Michael Smith

The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) released their new report, Collaborative Enhancements to Unlock Interregional Transmission, providing an assessment and solutions to challenges faced by regulators and other energy stakeholders. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eyV-8Q72 #interregionaltransmision #transmissionreform

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📈 Corporate PPA activity in the ERCOT market has reached 1.8 GW, YTD 2024. Data from the Enerdatics Energy Transition PPA database indicates that ERCOT has seen ~1.8 GW in corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs) since the start of 2024, constituting over 60% of the U.S. total. 💡 Tech giant Microsoft leads the way, having secured ~800 MW across three deals. Meanwhile, new entrants such as UnitedHealth Group, Sonoco, and AdventHealth are also stepping up their sustainability efforts. 🏆 Key Suppliers Making Waves: > Regional Leaders: Primergy, Leeward Renewable, Scout Clean Energy > International Players: Orsted, ENGIE 🤝 Positive PPA negotiations in ERCOT are driven by the market's lower land and interconnection costs, which help mitigate higher interest rates and supply chain issues. 🌟 Top Deals to Note: > Microsoft and Primergy Solar: 408 MW from Ash Creek solar project > Hyundai and Matrix Renewables: 147 MW (Hyundai’s first U.S. PPA) > RTX and ENGIE: ~38 MW from Priddy wind project #CorporatePPA #ERCOT #RenewableEnergy #Sustainability #Microsoft #Hyundai #RTX #ENGIE #Orsted #Primergy #LeewardRenewable #ScoutCleanEnergy #UnitedHealthGroup #Sonoco #AdventHealth

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Exciting developments in Pennsylvania's energy sector as Senator Gene Yaw proposes a new loan fund to boost power plant construction! Modeled after Texas' initiative, this could be a game-changer for the PJM Interconnection grid, ensuring stability as demand grows. 📈 Explore how this could transform energy management in the region in this recent article from Utility Dive: https://loom.ly/FiIuQ3A

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BREAKING: Last week, Office of Governor Josh Shapiro sued PJM Interconnection, the regional grid operator, to challenge PJM’s decision to set needlessly high prices for electricity that consumers would end up paying. This legal filing aims to prevent what would potentially be “the largest unjust wealth transfer in the history of U.S. energy markets.” “Governor Shapiro’s lawsuit against PJM is exactly the type of public protection work Pennsylvanians need right now. With AI and crypto driving new electricity demand, electricity prices are set to rise. Yet cheap and abundant renewable energy has been waiting in line at PJM for approval to get built. Rather than snatching billions from our pocketbooks and giving it to energy companies, PJM should be hurrying those renewables online so we can all benefit at a reduced cost.” Read our full statement at https://lnkd.in/dyDMz5GE.

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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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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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Natural gas emits about half the CO2 of coal, making it a cleaner option for reliable, baseload power. In Virginia, natural gas accounts for over 50% of our electric capacity, and will continue to play a critical role in our all-of-the-above strategy for Virginia's energy future. https://ow.ly/QCVx50UpZ5w

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At Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s December open meeting, the Commission accepted NERC’s Five-Year Performance Assessment, highlighting our efforts to ensure a #reliable, #resilient grid and advance standards for integrating new #energy resources. Read our full statement: https://lnkd.in/geHRMKYn

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DOE proposes ten “national interest” transmission corridors (my latest for PV Magazine USA) Eight of the ten transmission corridors proposed by the U.S. Department of Energy would facilitate transmission between grid regions; one would expand transmission within the Mid-Atlantic’s #PJM grid region; and one would expand transmission in the Northern Plains.

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The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will finalize its regional transmission planning and cost allocation rule on 📅 May 13 📅 Check out this piece from Cody Lynch, director of renewable energy for Coalfield Development Corporation, on the importance of regional transmission lines to economic development in Appalachia. "Strategic transmission planning and investment is vital to supporting business development, reducing congestion on lines and connecting consumers to the cheapest and most reliable energy sources at any given time." ⤵ https://lnkd.in/encgTDcq

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EQT Group’s new Transition Infrastructure strategy acquires distributed energy company Scale Microgrids Ryan Goodman Jan Vesely Warburg Pincus LLC #infrastructure #energytransition #cleanenergy #renewableenergy #privateequity

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PJM has published an addendum to its paper, Energy Transition in PJM: Flexibility for the Future, to provide supporting information and context for the assumptions used in the study’s analysis. The addendum was developed as a companion to the fourth phase of PJM’s ongoing effort to assess the impact of the energy transition, including the escalating integration of renewable resources on the grid. It provides details on the scenario development used in the study, including generation expansion drivers and siting, generation deactivation drivers, load forecast, transmission topology, and external interchange. Read more at PJM Inside Lines. https://lnkd.in/ecYBbzxx

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GAM supports affordable, reliable energy for manufacturers. In this article VP / General Counsel Charles ("Clay") Jones explains why GAM joined in petitioning Congress for natural gas permitting reform: https://lnkd.in/gV_4SBPT #TogetherWeMake

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Instead of forcing large customers to pick from solar projects that lost in the competitive bidding process, we want to allow customers to arrange their own solar projects, then enlist Duke as the go-between — essentially how the green tariff operates now. John Burns our General Counsel: “Our proposal is to keep doing that up to 250 MW a year and make those megawatts supplemental to the targets in the Carbon Plan and the interconnection constraint. That gives the customer an argument as to why they are accelerating or adding megawatts that the utility otherwise would not have added in that year.” https://lnkd.in/eJHGk_bt

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Cleanleaf Energy Expands O&M Portfolio to 1.8 GW Cleanleaf Energy, a leading provider of operations and maintenance (O&M) services for the solar industry, has announced a significant expansion of its portfolio. The company has signed agreements to service five new solar projects in Pennsylvania and Georgia, totaling 350 MW. This brings Cleanleaf's total O&M portfolio to 1.8 GW. Cleanleaf's expertise will be leveraged to support these projects through its state-of-the-art Realtime Operations Center located in Dallas. Cleanleaf was established in 2022 as a spin-off from Borrego, which has a ten-year track record of providing exceptional O&M services in the solar sector. With the growing focus on renewable energy, what are your thoughts on the importance of O&M services in ensuring the long-term viability of solar projects? https://lnkd.in/gmmJk8WQ #CleanEnergy #SolarPower #RenewableEnergy #Sustainability #OandM

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