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...]
In this edition of Industry Perspectives, Christie Hicks of the Environmental Defense Fund, sheds light on a new agreement with Illinois’ largest utility, ComEd, that may pave the way for private microgrids to use utility wires.
A microgrid is a discrete energy system consisting of distributed energy sources (e.g. renewables, conventional, storage) and loads capable of operating in parallel with, or independently from, the main grid. The primary purpose is to ensure reliable, affordable energy security for commercial, industrial and federal government consumers. Benefits that extend to utilities and the community at large include lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and lower stress on the transmission and distribution system.
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