Bills to reform the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and weatherize the state’s power grid were signed into law on June 8 to address leadership and system failures during Winter Storm Uri. Senate bills 2 and 3 will require the weatherization of power generation facilities, natural gas facilities, and transmission facilities to withstand extreme […]
Kentucky – A recent energy study recommended a combination of nanogrid installations and regional community microgrids to achieve increased resilience in Kentucky. The study identified 558 sites suitable for nanogrid installations and 12 potential regional community microgrids. An ideal deployment strategy would install nanogrids or microgrids at critical facilities in Kentucky such as national defense and […]
Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on March 29 announced its intent to partner with offshore wind and transmission developers to scale the industry by opening $3 billion in debt capital to facilitate the development of offshore wind access. The news was part of a flurry of announcements that included information about a […]
New Jersey – Designs for eight microgrid projects received $4 million in grants from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities in the second phase of the state’s design incentive program to support resiliency, especially during and after extreme weather events. Collectively, these eight microgrid projects, if implemented, would provide resilience to 56 critical infrastructure facilities. […]
The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) is inviting vendors to a virtual pre-proposal conference at 1 p.m. January 12, 2021, as it prepares to assess and short-list Automated Transportation System (ATS) technologies. NCTCOG aims to gather input on ATS compatibility with regional goals. In addition, it plans to develop modular infrastructure designs and […]
New Jersey – Amid public opposition to a gas-fired power plant, New Jersey Transit is planning procurements for the construction of a $557 million renewable energy plant in Kearny. Designed to improve system resiliency, the plant will provide a reserve power system drawing from solar and battery storage rather than natural gas. The transit authority will […]
CPS (City Public Service) Energy, San Antonio’s city-owned utility, is planning to issue its official request for proposals (RFP) for the FlexPower Bundle energy projects later this year. CPS had been running a request for information, that was due by August 31, in preparation for the upcoming solicitation for its FlexPOWER Bundle and FlexSTEP initiatives. These […]
New Jersey – Gov. Phil Murphy announced plans to develop a $300 million to $400 million wind port that will provide a location for staging, assembly, and manufacturing activities related to offshore wind projects on the East Coast. The New Jersey Wind Port will be located in Lower Alloways Creek Township, on an artificial island on […]
CPS Energy, San Antonio’s public power utility, is planning to issue a request for proposals (RFP) as early as this summer to replace 1,700 megawatts (MW) of capacity from gas steam units that are nearing the end of their useful lives. CPS plans to advertise globally to companies that can fulfill the needs of its […]
In an effort to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases to net zero by 2050, CPS Energy plans to begin the procurement process for renewable power sources – more solar and battery storage capacity. These power sources would replace San Antonio’s dependency on fossil-fuel gas. The utility wants to replace 1,700 megawatts of capacity from […]
New York – Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a 15-year program to extend the operating life of the Niagara Power Project (NPP). The NPP supplies 10 percent of New York State’s energy, and the new program aims to help the state achieve its clean energy goals with modern power equipment and technology. The New York Power Authority […]
Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that more than $400 million is still available to help rural businesses lower their energy costs. The USDA is encouraging farmers, small businesses, and agricultural producers to apply for financing that could help with renewable energy systems and energy efficiency upgrades. The funding is provided through […]
New York– The city of Buffalo has issued a request for proposals (RFP) seeking 20-year power purchase agreements from solar contractors for 32 sites around the city. The solicitation is part of a larger renewable energy initiative led by the city, Erie County and area higher education institutions. The RFP states the city seeks a competitive cost […]
Massachusetts- The office of Governor Charlie Baker will issue a request for proposals (RFP) for an offshore wind energy project. The state will consider bids of 200, 400 and 800 megawatts. The governor’s office oversees the offshore wind procurement process, but contracts are negotiated by the state’s three utilities. The governor’s officials will first request approval […]
In 2016, U.S. coal production decreased 18.8 percent year-over-year to 728.4 million short tons, the lowest annual production level since 1979, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Last year also marked the first full year electric generation powered by natural gas edged out that from coal — 34 percent compared to coal’s 30 percent. Natural gas prices […]
In 2016, about 4.08 trillion kilowatthours of electricity were generated at utility-scale facilities in the United States, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. About 65 percent of this electricity generation was from fossil fuels – coal, natural gas, petroleum, and other gases. About 20 percent was from nuclear energy and 15 percent was sourced […]
Did viewers notice if the Patriots and the Falcons were well-lit when they took the field Feb. 5? Houston boasted that the field at NRG Stadium was illuminated exclusively by 65,000 light-emitting diode (LED) lights for Super Bowl LI. The stadium’s media relations team shared that the new lighting system uses 337 kilowatts when at […]
Two high-ranking Rhode Island officials are pushing their plan to create jobs and save money. The proposal, brain child of Gov. Gina Raimondo and General Treasurer Seth Magaziner, is a new Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank. It would be designed to save money by financing energy efficiency projects. Magaziner described the proposed infrastructure bank as a […]
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is seeking applications for the remaining volume cap of new clean renewable energy bonds (CREBs). A total of $1.4 billion is available, including $516 million for public power providers, $597 million for governmental bodies, and $281 million for cooperative electric companies. The bonds may be used to fund capital expenditure […]
Solar energy is a growing option for renewable energy, especially in the public sector. Public institutions of higher education, local governments and public schools often have acreage available on which to install photovoltaic systems that employ solar panels to generate clean, sustainable energy. However, when it comes to most states, other than buildings, small tracts […]
Everyone knows about solar energy…but, not so many people are aware of the radical changes in solar technology that have taken place in the last few years. Solar energy now costs between 4.5 and 7.2 cents per kilowatt-hour. That’s a tenfold drop over previous costs. Other forms of electricity generation can cost 33 cents per […]
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