Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow’s Cleaner World

Peter Kelly-Detwiler

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow's Cleaner World invites listeners on a journey through the dynamic realm of energy transformation and sustainability. Listen to this podcast on:

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1.) California to contract up to 2 GW of long-duration energy storage resources as part of 10.6-GW clean energy procurement program to be deployed between 2031 and 2037. CA looking for up to 1 GW of minimum 12-hour, and 1 GW of multi-day capabilities. Same procurement also includes up to 1 GW of geothermal and 7.6 GW of floating offshore wind.

2.) The Texas PUC approves up to $5.4 bn of state-backed loans at 3% for 17 gas-fired generation assets offering almost 10,000 MW of new capacity.

3.) The Nuclear Regulatory Commission OKs Dominion Energy application to extend its 2,000 MW North Anna Power Station’s operating licenses for an additional 20 years. The two reactors can now run through 2058 and 2060.

4.) Bloomberg New Energy Finance reports 428,000 MW of solar were installed globally last year, up 76% over 2022.

5.) Advanced geothermal startup Sage Geosystems and data company Meta agree to a deal for up to 150 MW of 24/7 geothermal energy somewhere east of the Rocky Mountains. Phase 1 of the project would operate by 2027.

6.) China’s MingYang installs first 20 MW turbine, designed for offshore environments, though initial turbine will be installed onshore.

7.) GM and Samsung SDI finalize terms for a $3.5 billion EV battery factory in Indiana, with commissioning in 2027. The factory, delayed about a year owing to market conditions, will boast an initial capacity of 27 gigawatt-hours and a maximum capacity of 36 gigawatt-hours per year.

8.) Nissan approves updated 20 kW bidirectional charger from Fermata, that won’t void the warranty, for use with Leaf EV. Virtual power plant company Swell Energy to shut down, leaving some utility DER programs in the air. 

9.) TotalEnergies paying $100 mn to preserve 750,000 acres of U.S. forests, reaping associated carbon credits.

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow’s Cleaner World

Peter Kelly-Detwiler

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow's Cleaner World invites listeners on a journey through the dynamic realm of energy transformation and sustainability. Listen to this podcast on:

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1.) Xcel Energy first utility in U.S to file a plan with regulators to build its own virtual power plant. Northern Power in Minnesota wants to combine 440 MW of distributed solar with 400 MW of battery storage (duration not mentioned) located strategically on the grid so they can be operated in a concerted fashion.

2.) Form Energy receives $147 million U.S. DOE grant for 85 MW, 8,500 MWh iron air battery at former paper mill site in northern Maine, w/focus on easing wind-related congestion issues. Anticipated commissioning date is 2028.

3.) The US BOEM and Maine agree on location for the nation’s first floating offshore wind energy research lease, stretching over 15 square miles and located 28 nautical miles offshore. Lease could host up to 12 machines at 12 MW each, and will help assess the viability of floating wind.

4.) GE Vernova sees yet another offshore turbine blade suffering damage – this one at the UK’s Dogger Bank project, the second incident at Dogger bank – another blade failed in May. The cause remains under investigation.

5.) Cirba Solutions opens $400 mn battery recycling plant expansion in Ohio, the first large energy facility to come online after receiving support from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The plant will produce annually 15,000 tons of black mass –combined lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese – that can be separated and integrated into new batteries.

6.) Ford continues back-pedaling on EVs in face of losses, eliminating plans for a three-row electric SUV and going the hybrid route instead. Ford will not launch any new EVs unless it can see a path to profitability in the first year.

7.) BMW out-sells Tesla in Europe for the first time in July; w/14, 869 EVs to Tesla’s 14,561. 

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow’s Cleaner World

Peter Kelly-Detwiler

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow's Cleaner World invites listeners on a journey through the dynamic realm of energy transformation and sustainability. Listen to this podcast on:

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1.) Small Modular Reactor company Oklo says it has non-binding letters of intent for approximately 1,350 MW of microreactor capacity, with about half of that from data centers.

2.) The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) releases final Environmental Assessment for offshore wind leases off Oregon’s coast, finding leases would have no significant impacts to people or the environment.

