History tells us that disasters tend to spur new interest in microgrids. This pandemic is no exception as COVID-19 strains hospitals, data centers and food distribution and delivery systems, making power outages unthinkable. A quote in the Wall Street Journal by Peggy Noonan, being widely circulated on social media, sums up how important … [Read more...]
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) says it has temporarily suspended — but not canceled — a request for offers (RFO) issued in December for 20 microgrid projects. The decision came after various stakeholders expressed concern about the California utility's aggressive deadline to get the microgrids built in 2020. PG&E had hoped the … [Read more...]
Sweeping energy legislation with implications for microgrid development stalled this week in the US Senate over a dispute on limiting hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), an unrelated issue. It appeared the bipartisan American Energy Innovation Act was set for a quick vote after its was introduced in late February by Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, … [Read more...]
The US Senate is debating broad-based energy legislation that could affect microgrid development, partly through funding for energy storage and renewable energy programs. The American Energy Innovation Act was introduced in late February by Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., after a year of hearings on scores of energy … [Read more...]
California lawmakers are considering a bill that would fund critical microgrids to help municipalities and others deal with power outages. S.B. 1215 was recently introduced by Sen. Henry Stern, a Democrat and the lead sponsor of S.B. 1339, which launched a current effort by the California Public Utilities Commission to take steps to support … [Read more...]
The Maryland Energy Administration has launched a pilot grant program to help municipalities and other organizations plan microgrid and distributed energy projects. “MEA recognizes that the costs incurred in designing successful projects can be significant, and also that well-engineered and analyzed plans lead to shovel-ready designs which … [Read more...]
By some estimates, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) is creating a $1 billion opportunity for microgrids, meaning one utility in one year could boost the worldwide market by 10%. Not surprisingly, the California utility by its own account received a “robust” number of bids by companies that want to provide the microgrids. PG&E issued a … [Read more...]
The Environmental Defense Fund's Daniel Whittle and Agustin Carbó report the latest on the Puerto Rico IRP proceeding, a complex and lengthy regulatory undertaking expected to influence microgrid and renewable energy development on the island. Puerto Rico’s electric grid is extremely fragile and in need of repair. The natural disasters that … [Read more...]
Pointing to delays in getting a microgrid built, the city of Long Beach, California, is urging state regulators to make changes to speed up the process. The city is focused on two issues: utility rules governing power supply to separate premises and the California Public Utilities Commission’s interconnection rules. Long Beach’s concerns … [Read more...]
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy this week unveiled the state’s energy master plan, which includes provisions to facilitate the proliferation of microgrids in the state. The plan is intended to move the state toward a goal of 100% clean energy by 2050. To bolster the plan, Murphy also signed Executive Order No. 100, which directs the New Jersey … [Read more...]
Trevor Gionet and Kay Aikin of Introspective Systems explain how flattening the COVID-19 curve is much like managing the grid with microgrids and demand response.
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