Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Rep. Tina Smith (D-Minn) introduced energy storage legislation this week that calls for a $300 million initiative to build five advanced, grid-scale systems across the country. Under the Better Energy Storage Technology Act (BEST), the Department of Energy would invest $60 million a year from 2020 through … [Read more...]
California has opened the door for residential microgrids in all new homes with the recent release of 2019 building standards aimed at improving energy efficiency. Issued by the California Energy Commission, the 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standards require solar photovoltaics for all new homes. They also provide new home builders with … [Read more...]
A recent federal ruling is likely to give energy storage its biggest boost in years, and buoy microgrids along the way, by granting storage more access to revenue from competitive wholesale electricity markets. Issued February 15 by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the rule aims to eliminate barriers that prevent energy storage from … [Read more...]
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo gave energy storage a triple boost yesterday with the release of a series of new climate change initiatives. First, Cuomo called for 1,500 MW of energy storage in New York by 2025, a goal he sees the state reaching through regulatory changes and utility solicitations. Second, he proposed that the NY Green Bank … [Read more...]
While the devastation of Hurricane Harvey and the West’s wildfires are fresh in our minds, it’s critical to start focusing on grid resiliency -- and how distributed energy can contribute to it. Utilities and state regulators right now focus more on grid reliability than grid resiliency, said Kelly Speakes-Backman, CEO of the Energy Storage … [Read more...]
Microgrids and energy storage improve electric reliability. So it was perplexing to see how little attention they received in a major study on grid reliability issued this week by the U.S. Department of Energy. Businesses, communities and institutions across the country have stepped up installation of microgrids in recent years to ensure power … [Read more...]
Energy storage companies, as well as other stakeholders, in New York have a new opportunity as of this week. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced that it has made $15.5 million available to fund energy storage projects to support the electric grid. The funding will go toward energy storage that can … [Read more...]
Panasonic’s operations hub in Denver has a brand new microgrid. Announced at the Energy Storage Association’s 27th Annual Conference, Younicos – in partnership with Panasonic and Xcel Energy – has commissioned a solar plus storage microgrid for a smart transit project underway in Denver. The 1 MW/2 MWh lithium ion battery system can be found at … [Read more...]
Energy storage gets a big nod under recent changes to California's self-generation incentives, which also place new emphasis on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The California Public Utilities Commission approved the revisions to the self-generation incentive program (SGIP) on June 23. Under the changes, 75 percent of the funding goes to … [Read more...]
Diesel generation is effective, but it’s not the best option available to pair with wind and solar. That’s where natural gas comes in. When designing a microgrid, don’t forget to look to natural gas as a feasible option to lower generation costs and provide greater resiliency to the system.
In the early 20th century, the centralization of electricity production made huge process, enabling significant economies of scale and improved power plant efficiency. Today, decentralization could help tackle the energy challenges of the 21st century by creating an optimized way to access reliable, green and resilient energy. Download the white paper from Schneider Electric that explores decentralization and the role of microgrids.
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