3.) BOEM also auctions two lease areas off Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, with two provisional winners. Equinor Wind won a Lease for $75 mn, covering 101,443 acres about 26 miles offshore. Dominion’s Virginia Electric and Power Co won a Lease for $17.6 mn, spanning 176,505 acres about 35 miles offshore.

4.) Offshore developer Orsted books Q2 losses of $575 million, in part related to delays in U.S. wind portfolio. It also delayed 704 megawatt (MW) Revolution Wind project off Rhode Island and Connecticut from 2025 to 2026, owing to soil contamination at an onshore transformer station located at a former naval air station.

5.) Chinese electric automaker Nio notches 50 millionth battery swap, offering a cumulative 2.62 million MWh of electricity to its EV drivers. Nio also estimates it saved 2.85 billion minutes of wait time relative to public charging alternatives.

6.) U.S. developers and power plant owners added 20.2 GW of generating capacity over the first half of 2024, with another 42.6 GW of capacity expected before year’s end. Solar totaled 12 GW, while battery storage, at 4.2 GW, came in second. 

7.) Sodium-ion battery manufacturer Natron Energy will build a $1.4 bnNorth Carolina factory that can produce 24 GW of its lower cost and relatively stable sodium ion batteries. 

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow’s Cleaner World

Peter Kelly-Detwiler

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow's Cleaner World invites listeners on a journey through the dynamic realm of energy transformation and sustainability. Listen to this podcast on:

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1.) Hydrogen aviation start-up ZeroAvia and Dutch airline KLM planning on 2026 hydrogen powered demonstration flight with 80-seater plane using ZeroAvia’s powertrain with 2.4MW fuel cells.

2.) UK gas pipeline operator National Grid Transmission says results of a three-year project testing hydrogen/methane blends in existing gas pipeline system show “no major blockers to repurposing our network to transport hydrogen.”

3.) The US Department of Energy awards $5.4m grant to U.S. Steel, Molten Industries, and CPFD Software for construction of a pilot clean-steel project using H2 produced by pyrolysis in a direct-reduced iron furnace to create low-carbon steel.

4.) U.S. clean energy developer Intersect Power LLC to take delivery of 15.3 GWh of Tesla’s Megapack battery storage units in 2025 and 2026 for projects to be developed through 2030.

5.) SunRun and Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) create a small DOE-supported vehicle to home virtual power plant in BG&E’s service territory using three Ford F-150 Lightings. Sunrun will network and oversee the F-150 Lightning deliveries of energy during weekday dispatch periods from June 1 to September 30, between 5 and 9 p.m. Revenues estimated at $800 per vehicle.

6.) Ford Motor’s electric division posts Q2 loss of $1.1 billion in the face of continued EV pricing pressure on EVs, and despite $400 million in year-over-year cost reductions.  Sales were only 26,000 units.

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow’s Cleaner World

Peter Kelly-Detwiler

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow's Cleaner World invites listeners on a journey through the dynamic realm of energy transformation and sustainability. Listen to this podcast on:

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1.) The offshore Vineyard Wind 1 project off Massachusetts suffers significant damage, as one of its 13 MW GE Vernova blades fails during testing, with tons of debris subsequently washing up on Nantucket beaches – 15 miles away. U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement issues suspension order, stopping all construction and operations.

2.) Energy Information Administration data shows datacenters prime driver of new U.S. electric demand growth in commercial sector, but only a limited number of states affected, while others saw declining demand. Texas, and Virginia led the growth pack.

3.) South Korea’s Hanwha Energy planning on $1.45 bn, 200 MW AI datacenter in Texas that it will lease to an undisclosed “U.S. tech company.”

4.) U.S.-based sodium-ion battery maker Peak Energy secures $55m Series A fund raise to start full-scale production of its sodium battery technology. Peak plans to deploy sodium batteries to six customers participating in pilot programs as early as next year, with domestic, giga-scale battery factory to open in 2027.

5.) Starbucks and Mercedes Benz High-Powered Charging announce joint plan to deploy EV chargers at over 100 U.S.-based Starbucks. Phase 1 to include from four to ten 400 kW chargers at locations along west coast Interstate 5 – the north-south route from Canada to Mexico. 

