Nischal Rajbhandari

On July 9, ten states signed an MOU to create the Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission, with goals to enhance grid reliability, reduce energy costs and support offshore wind projects. However, the practical implementation remains to be seen according to Actalent senior practice manager Ryan Cross, PE, MBA. ⚡ In this Utility Dive article, Cross shares the key challenges the states will have to overcome, along with opportunities for significant regional benefits >> https://bit.ly/3zWPlRN #utilities #energy #transmission #weareactalent

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Interregional transmission can provide many benefits -- yet power markets and grid operating practices are not set up to fully capture these benefits. This new report by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for the DOE Grid Deployment Office lays out the barriers that need to be addressed to realize the full value of existing and new interregional transmission: https://lnkd.in/ekzximcU One of the necessary steps to improve seams-related inefficiencies is "intertie optimization," which we addressed here: https://lnkd.in/ew3QtcpQ and here: https://lnkd.in/dptXMG3t Great work by Christina Simeone, PhD and Amy Rose! #gridmodernization

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FERC has approved NERC’s revised ROP to identify and register unregistered IBRs connected to the Bulk-Power System by May 2026, addressing a reliability gap associated with the increasing integration of IBRs on the grid. The new Category 2 GO/GOP will apply to entities owning or operating IBRs with an aggregate nameplate capacity of 20 MVA and above and are connected to 60 kV and above. 🔍 Impact: 📈~14% increase in visibility of existing IBRs. ✅~98% of IBRs will comply NERC Reliability Standards, on par with conventional resources. ⚡This strengthens the reliability and resilience of our electric grid. For further reading: https://lnkd.in/g-Czbj4D #Energy #FERC #NERC #IBR #GridManagement #EnergyTransition

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The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) released its 2024 Reliability Needs Assessment, identifying the importance of improving grid dependability throughout the state, especially in times of inclement weather and peak demand. The Propel NY Energy transmission project will be integral to creating new pathways for reliable energy delivery to New York residents and businesses when they need it most. To read the full report, visit https://lnkd.in/eUzJGw8j #PropelNYEnergy #GridReliability

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 🚀PJM Transition Cycle #1 Results and Decision Point #1 Start🚀 Exciting news! Today, PJM posted the results for 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞 #𝟏 (𝐓𝐂𝟏) 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐈 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲. To connect 45.5GW Energy and 27.7GW of Capacity, the cluster study identified approximately $10 billion in reliability network upgrades, predominantly in Dominion and ComEd, where around 60% of MW from the queue plans to connect. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰, 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟏𝐬𝐭, 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 #𝟏 (𝐃𝐏𝟏) 𝐤𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐟𝐟 and will run for 30 days. During this crucial period, project developers will need to decide whether to continue, withdraw, or make permissible modifications to their projects. EPE is here to support you through this critical phase. Our services include: • Comprehensive review of your project's study results; • Replication of study results and assessment of network upgrade cost risks with queue changes; • Support for project modifications and development of updated dynamic models according to PJM’s Dynamic Modeling Development Guidelines; • Assistance with meeting DP1 requirements. Stay tuned for another update as our EPE team delves deeper into the results and offers additional insights. If you’re a project developer seeking assistance, please contact myself, Horea Catanase, or anyone in the Electric Power Engineers team.

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🌍 National Grid's Innovative Leap Toward Clean Energy 🌍 National Grid is making waves in the clean energy transition by deploying cutting-edge technology to enhance energy efficiency and decarbonize the grid. These advancements will support renewable energy sources and accelerate the shift to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future. Read the full article to discover how National Grid is leading the way with innovations reshaping the energy landscape. #CleanEnergy #EnergyEfficiency #NationalGrid #Sustainability #Decarbonization #GreenTech #WexEnergy #EnergyTransition #ClimateAction #LinkedIn

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“… the co-location of an Amazon data center at Talen Energy’s Susquehanna nuclear plant in Pennsylvania could lead to cost shifting …” Just like the complaints about roof-top PV leading to cost shifting. If only it was possible to make network service pricing cost-reflective 🧐 Btw, you can model “behind-the-meter” nuclear power plants in Gridcog 😀

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Great recap by Peter Shattuck of the potentially transformative energy policy and planning efforts taking shape in the northeast. As Peter notes, greater coordination and planning with our neighbors across the US-Canadian border could further enhance opportunities for system optimization and trade. “Eastern Canada has enormous hydroelectric capacity that could balance or store New England renewable energy. While the initial focus of activities in New England may remain focused on the region, there is an opportunity to start thinking bigger and longer term.”

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Check out my article for a deeper dive into how storage technology transforms grid management. In today’s rapidly evolving energy landscape, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) have become essential for building a resilient, reliable, and efficient power grid. I recently published a technical article diving into BESS's diverse applications and technical considerations to enhance grid performance and address the challenges of fluctuating demand and renewable integration. Key topics covered: 1️⃣ Electric Energy Time-Shift (Arbitrage) - Storing low-cost energy for peak periods to stabilize costs and maximize renewable usage. 2️⃣ Electric Supply Capacity - BESS as a solution to defer costly central station investments. 3️⃣ Regulation Services - How BESS supports grid frequency amid changing demands. 4️⃣ Spinning & Supplemental Reserves - Providing essential backup power during disruptions. 5️⃣ Voltage Support - Enhancing grid reliability with reactive power replacement. 6️⃣ Black Start Capability - Enabling transmission restoration post-blackout. With BESS, we're shaping a more sustainable and resilient energy future! 💡 #BatteryStorage #EnergyStorage #GridReliability #BESS #EnergyManagement #SustainableEnergy #PowerGrid #Renewables

