Howard Wenger

The new #ERCOT mandate can become a pressing issue but we are here to help! Please reach out to explore how we can help!

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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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PJM & MISO face a growing interconnection backlog, with over 25 GW of solar and 9 GW of wind projects waiting for approvals Key actions being taken: -- PJM: Adopting a 'first-ready, first-served' approach to prioritize viable projects. -- MISO: Implementing a cluster study method to accelerate the process. -- Combined ~$14 billion investments are set to integrate roughly 10 GW of new capacity. ⚡ Meanwhile, ERCOT's 'Connect and Manage' approach simplifies grid integration, significantly reducing backlog clearance times. #RenewableEnergy #PJM #MISO #ERCOT #SolarPower #WindEnergy #GridConnection #EnergyReforms

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DOE proposes ten “national interest” transmission corridors (my latest for PV Magazine USA) Eight of the ten transmission corridors proposed by the U.S. Department of Energy would facilitate transmission between grid regions; one would expand transmission within the Mid-Atlantic’s #PJM grid region; and one would expand transmission in the Northern Plains.

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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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This article states grid operators are not effectively using inter-regional ties. At least from my experience in the northeast, the operators’ hands are generally tied by market rules. Transactions across inter-regional ties between the BAs/RCs are scheduled according to the bids submitted into the market. They are scheduled based on the LMPs in each of the respective systems relative to the submitted bids of the transactions. The operators in most cases are precluded from scheduling any energy across the inter-regional ties short of emergency assistance. Operators moving energy based on their view of economics and where power should be flowing results in them being crucified by the stakeholders for potentially manipulating the market and the prices. I’m not really sure where this conclusion came from but it does operators a disservice. #NREL #energyscheduling #operations

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A new report from The Brattle Group, prepared for GridLab, finds that California’s market potential for virtual power plants (VPPs) could hit 7.5 GW by 2035! That would exceed 15% of peak demand. The strategy would include automated demand response for large commercial buildings and industrial facilities. Other report findings: - VPPs can reduce risks associated with interconnection delays. - VPPs can scale flexibly as demand grows. How can we ensure this potential is reached, in California and across the nation? Maplewell's cutting-edge JANiiT platform can help, with automated, predictive energy management + distributed energy storage to unlock grid flexibility! #energystorage #virtualpowerplants #renewableenergy #energymanagement

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When is a utility NOT a utility, and how can they affect massive change for EV charging optimization at scale? In California, one of the largest Community Choice Aggregators (#CCA) is MCE which provides retail electricity to nearly 1.5 million residential and business customers in the Bay Area. Our company, ev.energy, provides MCE and its customers with a method to ensure that EV charging happens 1) to avoid stress on the electric grid and 2) when the most abundant renewable energy is available. In the video here, MCE's customers explain in their own words how the ev.energy app allows them to "set it and forget it" to optimize charging to keep electricity bills as low as possible, while keeping their EV charged and ready to go when they need it. We at ev.energy are bringing this forward-looking approach to managed charging not just to utilities around the country and the world, but also to emerging organizations dedicated to clean transportation. #electriccars #electricvehicles #virtualpowerplant #vpp #EVcharging #utilities #tesla #marincounty #loadmanagement #demandresponse

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Reconductoring could enable 764 GW of transmission-connected solar by 2035. (My latest for PV Magazine USA) Replacing existing transmission lines, known as conductors, with advanced conductors could enable 764 GW of transmission-connected solar by 2035 even if transmission in new corridors was limited, found a study by UC Berkeley and GridLab researchers. 3M CTC Global TS Conductor Amol Phadke #Reconductoring

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Bottlenecks are everywhere in energy transition infrastructure: - supply chain disruptions in transformers, inverters, and switch gears - transmission and substation capacity constraints due to red tape - interconnection queues full as utilities conduct feasibility studies Labor is the next big bottleneck to join this list. We can only deploy renewable assets as fast as labor will allow. More in the comments 👇 #energytransition #labor #inflation