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow’s Cleaner World

Peter Kelly-Detwiler

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow's Cleaner World invites listeners on a journey through the dynamic realm of energy transformation and sustainability. Listen to this podcast on:

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1.) Dominion Energy subsidiary Virginia Electric & Power to acquire the 40,000 acre, 800 MW Kitty Hawk North Wind offshore wind lease for close to $160 million.

2.) Calpine signs a cost share agreement with U.S. DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations for full-scale carbon capture demonstration project intended to capture 95% of the CO2 emissions from two of the three turbines at the company’s Baytown Energy Facility.

3.) Amazon is ahead of schedule in cutting carbon emissions, and pressuring higher emitters in its supply chain to do the same. The company has a newly established website called Amazon Sustainability Exchange, offering case studies and playbooks to help.

4.) Tesla deploys 9,400 MWh of energy storage in Q2 2024, up 131% over Q1 previous quarter, and 157% over Q2 of 2023. To put Tesla number in perspective, the U.S. installed 24,000 MWh in all of 2023. The company’s pricing for its 1.9 MW/3.9 MWh Megapack plummeted 44% over the past 14 months.

5.) BP’s Annual Energy Outlook foresees oil demand peaking next year at 102 million barrels per day, w/carbon emissions also predicted to peak in the mid 2020s.

6.) Canary Media reports Rondo Energy’s thermal industrial heat batteries are now in six U.S. and European sites with end uses ranging from food and beverage processing to chemicals and cement production. Rondo’s tech uses resistance heating and brick blocks that can be heated with electricity to 1,500 degrees C. 

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow’s Cleaner World

Peter Kelly-Detwiler

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow's Cleaner World invites listeners on a journey through the dynamic realm of energy transformation and sustainability. Listen to this podcast on:

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1.) Enhanced geothermal company Fervo announces 320 MW deal to supply energy to Southern California Edison from its 400 MW plant under development in Utah. First 90-MW by 2026 with remainder by 2028.

2.) Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) approves 2,800 MW Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind South Project being developed by Shell and EDF Renewables off NJ. BOEM also okays Construction and Operations plan of Iberdrola’s New England Wind 1 and 2 off MA, totaling 2,600 MW.

3.) German clean energy asset manager, Luxcara, signs supplier deal with China’s Mingyang Smart Energy for 16 x 18.5 MW capacity wind turbines up - the largest to date in the world - supporting its German North Sea Waterkant project.

4.) District energy company Vicinity Energy announces long-term renewal of partnership with Boston’s Emerson College, with Emerson converting 100% of its heating operations to Vicinity's carbon-free thermal energy solution, eSteam.™ Vicinity uses electric boilers powered by renewables, tied to existing network of steam pipes, electric substations, and transmission.

5.) Volkswagen to create JV with struggling EV OEM Rivian, pouring $1 billion into the company with up to $4 billion added through 2026 if certain targets are met. $3 billion will be direct investment, with remaining $2 billion tied to the JV and background intellectual property.

6.) Rhode Island passes Energy Storage Systems Act, setting energy storage procurement goals and requiring state electric utility to develop a tariff valuing services provided by storage resource. 90 MW of storage to be installed through 2026; 195 MW through 2028; and 600 MW by 2033.

7.) China’s state-owned power generation enterprise Datang Group commissions a 50 MW/100 MWh sodium-ion battery energy storage, making it the world’s largest to date.

8.) Construction begins on gigawatt-scale green hydrogen/ammonia project in northern China, with estimated 1,000 MW of alkaline electrolyzers to be fueled by 1,250 MW of new wind power and 1,150 MW of solar, at a cost of $US 2.6 bn Project to yield 90,000 tons of green hydrogen annually, used to make 500,000 tons of green ammonia.

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow’s Cleaner World

Peter Kelly-Detwiler

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow's Cleaner World invites listeners on a journey through the dynamic realm of energy transformation and sustainability. Listen to this podcast on:

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1.) California Energy Commission approves almost $27 million in fundingfor three long-duration energy storage projects with minimum 100-kW electrochemical or thermal battery resource of at least 24 hours of duration.

2.) New York to provide $5 million for long-duration projects yielding up to 10 hours of energy.

3.) Central Hudson Gas & Electric issues RFP for at least 10 MW of grid-connected energy storage systems.

