Wind Energy News

American Electric Power has received approvals to enable the company to acquire the entire planned 1,485 megawatts (MW) of wind generation in Oklahoma. AEP will invest approximately $2 billion in this new renewable energy to serve its Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) and Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) customers. The Louisiana Public Service ...

May 28, 2020

By Smart Grid Observer

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has requested approval of five energy storage projects totaling 423 megawatts (MW), in a filing with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The projects are intended to further integrate clean energy from renewable generation sources while ensuring future reliability of the electric system. "PG&E is deeply committed to the California ...

May 20, 2020

By Smart Grid Observer

Clean energy software firm Smarter Grid Solutions (SGS) has developed five methods that could double the capacity available for solar panels and other distributed energy resources (DERs) to connect to individual electricity substations. Using the company's ANM Element software product, utility companies can monitor the amount of power generated by solar photovoltaics (PVs), wind turbines and ...

May 20, 2020

By Smart Grid Observer

What Happened? In case you missed it, earlier this week PG&E announced intentions to file for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Read the news article here. In short: the reason is they expect their liability from the devastating California ...

May 17, 2020

By Horizon Solar Power (HSP)

The coronavirus pandemic risks cancelling out recent progress in transitioning to clean energy, with unprecedented falls in demand, price volatility and pressure to quickly mitigate socioeconomic costs placing the near-term trajectory of the transition in doubt. Policies, roadmaps and governance frameworks for energy transition at national, regional, and global levels need to be more robust and ...

May 13, 2020

By Smart Grid Observer

Form Energy, a company developing ultra-low-cost, long-duration energy storage for the grid, recently announced it signed a contract with Minnesota-based utility Great River Energy to jointly deploy a 1MW / 150MWh pilot project to be located in Cambridge, MN. Great River Energy is Minnesota's second-largest electric utility and the fifth largest generation and transmission cooperative in the U.S. ...

May 11, 2020

By Smart Grid Observer

The Covid-19 pandemic represents the biggest shock to the global energy system in more than seven decades, with the drop in demand this year set to dwarf the impact of the 2008 financial crisis and result in a record annual decline in carbon emissions of almost 8%. A new report released today by the International Energy Agency provides an almost real-time view of the Covid-19 pandemic's ...

May 7, 2020

By Smart Grid Observer

Offshore equipment supplier Osbit has secured a contract with Seajacks to design and build a monopile upending bucket, to be used by the vessel operator in its offshore wind turbine installation projects. The system will initially support the development of the large-scale, bottom-fixed Akita and Noshiro Offshore Wind Farms in Akita Prefecture, part of Japan’s renewable energy expansion ...

May 5, 2020

By Osbit Limited

by Seth Feaster (swfeaster@ieefa.org), IEEFA data analyst In a first for any month, renewables generated more electricity than coal on every day in April, new data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows. This impressive stretch actually began on March 25, when utility-scale solar, wind and hydropower collectively produced ...

May 5, 2020

By Smart Grid Observer

Southern California Edison announced that it has signed seven contracts totaling 770 megawatts of battery-based energy storage resources to help enhance the region's electric system reliability needs. The recently conducted solicitation and the resulting contracts make up one of the country's largest energy storage procurements. The projects will enhance electric grid reliability and help address ...

May 4, 2020

By Smart Grid Observer

In just one year, Dominion Energy Virginia has quadrupled the amount of solar and wind generation in its 15-year, long-term integrated resource plan (IRP). The increase is driven, in part, by Governor Ralph Northam's executive order on climate change and the Virginia Clean Economy Act passed by the General Assembly. The expansion of renewable energy development will give Virginians significant ...

May 4, 2020

By Smart Grid Observer

An analysis by Frost & Sullivan, Drones in the Global Power and Utilities Industry, Forecast to 2030, reveals that the market for drones in the power and utilities industry will continue to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 23.6%, reaching $515 million by 2030. Ongoing digital transformation trends across the power and utilities sector and an increase ...

Apr. 29, 2020

By Smart Grid Observer

The Michigan Public Service Commission recently (4/15) approved a revised integrated resource plan (IRP) for DTE Electric Co. that addresses concerns raised when the Commission in February recommended substantial changes to the utility's long-term strategy for providing reliable, cost-effective electric service to its ...

Apr. 28, 2020

By Smart Grid Observer

While energy sources such as wind and solar are great at producing emissions-free electricity, they depend on the sun and the wind, so supply doesn't always meet the demand. Likewise, nuclear power plants operate more efficiently at maximum capacity so that electricity generation can't be easily ramped up or down to match demand. For decades, energy researchers have tried to solve one big ...

Apr. 23, 2020

By Smart Grid Observer

Dominion Energy and Ørsted recently announced the turbine components and monopiles for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) pilot project have started their journey to North America. The project team and vessel crews have been successful in navigating the impact of the ...

Apr. 22, 2020

By Smart Grid Observer

Wind power emerged from 2019 as America's top choice for new power after building 9.1 gigawatts (GW), representing 39 percent of new utility-scale power additions. With these additions, operating wind power capacity in the U.S. now stands at over 105 GW, enough to power 32 million American homes. In addition, wind energy is now the largest provider of renewable energy in the country, supplying ...

Apr. 20, 2020

By Smart Grid Observer

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recently (4/16) largely rejected the clean energy sector's Request for Rehearing on its order to impose a Minimum Offer Price Rule (MOPR) in the PJM capacity market. While clarifying that voluntary RECs are not considered by the Commission to be a state subsidy, FERC otherwise affirmed its December 2019 decision. In their January  ...

Apr. 17, 2020

By Smart Grid Observer

GE Renewable Energy's Grid Solutions business recently announced that seven electrical grid customers energized its Fixed Series Compensator (FSC) systems at nine different sites in 2019 to increase the efficiency of their transmission networks. That's the equivalent of nearly 3,500 megavar (Mvar) of compensation, with almost all of it being used to support increased renewables generation. FSC ...

Apr. 17, 2020

By Smart Grid Observer

Demonstrating its commitment to invest in local clean energy during a time of economic uncertainty, Clean Power Alliance (CPA) today inked its first Energy Storage Agreement (ESA). Approved by the CPA Board of Directors on April 2nd, the 100MW Luna Storage standalone battery storage project is the ...

Apr. 14, 2020

By Smart Grid Observer

Governor Ralph Northam is accelerating Virginia's transition to clean energy by signing the Virginia Clean Economy Act and by amending the Clean Energy and Community Flood Preparedness Act that requires Virginia to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.  "These new clean energy laws propel Virginia to leadership among the states in fighting climate change," said Governor Northam. "They ...

Apr. 14, 2020

By Smart Grid Observer