Kristina Skierka

#Microgrid project Aims to Cut #Diesel Use, Save on #Energy Costs, Move Toward #EnergyIndependence in 8 #Rural Alaskan Communities: Lucas Miller Laurel Hamilton Trent Maw Michael Stadler https://lnkd.in/g85bhaP8

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My hot take today is about a little noticed announcement the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released quietly today. It has reopened an opportunity to fund carbon dioxide transportation networks. This is a positive and a much-needed development because Cipher reporting earlier this year revealed that many of the carbon storage projects are not just dependent on securing permits but also on delivering the captured CO2. Aware of the paucity of transport networks, DOE itself noted, the U.S. will need to capture and permanently store approximately 400–1,800 million metric tons of CO2 annually by 2050 to meet its commitments. https://lnkd.in/ef7JPEgr In other top reads by my colleagues, Cat Clifford highlighted a Bloomberg article that spotlights how Holtec International, a company involved in making nuclear waste storage casks, is now looking to revitalize a nuclear plant headed for decommissioning. And Bill Spindle reported about an upcoming gathering of corporate heads of fossil fuel and tech companies. We try to stay on top of breaking news about the global developments in the cleantech and climate space and share them with you so continue reading our Top Reads and Hot Takes at Cipher News. Cheers!

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Berkeley's Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE) has published a great piece on how to reduce the costs of new electricity transmission in California. This is a companion report to the work DHInfrastructure did earlier in the year on how public sector financing could be used as part of Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements. The Clean Air Task Force and Net-Zero California (who commissioned both studies) have done a fantastic job pushing these messages to policymakers. So fantastic, in fact, that Section 5 of the recently approved AB-3264 explicitly included a directive for the California Public Utilities Commission to study the possible use of public financing and PPPs. See links to CATF's policy brief, CLEE's report, and our report below: https://lnkd.in/egcAmpnQ

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Solar developers take note: this analysis shows "connect and manage" or "flexible interconnection" results in revenue gains for community solar projects, especially in constrained areas of the grid. Many thanks to the team at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for their good work.

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"Utilities have for decades “been using the same playbooks to build centralized generation and associated transmission and distribution to meet long-term demand needs. And it’s largely worked,” Shah said. “But with demand growth accelerating from data centers, new manufacturing, a surge of electric vehicles and electrified appliances ... an old grid operations paradigm needs to be updated.” After roughly two decades of stagnant electricity demand, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. now forecasts an approximately 15% to 20% increase in electricity consumption over the next decade, DOE noted in its brief. And by 2050, demand could double to meet net-zero emissions targets. Importantly, this demand growth is not unprecedented, according to Louise White, a senior consultant with the DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions and Loan Programs Office. Before 2005, the U.S. experienced periods of 10-year load growth of up to 30%, she said." https://lnkd.in/eZXGKWHf

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Timely and topical as the Microgrid Knowledge 2024 conference wraps up today. Microgrids will be playing a greater role in our energy delivery systems- from centralized model to one that includes more distributed generation model for resilience and cost savings and meeting sustainability goals. Advanced internal combustion engines play a key backup role in Microgrids. As we like to say Microgrids deliver the renewable energy that you want with the reliability that you need.

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In the final installment we hear from Electric Power Supply Association members who are leaning in to address the growing issues. Thanks to Thad Hill of Calpine, Curt Morgan of Alpha Generation, and Marji Philips of LS Power for sharing their specific insights. We hope you found this series informative and triggered questions and ideas about how we address these emerging and evolving issues. #reliability #power #innovation #energy

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NEW: Natural gas will continue to be critically important to America’s economic and energy security for decades to come – and long after 2050. That’s one of the big takeaways from two new National Petroleum Council (NPC) studies issued this morning, both at the request of U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. NPC’s analysis of the natural gas supply chain calls for better measurement and continued reductions of methane emissions (U.S. methane emissions are down 37% since 2015), as well as streamlining of natural gas rules. API President and CEO Mike Sommers said NPC’s assessment lays the groundwork for harmonized federal methane regulations and for a clear and consistent permitting process for energy infrastructure. “To fully leverage America’s energy advantage and advance climate progress,” Mike said today, “continued collaboration between energy producers and policymakers will be essential.” The second NPC study said incentives are needed to boost demand for hydrogen fuel and support hydrogen infrastructure - essential to enable a lower carbon future. NPC said the 45V hydrogen tax credit, as proposed, is too risky and needs adjusting so that a broad array of businesses can feed into this lower carbon energy option. Dig into the details for more: https://lnkd.in/d8Yp-ABU

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This is the most authoritative piece I’ve read on emissions, and really highlights the benefit of living and operating a business in California. It should make emissions accounting much easier if the cost is already included in electric rates. It should make businesses outside California want back in. https://lnkd.in/eeVkj-_3

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Sustainability requires Microgrids