4.) Q1 2024 sees record numbers for U.S. battery energy storage, at 993MW/2,952MWh across all market segments, up 84% Q1 2023 in megawatts, and 89% in megawatt-hours. Residential at 250 MW, with only 32 MW of that in CA.

5.)vNew York’s 942 MW Sunrise Wind offshore project receives OK of construction and operations plan from Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, clearing way for construction. Expected commissioning in 2026. 

6.)vDepartment of Energy to provide $900 million of funding from Bipartisan Infrastructure Act to support deployment of light-water small modular reactors.

7.) Congress passes nuclear bill known as the “ADVANCE Act,” directing Nuclear Regulatory Commission to accelerate its new nuclear technology licensing process. 

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow’s Cleaner World

Peter Kelly-Detwiler

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow's Cleaner World invites listeners on a journey through the dynamic realm of energy transformation and sustainability. Listen to this podcast on:

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1.) Volvo announces world’s first EV battery passport for its soon-to-be-produced EX90 SUV. Passport will track the origins of raw materials, components, recycled content and carbon footprint of the vehicles. Beginning 2027 all EVs sold in the EU will need similar passports. 

2.) Volvo Trucks North America and Volvo Financial Services launch Truck-as-a-Service business model called Volvo on Demand, so customers can utilize electric trucks without upfront investments. Service will start with 25 Class 8 Volvo VNR Electric trucks, with customers enrolling for periods as short as 12 months.

3.) Chinese state-owned Dongfeng Electric Corporation has installed an 18MW offshore wind turbine – the world’s largest - with a 260-metre rotor diameter.

4.) $861 mn, 73-acre South Brooklyn Marine Terminal breaks ground, supporting 810 MW 54-turbine Empire Wind project 15 miles off Long Island.

5.) Google inks 115 MW deal with NV Energy to buy enhanced geothermal energy for Nevada data centers.

6.) Project developer will be Fervo Energy, with delivery in estimated six years.

7.) Storage company Highview Power secures $383m investment for first commercial-scale liquid air energy storage plant in Manchester, UK. Project will offer 50MWs for up to six hours. Plant commissioning set for early 2026. 

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow’s Cleaner World

Peter Kelly-Detwiler

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow's Cleaner World invites listeners on a journey through the dynamic realm of energy transformation and sustainability. Listen to this podcast on:

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1.) Electric Power Research Institute report says datacenters could use as much as 9% of total U.S. electricity by 2030– driven by a surge in AI and large language programming models; Internet queries w/AI that use about 10Xthe juice of traditional Google search.

2.) Oakland California’s will be first major U.S. school district in the U.S. to go all electric with buses. Third party provider Zum will own and operate a total of 74 electric buses and operate bi-directional chargers capable of delivering 2,100 MWh of energy back to utility PG&E, through AI-enabled platform.

3.) Colorado utility Xcel Energy to work with V2G company Fermata Energy, City of Boulder, nonprofit Colorado CarShare and Boulder Housing Partners to developsmall but “transformational” V2X bidirectional electric vehicle charging pilot. Project will deploy four 20 kW Level 2 chargers and six Nissan Leafs.

4.) Chinese EV battery maker Gotion unveils all-solid-state battery w/plans to start "small-quantity production" by 2027. These batteries should take a vehicle about 600,000 miles over its lifetime. Gotion also launched next-gen Stellary batteries supporting 375 miles of driving range in 10 minutes of charging. Meanwhile Geely and BYD both planning on plug-in hybrids offering 1,200 miles of range on combined single gas tank and electric charge.

5.) CAISO board approves $6.1 billion plan to increase transmission, w/26 new projects to help add 85,000 megawatts of renewable capacity by 2035. CAISO also greenlit project to tie 550-mile SunZia line into the CA grid; SunZia carries 3,000 MW of wind power from NM to AZ, where a substation will route some to CA.

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow’s Cleaner World

Peter Kelly-Detwiler

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow's Cleaner World invites listeners on a journey through the dynamic realm of energy transformation and sustainability. Listen to this podcast on:

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To Put Today’s EV News in Perspective, It Helps to Take the Long View

In recent months, EV headlines have been dire. Tesla layoffs, Ford and Rivian losses, and GM stumbling raise concerns. EV opponents are crowing, claiming that EVs are inferior products, foisted on customers by inept governments before their time.

