The California Public Utilities Commission has agreed to consider avoided transmission costs for the state’s three investor-owned utilities as part of its cost-benefit analysis for distributed energy resources (DERs). The issue centers on the PUC’s “avoided cost calculator,” or ACC, a methodology used to determine the benefits of DERs that … [Read more...]
California to Include Avoided Transmission Costs in DER Benefits Calculation
April 24, 2020 By 3 Comments
California Utility Builds Solar Microgrid in 27 Days to Avert Wildfires in Sierra Nevadas
December 13, 2019 By 4 Comments
A solar microgrid, built in 27 days in cold and windy weather, was Southern California Edison’s (SCE) solution to an urgent need to avert wildfires near a remote dam in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Installing the microgrid in November allowed the utility to turn off a line that provided power to the site of the Gem Dam, part of the Rush … [Read more...]
Microgrids as Non-Wires Alternatives
December 9, 2019 By Leave a Comment
S&C Electric's Erik Svanholm discusses the potential of microgrids as non-wires alternatives, which use distributed energy resources and microgrids to defer or replace the installation of more traditional ‘wires and poles’ infrastructure. Non-wires alternatives (NWAs) are any nontraditional investments that allow electric utilities to … [Read more...]
Texas Customers Could Save $5.47 Billion with DERs, but Regulations Must Change
November 20, 2019 By Leave a Comment
Texas consumers could save $5.47 billion over ten years with distributed energy resources (DERs), but regulations must change to realize these benefits. A study by Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance (TAEBA) identified two ways DERs can reduce costs: Act as non-wires alternatives to avoid investment in tranmission and distribution … [Read more...]
Homes to Sell Renewable Energy to Businesses in Vermont’s First of a Kind Local Energy Marketplace
November 19, 2019 By 53 Comments
The Holy Grail of local energy lies in the ability of customers to sell to one another. LO3 Energy, a leader in the quest, took a big step today with a program that lets homeowners sell renewables directly to businesses served by Vermont utility Green Mountain Power. Called Vermont Green, the pilot project also looks to solve some haunting … [Read more...]
Regulators ask Hawaiian Electric to Explain Lack of Non-Wires Alternatives in Plan
August 13, 2019 By 1 Comment
The Public Utilities Commission of Hawaii is pushing back against Hawaiian Electric Companies (HECO) proposed integrated grid plan (IGP) because it has not given sufficient consideration to non-wires alternatives. HECO may be prematurely excluding non-wires alternatives and “significantly” delaying the proposed soft launch of its IGP, the … [Read more...]
Tough Summer for the Power Grid. But the Microgrids are Working
August 2, 2019 By 3 Comments
Severe heat and storms across the US this summer have strained the electric grid and caused extensive power outages. But the microgrids are working. Consider what happened on July 20 in northeast and north central Wisconsin when a thunderstorm knocked out power to 240,000 customers, leaving 50,000 with no power for two to three days. The … [Read more...]
History of Microgrids in the US: From Pearl Street to Plug-and-Play
July 22, 2019 By 7 Comments
While it may seem that microgrids are new, the history of microgrids shows they have been around in some form for years in the US — although they haven’t always been called microgrids. The first one was introduced by Thomas Edison in 1882 at his Pearl Street Station, which combined heat and power and produced electricity and thermal … [Read more...]
Taking Non-Wires Alternatives to a New Level, Company Petitions FERC to Move Electricity by Rail
June 27, 2019 By 3 Comments
In a filing before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Alternative Transmission (ATI) proposes a technology that could bring a new meaning to the concept of non-wires alternatives. Based in Sullivan’s Island, S.C., the company wants to move batteries by rail for discharge and charge where needed on the electric grid. Further, … [Read more...]
What are Non-Wires Alternatives?
June 21, 2019 By 5 Comments
Non-wires alternatives (NWAs) use distributed energy resources and microgrids to defer or replace the installation of more traditional 'wires and poles' infrastructure. When utilities choose non-wires alternatives, they often save ratepayers money by avoiding investments in costly infrastructure. By utilizing distributed energy resources (DER) at … [Read more...]