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Grid analysts challenge Bonneville Power’s pace in adopting advanced conductors--my latest for PV Magazine USA. As the White House encourages utilities to use advanced conductors to help interconnect new renewable generation, the federally-owned utility Bonneville Power is moving slowly to use the high-capacity conductors, analysts said. Mike O'Boyle, Casey Baker, Michelle Solomon #AdvancedConductors

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Can community ownership stakes help smooth the energy transition? Since last fall, I’ve been intrigued by the idea. The concept came up at a convening organized by The Aspen Institute Energy & Environment Program (EEP) and The Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice as a potential way to make communities true partners in a project — helping ease project approvals, giving communities a source of income, and making developers more responsive to community needs. Since then, I’ve looked into a range of places that have tried out versions of this approach. Perhaps nowhere has had more success than Canada where a nationwide effort has developed to offer First Nations equity stakes in major energy projects. In April, I traveled to Toronto conference of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition to see the collaboration firsthand. Over the course of two days a group of indigenous leaders, government officials, and financiers touted the result of the collaboration: newfound momentum for the energy transition in Canada and significant progress in the country’s indigenous reconciliation agenda. It’s an approach that may be difficult in other places with different political contexts. Nonetheless, the approach is also an opportunity for anyone looking for creative ways to tackle the community engagement challenge. You can read the full story in TIME here: https://lnkd.in/e6-BNTgy With thanks to the Outrider Foundation for support.

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Sadly the CPUC has come out with another bad proposed decision on distributed energy resources - this time on microgrids. The decision, six years in the making, is a utility centered proposal that only focuses on the use of microgrids during grid outages and does not incentivize their deployment missing the opportunity to save California's ratepayers billions of dollars and provide badly needed resilience in local communities. Here is the article in Microgrid Knowledge: https://lnkd.in/e5x4cSvG

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Explore the captivating story by Eva Kappas from Brown University, featured in Climate & Capital Media's Emerging Voices series. She delves into why the time has come to prioritize investment in grid repair and expansion. Which will enable us to advance confidently in the energy transition while enhancing safety and resilience. https://lnkd.in/gNrx9m-6 Climate & Capital Media National Renewable Energy Laboratory FSB Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) American Society of Civil Engineers American Sustainable Business Network Climate Power Princeton University Climate Power Education Fund United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) United Nations UN Climate Change American Journalism Project ConnectDER Solar Builder Magazine 2035 Springer Nature Group Pacific Gas and Electric Company #climatechange #climatecrisis #climatefuture #climatechangereporting #climatereporting #climateinvesting #cliamteeconomy #climatefinance #esg #esgdata #esgreporting #esgeconomy #esginvesting #esgfinance #infrastructure #climateinfrastructure #esginfrastructure

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As VS CEO John Bucknell states in this Interesting Engineering article, Space Based Solar Power is "closer than anyone suspects"! Read the article for current insights into this global opportunity for carbon free electricity and the energy transition away from fossil fuels.

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🌊 What would it take to weave equity principles within state offshore wind programs and policies? How can states build an engagement process between states and communities for offshore wind planning and development that prioritizes shared decision-making, co-design and co-implementation of solutions, shared benefits across all parties and investments in communities? 💚 Our CESA-hosted group of state agencies and community-based organizations has been working together on this topic for several years, first developing a scoping dialogue, building up to a workshop next week, and gearing up for a working group starting in the fall. 📣 We still have a few open spots for additional CBOs!! We value and compensate CBOs' participation. ⚠ This is open ONLY to states and environmental justice or energy justice organizations that represent the communities in which they are located and hail from across the country. 👉 Read the description below and contact Sam Schacht at [email protected] if you would like to learn more and participate! 🌟 https://lnkd.in/ej5HpVNv

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Grid conditions were tight this week as 90-degree temperatures enveloped much of the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. As a result, the Midcontinent Independent Sytems Operator (MISO) issued a Maximum Generation (Max Gen) Warning, PJM issued a Max Gen Alert, and Southwest Power Pool (SPP) issued an Energy Emergy Alert 1 (EEA1). During Max Gen Warnings and Alerts, grid operators warn power plant operators that electricity supplies on the grid are getting tight and instruct generation owners to take steps to ready their fleets to meet the moment. During an EEA1, all non-firm exports are curtailed, and all available resources are committed to meet demand. Apparently, the wind turbines in MISO didn’t get the memo, leaving the system operator scrambling for imports from neighboring regions. https://lnkd.in/g69KrRhN

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Recent developments in grid modernization focus on enhancing grid reliability, resilience, and the integration of renewable energy sources. Innovations such as 'advanced reconductoring' are being explored to upgrade existing power lines for higher capacity, facilitating the transmission of electricity from renewable sources over longer distances. Additionally, there's a push towards creating a more resilient and responsive grid to accommodate the increasing demand from clean technology and AI.

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