Next Steps for White Plains Microgrid in Planning with Hitachi
The City of White Plains says it will seek state clean energy community funds to help develop a microgrid with Hitachi.
White Plains was recently designated a Clean Energy Community by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The designation highlights clean energy work already done in White Plains and offers the opportunity to apply for a $250,000 grant for future work.
The city says it will apply for the grant within the next few months to use for the White Plains Microgrid. Earlier, Hitachi and the city completed a State 1 feasibility study for the microgrid through the NY Prize, a state microgrid competition underway. The study showed the microgrid to be technically and economically viable.
The White Plains microgrid is being developed by the city to protect vulnerable populations, lower costs, and reduce the carbon footprint of microgrid customers. The city plans to use the Clean Energy Communities money to support next steps for the microgrid project, includeing a detailed design.
The city also plans to apply funds toward installing LED lighting in city parks and garages.
NYSERDA is continuing to accept applications for $16 million in Clean Energy Communities funding on a rolling basis through September 30, 2019 or until funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.
Caucus forms to educate Congress about energy storage
Microgrid players, energy storage companies and utilities are among those that joined a new Advanced Energy Storage Caucus, formed to educate Congress.
“A robust U.S. energy storage industry will strengthen U.S. manufacturing and provide greater international competitiveness,” said Troy Miller, director of Grid Solutions with S&C Electric. “Our company employs more than 1,200 people in manufacturing jobs across the country. Continued support and investment in our industry will ensure the U.S. continues to lead the world in advanced energy.”
Launched by Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY) and Mark Takano (D-CA), the caucus will focus on educating Congress about the benefits energy storage brings to the grid and investigate ways to accelerate job growth and investment.
“States, utilities, and customers have begun using advanced energy storage to enhance the reliability and resiliency of our nation’s electric infrastructure,” said Jason Burwen, policy & advocacy directory of the Energy Storage Association. “Whether providing resilient response to extreme events, complementing aging distribution infrastructure, enabling more distributed resources and consumer choice, or reducing vulnerability of local communities, energy storage is a powerful and compelling new investment option in our nation’s energy infrastructure.
NREL to study Cogent’s gasification for waste-to-electricity microgrids
Cogent Energy Systems was selected in a competitive process to work with the US Department of Energy on a gasification system for small-scale waste-to-electricity microgrids.
The Virginia-based company will work with researchers at the Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF), part of the DOE’s Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado.
Cogent’s small-scale waste-to-electricity technology was chosen from a large pool of applicants as part of NREL’s search for high impact projects that address the challenges of grid modernization in the United States.
The project will demonstrate how to integrate waste-to-electricity with multiple other technologies such as solar power, wind power and energy storage in a microgrid.
The project is slated to begin this summer with installation of Cogent’s HelioStorm-based system at the ESIF in early 2018.
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