Utility microgrids are at an inflexion point, according to a new report from Navigant Research. The inflexion point comes from the confluence of two trends. First is the global growth of distributed energy resources (DER). The second is a change in utility attitudes toward microgrids. According to Navigant projections, global deployments … [Read more...]
Duke Energy Proposes New Microgrid and $500M Energy Storage Investment
October 12, 2018 By
Duke Energy has proposed a microgrid to serve the western North Carolina town of Hot Springs as part of a larger plan that includes a $500 million investment in energy storage over 15 years. The solar-storage microgrid will bolster electric reliability for the mountainous town served only by a 10-mile, 22.86-kV feeder line, said Zachary … [Read more...]
Florence Knocks Out Power to 1/2 Million within First Few Hours. Up to 3 Million Outages Expected
September 12, 2018 By
On Friday morning, just a few hours into what is expected to be a multi-day storm, Hurricane Florence had knocked out power to half million households and businesses in the Carolinas -- and the numbers kept climbing, according to Poweroutages.us. In a news conference Wednesday before the hurricane struck, Duke Energy executives said power … [Read more...]
Can Biogas CHP Help Duke University Meet Aggressive Climate Goals?
April 18, 2018 By
Duke University is exploring what it takes to acquire and transport renewable biogas from North Carolina hog farms for what may turn out to be a new, microgrid-ready combined heat and power (CHP) plant on the university's main campus. The biogas project emerged after students protested plans by the university and Duke Energy to build … [Read more...]
Duke Energy Proposes 7-MW Military Microgrid at Indiana National Guard Camp
November 1, 2017 By
Duke Energy has proposed a 7-MW military microgrid at the Indiana National Guard’s Camp Atterbury training operation in Johnson County, along with battery storage at a substation in Nabb. The utility giant is seeking pre-approved cost recovery for both projects before the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. If okayed, the microgrid will be … [Read more...]
Duke Energy’s Green Microgrids Run Smoothly through Storm
October 20, 2017 By
Two green microgrids operated by Duke Energy rode through a weakened Hurricane Irma with no hiccups, while customers experienced outages close by. The first, the Mt. Sterling solar plus storage remote microgrid, serves a communications tower located on National Park Service property in the Great Smoky Mountains on Mt. Sterling, Haywood County, … [Read more...]
Energy Storage Instead of Power Plants in NYC…Duke’s Battery Play…States Still Green
September 22, 2017 By
Energy storage as solution to NYC power shortfall Thirty percent of New York City’s old fossil fuel plants are slated for retirement in the next five years. Could energy storage take their place? A new report, “New York City’s Aging Power Plants: Risks, Replacement Options and the Role of Energy Storage,” says it would be a wise environmental … [Read more...]
Grid Resiliency, Irma, and the Downside of Waiting until Disaster Strikes
September 19, 2017 By
Despite a heroic effort by utilities, hundreds of thousands of customers remained without power in Florida on Monday, eight days after Hurricane Irma landed, heightening the call for greater grid resiliency. “Severe weather, like the hurricanes experienced in Texas and the Southeast, quickly put into the spotlight the fragile state of our … [Read more...]
Maryland County Contracts for Two Advanced Microgrids for Public Safety
February 3, 2017 By
Montgomery County, Maryland plans to build advanced microgrids at two public safety facilities in a deal announced this week during the DistribuTECH conference in San Diego. The advanced microgrids will be installed at the county's Public Safety Headquarters and Correctional Facility under a contract with Duke Energy and Schneider … [Read more...]
Duke Energy & Duke University Team on Microgrid-Ready CHP Project
May 25, 2016 By
Duke Energy has struck a deal to build a microgrid-ready combined heat and power (CHP) project for Duke University. Pending state regulatory approval, the utility giant will own, build and operate the 21-MW plant under a 35-year agreement with the university. The $55 million project, which will be fueled by natural gas, will be located on the … [Read more...]