Some of that is true – EVs aren’t as good as they could be, are currently too expensive, and our charging networks are inadequate and often poorly maintained. The previously torrid growth of EVs has flatlined, as early adopter markets appears sated and masses haven’t yet seen affordable and attractive models.

But to write off electric vehicles is premature and also mistaken. EVs will eventually prove to be the superior technology, and dominate future markets. To understand why, you have to drop the short-term snapshot view, adopt a long view, and look at the evolution in technology. And you have to look at China.

The electric propulsion system is so much more efficient. U.S. DOE data shows that EVs are 4.4 times more efficient than ICE vehicles.

EV and battery technology is still young. And so is the accompanying charging infrastructure.

But the tech is inevitably going to get better; it’s still in its infancy. Battery companies are making new announcements near daily, with respect to battery chemistries, energy densities, charging speeds, and duration.

That should not be a surprise. Battery technology is all about materials science, and with human brains yoked to supercomputers, there’s no doubt as to the direction battery chemistry is going.

Example 1) China’s CATL is warranteeing a battery to take a car over one million miles.

Example 2) The Lucid Air’s battery can charge about 300 miles in 15 minutes. 

That rate of technological change is only likely going to accelerate.

Meanwhile, ICE technology doesn’t get much better - Nissan recently stated it took the industry nearly three decades to increase motor efficiency by 10%.

Focus on the trends and the underlying technology. They will lead you to the inevitable conclusion: today’s bloodletting will be forgotten as electric vehicles - once they are mature - are destined to be recognized as superior. Better efficiency, far better acceleration, and with lower centers of gravity, more fun to drive.

The question ultimately won’t be “Are EVs better?” Instead, it will be “who makes the best vehicle, which happens to be electric?” That’s where the problem lies for anybody who cares about the future of the U.S. auto industry.

In the West, we haven’t yet embraced an electric future. But China has. A report last week from Inside EVs, in which the reporter spent a week in the country, visiting Shanghai and the Beijing Auto Show commented, “the showroom floor was filled to the gills with new electrified models from every single domestic automaker. They all had something to prove, and by god, they were trying… And no matter the price point, they all had responsive, integrated vehicle interfaces that were quick, pretty, and ubiquitous.”

So, while we let our ideological rivalries get in the way of developing national economic strategies, we run the risk of letting yet another industry that we once mastered slip away. China has intentionally become a world leader in battery innovation and production. It is also the leading maker and consumer of electric vehicles. 43% of cars sold in March had a plug, a total of 743,000. The U.S.?  135,000.

We need to dispense with the short-sighted and politically driven views as to what is occurring today, understand what’s really happening here, and adopt the long view suggesting that the electric drive is inevitably a superior technology. We need to recognize this for what it is: A global competition for the future of mobility – one of the planet’s most important industries. Then we need to get behind a national policy – irrespective of which party is in power – to develop better battery tech and lower cost vehicles.

The effort to win this game and remain competitive won’t be comfortable. It won’t be easy. And mistakes will be made along the way. A leading industry is at stake, supporting millions of well-paying jobs. Do or do not, there is no try

1.) Amid declining sales, Tesla slashes costs and plans to cut 10% of its workforce.

2.) Ford reports steep losses on its EVs – to the tune of $1.3 bn for the quarter – as it struggles to cut costs.

3.) Hertz to sell of yet another 10,000 EVs, adding to the 20,000 it'ss already working to dispose of.

4.) Honda announces plans to develop an $11bn EV manufacturing capability in Ontario, involving JV investments from South Korea’s Posco and Japan’s Asahi Kasei.

5.) Toyota puts down an additional $1.4 bn into its Indiana EV plant for a three-row electric SUV, and battery pack assembly line using batteries from its North Carolina facility.

6.) Japan’s NGK insulators receives order for over 230 MWh of sodium-sulfur batteries from BASF’s stationary storage business unit.

7.) Texas load growth forecasts soar, increasing 40,000 MW in a single year, reflecting load growth and a change in the way it forecasts future demand. Total potential load by 2030 could be as high as 152,000 MW. For context, ERCOT record peak demand was 85,435 MW set last August.