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Yet another bad sign in ERCOT (TX) of potential reliability problems ahead. Yesterday evening 4/16 on a beautiful spring day, power prices jumped to over $4,000/MWh on an 80 degree spring day when solar went from a peak of 14,000 MW to 0 MW and wind went from 23,000 MW in the morning to 5,000 MW in the evening with ERCOT asking for conservation of power throughout the day. So what saved the day? Same as usual natural gas and coal generation went from a combined 16,000 MW in the morning to 43,000 MW to offset the collapse of solar and wind. Said another way, solar and wind went from 50% of the generation for much of the day to 10% in just a few hours while natural gas and coal went from 40% early in the day to over 80% to make up the difference. Many continue to advocate adding intermittent solar and wind generation can replace reliable and dispatchable natural gas and coal generation. The grid will get more unreliable and wild price swing will be unacceptable for most customers. We can much better than this for all U.S. citizens and its economy that relies on reliable power in all hours, not just when the wind blows and the sun shines.

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Join Rod Walton, Managing Editor of Microgrid Knowledge, in a compelling interview with Aron Bowman, President of ELM MicroGrid and ELM Solar, as they delve into the diverse landscape of microgrid adoption and emerging technologies. This excerpt sheds light on pivotal growth areas in microgrid utilization. Watch their full conversation: https://lnkd.in/g4EfdZEK. #Microgrid #Solar #RenewableEnergy

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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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Aspen Power's Kristy Zaragoza will be on GridTECH Connect Forum's upcoming panel: "Community solar: A California dream?" Expect an interesting discussion on the heels of the recent California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) decision to adopt a flawed community solar program. If you have questions or would like to connect in advance let us know! By siding with utilities, the CPUC has made a choice that not only undermines the interests of ratepayers but also poses a significant setback to California's ambitious climate goals. Distributed energy generation supports the equitable and sustainable growth of community solar initiatives, and our progress toward a cleaner and more resilient energy future. Learn more about the panel here: https://lnkd.in/eAw87QMP #GridTECH #Sustainability #Solar

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A new report highlights recommendations of best practices PJM can take for long-term transmission planning: ✔️ PJM should continue to improve estimates of electrification within its footprint. ✔️ PJM must plan more proactively for retirements across the entire long-term planning horizon. ✔️ PJM should run economic capacity expansion models along with production cost modeling to ensure the optimal buildout of new generation and transmission while delivering the lowest system cost. ✔️ Developing new methodologies, best practices, or results should be done in clear communication with interested parties and allow ample opportunity for input. By 2040, PJM estimates energy demand will increase above the 2024 load forecast by approximately 8% for the expected scenario. See the full report: https://hubs.ly/Q02BBGBZ0 #PJM #Electricity #Energy

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Another 40 GW of solar and wind capacity coming to the U.S. power grid this year could generate ~10 GW of baseload-equivalent generation because of its intermittency. Will the wave of renewable installs be enough to flatten natural gas’ power gen gains this summer? Yes, likely, say analysts. However, one wrinkle is Canada, according to Wood Mackenzie. The northern neighbor has uncharacteristically flipped to a net importer of U.S. power (5 GW swing in April) and could provide uplift to U.S. generation this summer. Worth checking if Canada-bound electrons are in your model. Natural Gas Intelligence https://lnkd.in/e4iUpp-a

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☀️↗️“This will open up opportunities for distributed energy resources to be designed in a way that aligns with grid needs.” Sky Stanfield with Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) The Golden State is receiving just the renewables boost it needs! California legislators approved new interconnection rules that empower solar and solar + storage projects to be much more of a help than a hazard to the state’s grid. This “Limited Generation Profile option” will help usher in more solar. Read about it! 📕https://lnkd.in/eu2aC587 #PoweringTheEnergyTransformation #communitysolar #commercialsolar #asset-acquisition

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