Scott Munroe, PMP

Enjoying panel discussion today re: clean energy for AI here in my hometown of Seattle and catching up with clients, partners, and colleagues. Of course long distance transmission top of mind, also interesting discussion of nuclear energy growth as well https://lnkd.in/g64QEukh

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In this week’s AEIC (Association of Edison Illuminating Companies) Grid Mod Pod episode, we’re excited to be joined by Mark Esguerra, Director of Distribution System Planning and Strategy for Southern California Edison (SCE) California Edison. Here’s what you’ll learn when you listen in: -Why planning for increased transportation and building electrification is a top priority for Southern California Edison -How changes in overall load have impacted the evolution of grid planning technologies -How Southern California Edison is enabling a faster interconnection process for customers, and how other utilities can do the same -Why automation will play a critical role in supporting increased demand on the grid -How forecasting can get key customers and stakeholders on board with transportation electrification projects – This podcast is brought to you by AEIC, the place where operations leaders come together to share knowledge and provide guidance to the electric utility industry. We'll be back with a new episode next week. Until then, keep powering on! https://lnkd.in/eWQ-DjUh

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Burns served as the engineer of record for a recently completed microgrid in California’s San Joaquin Valley. The Amond World solar-powered microgrid enables the cold storage facility to operate fully off-grid. Rather than wait years to connect to the grid, this innovative solution allowed the almond storage facility to open months ahead of schedule, all while enhancing resilience in the event of a grid outage and reducing carbon emissions by 40%. Learn more about our role: https://bit.ly/4i8bUUY #BurnsEngineering #InspireCreateDeliver #RenewableEnergy #Microgrid #Sustainability

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Went to an eye-opening panel discussion put on by WRISE PDX, PGE, and RNW about decarbonizing Oregon's electric grid. Heard the term Virtual Power Plant (VPP) for the first time (I'm betting most of the public haven't heard of it). The idea of integrating smart thermostats, home and commercial battery backup systems, and EV batteries into our power supply systems could make an enormous difference in the types - and amount - of power generation installations required. It's going to be interesting to see if and when EV's are integrated, and if we're going to see battery backup systems added to (or made available for) refrigerators, HVAC systems, induction cooktops, microwaves, etc.

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Additional stress being placed on grid transformers is contributing to outages and higher distribution charges as utilities are forced to upgrade and replace transformers. Studies have found that sub-metering behind the meter results in 35% less usage; and transformer monitoring can result in intelligent transformer maintenance preventing outages.

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$6.6 billion of federal CHIPS and Science Act funding awarded to TMSC Arizona for construction of three new semiconductor fabrication (fab) plants in Phoenix.

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I know, I know, it feels like the 2021 Washington State Energy Code just took effect (probably because it did), but did you know that work on the next iteration of the WSEC is already underway? This will be referred to as the 2024 WSEC, but is scheduled for adoption in November of 2026.   I am just one of the many volunteer members of the WSEC Commercial Energy Code Technical Advisory Group and wanted to share with you all the progress that is being made.   As of our most recent TAG meeting, we completed review of the 2024 WSEC-Commercial "Integrated Draft", which means the text of the current 2021 WSEC was compared with the language of the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), and where there were differences, we had to decide on which of the two was more stringent and keep that language. With the significant help of State Building Code Council (SBCC) staff, the final integrated draft will be released shortly.... and then the real fun begins.   The public will be able to review that draft and in early 2025 proposals for revisions or additions to the code will be accepted and evaluated for incorporation into the text. If you've ever come across a code section that you think could use improvement, clarification, or even complete overhaul, this will be your opportunity to suggest changes that could benefit the whole state, and I hope that entices you to participate!

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Amazon and Energy Northwest announced an exciting agreement today to support the future development of #CarbonFree #NuclearEnergy. The Pacific Northwest region will need a remarkable amount of electricity to meet a projected increase in demand. At the same time, the region is on a path to reducing carbon emissions to address the disastrous effects of climate change. The path must include many solutions, like dependable generation that can back-up variable wind and solar power resources to assure an adequate, reliable power supply. Partnerships like these with X-energy help make substantial progress toward modernizing and decarbonizing the power system. Nathan Hill Greg Cullen

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Very insightful! Technologies like DLR, predictive maintenance, asset life expectancy etc. not only help improving reliability, safety, and grid resiliency, but also greatly contribute to affordability by reducing requirements of costly and time consumimg upgrades, and by optimizing usage of existing infrastructure and converting emergency repairs into scheduled ones. It amazes me to see how having accurate weather information plays crucial role in that. #weatherdata #DLR #predictivemaintenance #gridresilience

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$550 Million Financing for Solar Project in Arizona Enlight Renewable Energy secured $550 million financing to develop a 290 MW solar and 940 MWh energy storage project in Arizona. The project, expected by the end of 2025, reflects a strategic dynamic in the sector. Enlight Renewable Energy Ltd. has finalized structured financing of $550 million for its Roadrunner project, a solar park located near Tucson, Arizona, United States. This ambitious project combines a production capacity of 290 megawatts (MW) with an energy storage solution reaching 940 megawatt-hours (MWh). Structured Financing by Key Players The financing was organized with the support of a consortium comprising BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole, Natixis CIB, and Norddeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale (Nord/LB). These institutions structured a construction loan to be converted into term financing upon the commercial operation date (COD), scheduled for late 2025. The total project cost is estimated at $610 million, with Enlight contributing 10% in equity during the construction phase. Interest rates are based on SOFR (Secured Overnight Financing Rate), with a slight increase after four years to reach a maximum of SOFR + 1.75%. Enlight expects to generate annual revenues of $51 to $54 million in the project’s first year of full operation, supported by a 20-year power purchase agreement with Arizona Electric Power Cooperative (AEPCO). Among the next major projects in Arizona are Snowflake (600 MW and 1,900 MWh) and CO Bar (1,211 MW and 824 MWh), which are expected to begin construction in the coming months. https://lnkd.in/gsBqzJY7

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The first step in bringing nuclear back to CA is to have a waste disposal program. Solutions are out there and need to be shared.

