Heidi Marie-Svenkeson Larson, PE

Spurred by a LI post from Matt Golden, EPDI hosted its first Policy Chat last month. With a lively discussion, participants made some real progress on the conversation around the definition of virtual power plants. https://lnkd.in/gWyyzYZU #vpp #cleanenergy #energytransition

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For anyone who will be at IEEE Power & Energy Society T&D Conference feel free to stop by our panel session on #EVs and #gridreliability. Will be an interesting cross-sector discussion including technology provider, independent system operator, and utility perspectives among others. E-mobility is driving the blending of Transmission and Distribution system planning, design, and operations. Particularly with the growing prevalence of distributed energy resources, IoT and grid-edge technologies, and virtual power plants (#VPPs).

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ICYMI, last week, PJM Interconnection, the electric grid operator, released its latest paper in its series on the energy transition. The paper does a terrific job of describing three scenarios and shows how state policy and corporate  decarbonization are absolutely achievable, albeit with big warning signs that could come along the way if new generation and transmission infrastructure don’t materialize. Highlights- 1️⃣ Dispatchable generation is needed less often, but is still critical to balancing the grid. The ramp is real. One scenario indicates 105 GW of ramp in 3 hours. How PJM will compensate and attract resources capable of that ramp on a reliable, day-to-day basis is key. 2️⃣ Longer duration storage solutions may be needed beyond the standard 4 hours today. Loss of load risk is concentrated across ~5 hours in the study, but 10 hour+ storage may be needed. This study was completed with old assumptions that have since shown risk is further extended in winter. 3️⃣ Neighboring regions will increasingly depend on each other. One scenario expects 35% more interchange of electrons between PJM and MISO. Look to Order 1920 implementation for building sufficient transmission to do that. Looking ahead, I’d like to see PJM release a report like this that leverages its latest resource adequacy reforms. My gut is the shift to marginal ELCC, inclusion of a longer weather history and other changes will give a more accurate picture of the likely future where 4-hour storage is useful, but not sufficient. Mainspring Energy’s dispatchable linear generator is capable of running on natural gas today and is also 100% hydrogen-ready. Our tech keeps the lights on and fits into the decarbonization pathways that many states in the region require. PJM Interconnection Mainspring Energy #reliability #FERC #decarbonization #LDES https://lnkd.in/eFSN_z8C

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PJM announced today the completion of Phase I System Impact Studies for 306 proposed #generation projects as part of Transition Cycle 1 of PJM’s new #interconnection process. Project developers now have 30 days to decide whether to proceed with their new service requests into the next study phase of Transition Cycle 1, which will begin June 20. The projects that are part of this transition cycle are expected to clear PJM’s study process and be ready for construction by mid-2025. Separately, another 306 projects have previously qualified for an Expedited Process, or “fast lane,” with Final Agreements to be issued throughout 2024. “This is another critical milestone for PJM’s widely supported interconnection process reform,” said Aftab Khan, Executive Vice President – Operations, Planning and Security. “New service requests for generation resources are moving through our process as designed and promised, with more than 200,000 MW of projects to be studied over the next two years to help states advance their energy policy goals.” The Phase 1 Study process will help developers evaluate whether their projects are economically viable. The Phase I Study results for the Transition Cycle 1 projects have been posted to a new webpage. The results posted include an overall report for this cluster of projects, as well as individual studies for each project. More at PJM Inside Lines. https://lnkd.in/evDGMfZ3

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Sometimes #energytransition progress is talked about with so little fanfare you can almost miss it...unless you read things like the recently published SPP 2023 State of the Market Report. Congratulations to Southwest Power Pool for continuing to reliably manage an increasingly intermittent generation mix, including the continued expansion of #demandresponse resources. "For the second straight year, wind generation produced the highest percentage of total generation, at 37 percent in 2023." "Of the 1,806 MW net increase in nameplate generation capacity from 2022, 1,693 MW were from wind resources, 431 MW were from dispatchable demand response, and 239 were from solar resources." https://lnkd.in/ghVSqNxF #DR #DERs #VPPs

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Interesting new report from IEA on Batteries and Secure Energy Transitions out today: https://lnkd.in/gVzmbxWK Wonder how this comparison graf will look in 2030 if the current battery trend continues?

