Focus
Utility Dive – September 2
California lawmakers passed a series of climate-related bills last week. Among the bills that passed were Assembly Bill 1279, which codified the state’s plan to reach carbon neutrality by 2045, originally outlined by former Governor Jerry Brown in 2018. See the article : Sunrun releases Level 2 EV charger to residential customers. In addition, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1020, which puts the state on the path to achieving 90% renewable energy and zero-carbon electricity by the end of 2035 and 95% by the end of 2040 as milestones to an eventual target of 100% by 2045. Separately, the legislature also passed Senate Bill 529 and Senate Bill 1174, which, according to American Clean Power’s California chapter, will streamline transmission upgrade approvals and reduce bottlenecks to bring new clean energy resources online.
News
BNN Bloomberg – September 7
The batteries that help fortify California’s electric grid are kicking in at times when they’re not really needed, draining the power source before more critical junctures and heightening the chances of blackouts as a blistering heat wave punishes the state. Batteries help to store extra electricity, generated by solar or hydropower. That surplus is supposed to act as a cushion for times when those intermittent renewable sources are running low. Read also : San Diego Contract Manufacturing: The Ultimate Guide. But the grid uses a pricing mechanism to trigger the batteries, rather than basing it on pure demand levels. That can lead to mismatches.
CNBC – September 7
Waves off the coast of the U.S. could generate 2.64 trillion KWh of electricity per year — that’s about 64% of last year’s total utility-scale electricity generation in the U.S. At the beginning of the year, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $25 million in funding for eight wave energy projects to test their technology at PacWave, a DOE-funded test site off the Oregon coast. Of the eight projects, Bay Area-based CalWave received the largest amount, $7.5 million. CalWave’s device operates completely below the surface of the water, and as waves rise and fall, the device moves too. Dampers inside the device slow down that motion and convert it into torque, which drives a generator to produce electricity.
Solar Industry Magazine – September 1
U.S. shipments of solar photovoltaic modules rose to a record electricity-generating capacity of 28.8 million peak kW in 2021, from 21.8 million peak kW in 2020, based on data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). In 2021, the top five destination states for U.S. solar panel shipments were California (5.09 million peak kW), Texas (4.31 million peak kW), Florida (1.80 million peak kW), Georgia (1.15 million peak kW), and Illinois (1.12 million peak kW).
PV-Tech – September 6
Greater standardization of renewable energy projects will be critical to reaching net zero by 2050, according to a joint report by Princeton University and engineering company Worley. By 2030, engineers should be working to agreed global standards, with designs based on equipment and modules already available in the supply chain, the report said, which argued that bespoke infrastructure projects would hold back deployment as the world strives towards net zero.
Projects
Energy Storage News – September 5
Luna Battery Storage, a 100 MW/400 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) project in California is now online and serving community choice aggregator Clean Power Alliance (CPA). CPA has contracted for 100 MW of flexible energy storage capacity for a 15-year term with AES Corporation, which owns the project and developed it through a subsidiary.
Renewable Energy World – September 2
Sunnova Energy International filed paperwork with state regulators to develop a solar and storage-focused micro-utility in California. The proposal could pose a relatively small, but novel, challenge to the state’s incumbent investor-owned utilities. A subsidiary of the company would develop largely self-sustaining micro-utilities by equipping new home communities with solar and storage.
KSBY – September 6
San Luis Obispo County has installed its first battery storage unit at one of its county buildings to provide renewable backup energy in case of power outages. The battery can store up to 31 hours of electricity which can provide resilience against power outages. It can also be used during peak demand periods when electricity prices are highest, according to Cindy Treichler, Deputy Director of SLO County Department of Public Works.