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Interesting scenario applicable to Danish TSO also with Gigawatt scale projects in progress…

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Six New England states are first in the U.S. to collectively and proactively ask grid operator ISO New England to seek bids to expand two grid interfaces in southern Maine and build new infrastructure, such as a substation, in Pittsfield, Maine to connect up to 1,200 MW of onshore wind production. #ISO-NewEngland #FERC #cleanenergytransmission 3cleanenergyprojects

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Newsday recently published an op-ed by Bob Catell, titled LI’s Increasing Energy Demands Require Grid Build-Out, in response to the New York Independent System Operator (NYSIO) 2024 Reliability Needs Assessment. The op-ed underscores the need to modernize and build out the grid and how Propel NY Energy will put the grid backbone in place to reliably serve Long Island’s growing needs. The transmission project will add three additional connections between Long Island and the statewide grid to improve reliability, resiliency, and access to clean energy. To read the full article, visit https://lnkd.in/e3Np-z4J [Subscription to Newsday may be required] #PropelNYEnergy #Newsday

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#PowerPlantInterview Our next installment of the ESM power plant interview highlights ESM second year student Riya Bhandari! Riya joined the ESM program with a background in policy focusing on decarbonization pathways on state and national levels. Riya was interested in the ESM program to learn about finance and technology within the energy industry merging her background in policy. Riya, we are excited for you in your second semester. We are looking forward to sharing more opportunities with you! #WomeninEnergy #EnergyFinance #EnergyPolicy

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Here is a review that summarizes how the grid and generators performed during the January 2024 artic cold weather. It highlights generator performance, power transfers between regions, communication, planning, and forecasting.

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🎯 New England States are seeking more funding to T&D/Energy Storage infrastructure projects.. 🎯 👀Applications have now been submitted for the second round of funding through the U.S. department of energy grid innovation program.. 1) Power-up New England features new/upgraded transmission interconnections that could unblock up to 4,800 MW in efforts to optimize delivery of renewable energy✅ 2) Clean resilience link features transmission upgrades that could increase transfer capacity by up to 1,000MWs.✅ 💲These projects, if chosen, could receive up to $1billion in support for the DOE grid innovation plan. The DOE is expected to announce project selections this fall. Would you be happy to see New England receive this type of investment? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ On another note - many contractors out there will be looking to expand their teams in preparation such as this. Whether the funding takes place on not, there is ALWAYS A NEED for continuous development on electrical infrastructure... And -loads of jobs out there now! Get in touch: 📞 860-453-5467 📩 [email protected] https://lnkd.in/etanc_CW

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Last week I attended the MISO/E3 Probabilistic Planning Symposium to speak on panels about Incorporating Uncertainty into Long-Term Transmission Planning, and Contingency Assessment in Transmission Reliability Planning. I covered ERCOTs work on probabilistic transmission planning for evaluating transmission projects where we devised new methods for case creation and selection, then used them to evaluate projects with probabilistic reliability indices. I also talked about the biggest drivers of uncertainty in planning which were broadly consistent amongst all ISOs and RTOs. Those were policy, weather, and load. I also touched on how ERCOT approaches contingencies as our planning criteria goes beyond the NERC TPL-001 standards. You can read more about ERCOTs work in probabilistic planning here: https://lnkd.in/gmw8HjxG When it comes to probabilistic planning, it’s still mostly used in resource adequacy analyses but otherwise not many organizations have adopted it widely in transmission planning. There are use cases for scenario selection and contingency selection for contingencies beyond TPL-001. For scenario creation, one can use the probability of renewable generator outputs and system load to find the most representative scenarios beyond the traditional peak and off peak cases. We can also find the probabilities of contingencies, outages, and weather events to incorporate into models as well. For long term transmission expansion planning, methods like stochastic programming and adaptive cooptimized expansion planning can be used to optimize transmission expansion in stages across a wide range of scenarios to achieve the best system benefits. However using probabilistic metrics to evaluate individual transmission projects is the least adopted use case at the moment and likely it will be as it supplements but can’t replace deterministic metrics. Additionally some challenges remain with implementation of probabilistic planning as there are still limitations due to data availability, computational requirements, and a dearth of commercially available tools for probabilistic planning. Probabilistic transmission planning is most likely to play a role in long term planning beyond the TPL horizon where the future is uncertain. It provides a way to optimize across the various futures each of which have a chance of occurring. However to use probabilistic methods to justify transmission projects will require broader stakeholder and regulatory acceptance. The future is uncertain but with probabilistic planning we may be able to get a better idea of the wide range of possibilities in front of us. I want to thank Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) and Energy and Environmental Economics, Inc. for hosting a great symposium. I’d like to thank Jonathan George, Christopher Herman, Kevin Steinberger, and our panel moderators Lakshmi Alagappan and Zheng Zhou, specifically for their work in putting the symposium together.

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National Grid said its Northeast system buildout aligns with the U.S. Department of Energy’s transmission needs study, which concluded the region needs a 255% increase in transmission development to support clean energy plans in New York and Massachusetts. Over the next five years, the National Grid plans to invest $35 billion to harden New York And Massachusetts's electric grid against extreme weather, reduce emissions, and help the states meet their clean energy goals. Keep reading to learn more about their plans for the grid: https://bit.ly/3Kni047 #SouthernStates #SouthernStatesLLC #inthenews #nationalgrid #utilitydive #powergrid #transmissionsystems #gridupgrades #utilityindustry #powerindustry #powersolutions #utilitysolutions #newyork #massachusetts #hamptonga

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