hopefully will maintain focus and leadership. New Energy Nexus California https://lnkd.in/ggfaz5yr

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