The city of Portland, with financial support from Portland General Electric (PGE), has installed a fire station microgrid that will not only ensure power for crucial services, but also train emergency workers in use of the technology. The project, at Fire Station 1, is one of three microgrid projects by PGE, which is seeking resiliency, … [Read more...]
Lawmakers from the House Energy and Commerce Committee this week released the framework for a comprehensive clean energy bill, the Clean Future Act, that includes grants and other support for microgrids and energy storage. The bill lays out a climate plan to make the US net-zero for greenhouse gases no later than 2050 and gives states the … [Read more...]
With a large swath of Puerto Rico in the dark as a result of this week’s earthquake, there is some good news from the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). Microgrids in 10 schools are up and running. The solar plus storage microgrids were recently installed by RMI, Save the Children and Kinesis Foundation. Built in remote regions, the microgrids … [Read more...]
Outage-weary seniors in an Oakmont, California community have encountered numerous regulatory obstacles to their ambitious microgrid plans. Residents of Oakmont Village Association, whose average age is 75, in 2019 endured five blackouts due to fires and also public safety power shut offs by Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), said Ken Smith, … [Read more...]
Microgrid Knowledge doesn’t usually choose a person of the year, as Time magazine does. But 2019 produced such a runaway winner, it seemed necessary to do so. The winner, of course, is California. Thanks to its green and pro-microgrid policies, California was high on the list of microgrid leaders even before this fall’s wildfire-related … [Read more...]
Racing to beat California’s next wildfire season, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) is seeking companies to install microgrids near 20 substations. The microgrids will be used to keep electricity flowing when the utility shuts down power lines that could spark wildfires during windy and dry weather. California’s largest utility issued … [Read more...]
An electrification bill moving through the Pennsylvania General Assembly, if passed, would support the development of electric vehicle infrastructure in the state. The state’s Senate on November 19 voted 43-6 in favor of the Pennsylvania Clean Transportation Infrastructure Act (Senate Bill 596), sponsored by Republican Sen. Bob Mensch. The … [Read more...]
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...]
As New Jersey prepares for a second round of funding for town center microgrids, some worry that the microgrids may never see the light of day. The problem? The projects need an infusion of private money to go forward. But state rules make it difficult for government to partner with private industry on energy projects. Town center … [Read more...]
We can move faster installing microgrids, but you need to make some changes. That’s the overarching message from microgrid companies to California regulators as the state faces utility power shutoffs for years to come. The recommendations are pouring into the California Public Utilities Commission as it attempts to translate into regulation … [Read more...]
Commercial customers paying demand charges and time-of-use rates should seriously consider an investment in solar plus storage, a common technology used in microgrids. RMI’s Ryan Shea and Madeline Tyson describe the the organizations recent research on costs.
This paper describes the design and operation of the microgrid installed for the US Department of Defense at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. To learn more about how to design and operating a microgrid download this white paper.
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