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GOOD NEWS from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) DOE issues road map for speeding, improving grid interconnections to unlock 2.6-TW backlog  “There is unlikely to be any document for years to come reflecting such a comprehensive set of [interconnection] solutions,” said Tyler Norris, former head of development at Cypress Creek Renewables. The U.S. Department of Energy on Wednesday issued a road map aimed at improving processes that will allow generators to connect to the grid more quickly and efficiently. In steps that go beyond the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s recent interconnection reform rule, the Transmission Interconnection Roadmap calls for considering market-based options to ration interconnection access and separate the interconnection process from making network upgrades. “This is a landmark document, most notably because it offers the strongest institutional endorsement yet for reducing reliance on the interconnection process to identify and fund deep network upgrades, and to consider options for delinking interconnection processes from network upgrade planning altogether,” said Tyler Norris, a doctoral student at Duke University and former vice president of development at Cypress Creek Renewables... https://lnkd.in/gbgq57HE

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☀️ 🔋 Exciting News in Renewable Energy - Pine Gate Renewables has received the green light to build Oregon's largest solar array and battery energy storage system! The Sunstone Solar Project will have up to 1.2 GW of generating capacity and 7,200 MWh of storage, providing clean power for up to 800,000 homes.

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Conservation Strategy Group is leading some innovative thinking on how to reduce the cost of electricity transmission and its impact on end-user tariffs in California. DHInfrastructure with our partner Mario DePillis, contributed to the forthcoming study teased below. There are persuasive arguments for electricity transmission being a public good. With such massive transmission investment needs, the price tag for supporting a clean energy transition in the United States will easily be in the trillions. Investor owned utilities (IOUs) won’t be able to meet these needs alone. Some lines will have clear and direct benefits for IOU customers in a particular service area. These lines are ripe for private financing, under business-as-usual procurement arrangements. Other lines will be clearly economically viable but will present challenges in terms of cost allocation. These lines should be studied for possible public financing, at a cost of capital well below that of the IOUs. The use of public financing for transmission in the US will require changes to the way in which lines are procured and regulated. This will, in turn, necessitate substantial policy, legal and possibly institutional changes at the state and federal levels. Several public private partnership (PPP) arrangements used globally offer lessons on what these changes might be. #CleanEnergyTransition #TransmissionFinancing #InfrastructureInvestment #RenewableEnergy #PublicPrivatePartnership #SustainableInfrastructure

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More exciting news in CA! The California Energy Commission has adopted a strategic plan required by AB 525 that puts California on track to add 25 GW of offshore wind to the grid by 2045, creating thousands of jobs and enhancing energy independence in the process. The plan demonstrates real leadership, with targets that reflect the scale of California’s energy needs and climate goals. I want to acknowledge and thank the CEC and the many agencies, Tribal Nations and stakeholders who contributed to developing this plan. Offshore wind projects like RWE's Canopy Offshore Wind hold immense promise for California, and this is the collaboration needed in the years to come as we work together to develop this new source of reliable, clean energy.

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𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐚 🌟 California just made Dynamic Line Rating (DLR) mandatory with the new SB1006 law. Starting in 2025, utilities will need to evaluate Grid-Enhancing Technologies (GETs), like DLR, every two years as part of their transmission planning. Why does this matter? These changes will help make the grid more efficient, integrate renewable energy more effectively, and lower costs—all while paving the way for smarter, data-driven energy management. At Sentrisense, we’re thrilled to see steps like this that align with our work to make grids safer, stronger, and ready for the future. Curious about what this means for the energy sector? Check out our latest blog: 👉 https://lnkd.in/dR-7uZrJ #DynamicLineRating #Innovation #Energy #Sentrisense #California

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The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) recently issued a decision that sets timelines for the state’s three largest investor-owned utilities to complete customer energization projects. Energization is the process of connecting electrification projects—such as electric vehicle charging equipment—to the grid so that we can make use of our clean energy technologies. By setting timelines to complete energization projects, the CPUC decision recognizes that the state’s clean energy transition can’t happen without the timely integration of electrification projects to the grid. IREC has been actively engaged in the decision’s proceedings and contributed to the decision’s results. Our new blog post digs into the CPUC’s decision requirements for energization timelines, how the decision sets out to implement current clean energy laws and goals, and why accelerating energization is crucial for our transition to clean energy. Read it now at https://lnkd.in/g3fqQ_fD!

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Via ESN: " Most LDES projects set to be 8-hour systems, says California Energy Commission: The Energy Research and Development Division of the California Energy Commission (CEC) has issued a report highlighting the importance of energy storage facilities with a discharge duration of eight hours or more in order for the Golden State to reach its target of a zero-carbon electricity grid by 2045.  " #EnergyStorage #Energy #BatteryStorage

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