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REMINDER: Tune into today's Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Transmission Planning Rule Breakdown PowerCast from 1–2 PM ET to hear from a panel of experts as they discuss what the recent FERC ruling is attempting to achieve, its implementation, significance, and potential issues. Register now: https://bit.ly/3wC4WEH

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One of the top priorities for all utilities will need to be clearly and effectively communicating all the costs associated with the "energy transition." "Half of the average consumer bill has nothing to do with what fuel is used to generate electricity. It reflects the cost of transmission and distribution. And those costs are rising fast, according to consumer advocates. Utilities are spending heavily to ramp up their transmission infrastructure as electricity demand grows because of the advent of electric vehicles and data centers for artificial intelligence applications. Increasingly, those costs will be passed along to consumers." “I expect it to accelerate,” wrote David Springe, executive director of the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates, in an email to Barron’s. “A lot of spending has yet to hit the consumer bill.” Ten percent rate increases are beginning across the country during a period where natural gas prices are rock bottom and the cost of capital is rising like the sun. Hard to buy the argument that inflation will soon moderate and the Fed will cut rates soon. But if inflation does moderate somewhere down the road, it will not be because of lower electricity prices. There is no kicking this can down the road #communication #utilities #inflation #electricity #costofcapital #interestrates

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This debate will continue for years to come. Siting criteria needs to consider all the impacts. It’s another case for nuclear power. Power density (land use per MW) and capacity factor don’t even compare.

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Very happy to see this important report on non-pipeline alternatives published with RMI. In the #energytransition we must consider where, when, and how to decarbonize, leveraging the #gas and #electric infrastructure we have where possible. Well done, Karsten Barde, Courtney Eichhorst, and Justin Klingler!

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PJM issued a Hot Weather Alert with expected temperatures in the mid-to-upper 90s over the next 10 days. To ensure grid reliability during this hot spell, the alert is in effect from June 17 through June 21, and may be extended based on updated forecasts. This alert prepares transmission and generation operators for significant increases in electricity demand. However, PJM Interconnection’s currently has the generation capacity and transmission capability to meet the expected demand on the system during the heat wave, but extended periods of extreme heat does have the potential to stress the electric system and cause reliability challenges. It's interesting to note that in comparison to 2023, on the solar side, the biggest projects include the 427 MW Fox Squirrel Solar Farm, 150 MW phase of the Fox Squirrel Solar Farm, which will have 577 MW of capacity once fully operational later this year, however, the 325 MW AEUG Union Solar Project in Union County, Ohio is expected to support the grid this summer. The 2023 Cumulative Capacity of the renewables in PJM was around 220,827 MW, and they plan to add over 10,000 MW in the following years wherein 95% of the projects are all renewable generation sources. Solar energy will definitely play a key role this summer.

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Grid Status is a great website for tracking US electricity markets. https://lnkd.in/dD4uSswg Yesterday at sunset prices reached near peak scarcity prices in ERCOT in the real time market (over $4000/MWh). Grid status summary page for ERCOT lets you see why https://lnkd.in/eZ4PSWSm (admittedly this is on the ERCOT website too but it is only easy to get to today's info on the ERCOT website - at least for me - and a lot less easy to get to yesterday or any day earlier than that there (e.g. today's data readily accessible here https://lnkd.in/gmk74yvz)). Grid status will remark on notable stuff on their linkedin page - here is their post about yesterday's ERCOT prices https://lnkd.in/eR8GFS6E The pic below is from their website summarizing April 16th with those notable realtime evening prices.

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Transmission planning & construction gets a badly-needed boost under the #InflationReductionAct. Many say PJM Interconnection faces transmission challenges, not generation shortfalls. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's actions will also address the need to keep energy affordable and connect new clean sources. #ConsumersMatter #fairutilitybills "Building more multi-state transmission lines unclogs the traffic jams on America’s electricity superhighways and unlocks our ability to keep up with our growing energy needs." New FERC Order Empowers States to Expand America’s Electricity Superhighways (advancedenergyunited.org)

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⚡ The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Order 1920 represents a monumental step forward in the energy sector by calling upon past practices. ⚡ The order aims to focus on long-range planning requirements for electric transmission providers. The order pivots from the near-term planning methods to more conventional long-range planning methods with twenty-year planning horizons. This shift aims to improve: ▪ Collaboration among transmission providers and state/federal processes on a regional basis ▪ Enhance cost allocation methods ▪ Unlock nationwide renewable energy sources ▪ Support electrification-driven load growth ▪ Enhance resiliency against extreme events while accommodating clean energy sources. This new development brings a sense of nostalgia for the long-term transmission planners from the classical perspective taken more than 20 years ago, and it's a decision that many would reason is long overdue. To learn more about navigating long term transmission planning, speak to one of our transmission & interconnection experts at https://www.enernex.com/ (Tom Jones, PE) #TransmissionPlanning #FERCorder1920 #GridModernization

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Enjoy this short video showcasing how our partners enabling customers in making real improvements in cost, reliability, and sustainability of both our electricity and transportation sectors through smart charging!

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Karen Herter, this is an incredibly timely and helpful report. Most telecom and energy engineers are focused on deploying two-way networks and IP connectivity to everything. In contrast, this report provides strategic quantification of the benefits of using multiple existing networks to provide hyperconnectivity to demand response devices. Well done!!!

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Our Jennifer Danis has offered some thoughts on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's soon-to-be-finalized transmission rule and the role that modeling should play in grid expansion planning. Read the full blog here ⬇ https://lnkd.in/g-_AP37S

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