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow’s Cleaner World

Peter Kelly-Detwiler

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow's Cleaner World invites listeners on a journey through the dynamic realm of energy transformation and sustainability. Listen to this podcast on:

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1.) NYISO launches pioneering program to integrate DERs into wholesale electric markets, requiring minimum size of only 10 kW. Move is in line with FERC Order 2222 but far lower than FERC minimum of 100 kW aggregations.

2.) New York cancels contracts with three offshore wind projects totaling almost 4,000 MW, blaming GE for not delivering 18 MW turbine all three projects were planning to use and sticking w/14-15 MW platform. 

3.) For developers, smaller machines equals higher developments costs, including more foundations, turbines, and connecting transmission cables. Offshore wind project costs have soared 60 percent between 2021 and 2024. 

4.) Data center company Equinix will work with modular nuclear start-up Oklo to develop multiple 15-MW reactors to supply hundreds of megawatts of energy to power future data centers. Per an SEC filing for Okolo’s SPAC company AltC, Equinix has pre-paid $25 million, as described in an LOI to buy between 100 and 500 MW from Oklo.

5.) Nissan accelerating all-solid-state EV battery, kicking off a pilot production line at Yokohama plant. The company plans to include the new tech in multiple models y 2028, offering twice the range for the same volume and weight, and charging in one-third the time.

6.) GM offers bi-directional charging with Silverado pick-up that can supply home with power. GM Energy’s V2H bundle includes equipment for bi-directional flows, with stationary energy storage and solar integration to be added later in 2024. First up in GM’s vehicle line-up will be the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado, with additional Ultium-based EVs added through 2026.

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow’s Cleaner World

Peter Kelly-Detwiler

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow's Cleaner World invites listeners on a journey through the dynamic realm of energy transformation and sustainability. Listen to this podcast on:

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1.) The Indiana Department of Transportation, Purdue University, and Cummins will install wireless charging technology on a quarter mile state highway in a pilot project.

2.) The Biden administration OK’s two large Avangrid offshore wind projects off Massachusetts totaling 1,871 MW.

3.) CAISO eyes $6.1 bn of new transmission projects in PG&E service territory, with $4.6 billion earmarked to connect 4,700 MW of offshore wind and $1.5 bn for reliability. CAISO’s draft plan will also potentially tap over 38,000 MW of new solar, largely in NV and AZ, as well as 21,000 of geothermal capacity from the Imperial Valley and southern NV, and 5,600 MW of wind from ID, WY and NM.

4.) CAISO’s plan may be affected by SPP’s new Markets+ tariff filed with the FERC, a “a significant milestone” in developing its western day-ahead electricity market starting as early as 2027. Stakeholders include multiple utilities from states including Arizona, Nevada, and Washington. Some observers are concerned CAISO’s proposed Day-Ahead market and SPP’s initiative may create potential friction, and are arguing for a single large and efficient western market.

5.) Lawrence Berkeley National Lab interconnection analysis notes 2.6 TW of planned power projects are looking to connect to transmission, w/backlog up 27% from 2022. Solar, battery and wind projects comprise 95% of queue capacity.

6.) Two recent studies find re-conductoring (adding high-efficiency wire to new or existing projects) could boost new transmission capacity at relatively low cost. One report estimates reconductoring could add 64,000 GW-miles of new transmission by 2035, versus about 16,000 GW-miles using standard technologies and boost total costs by only 20%. A separate February report from Berkeley’s Haas School of Business modeled U.S. grid with similar results.

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow’s Cleaner World

Peter Kelly-Detwiler

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow's Cleaner World invites listeners on a journey through the dynamic realm of energy transformation and sustainability. Listen to this podcast on:

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Two recent policy actions suggest an evolving future for DERs.

1) On March 21, 2024, the California PUC issued ruling permitting distributed renewables to be interconnected to the grid through an energy export schedule (referred to as a Limited Generation Profile or LGP). The ruling requires utilities to furnish hourly hosting capacity information for each circuit and lets asset developers design projects that stay within pre-defined limits - export levels can vary 24 times per year - instead of paying for upgrades such as new transformers.This provides a more realistic and cost-effective approach to renewable exports to the grid.

2) On April 4, 2024, the Maryland legislature passed the Distributed Renewable Integration and Vehicle Electrification Act, or DRIVE, that ow goes to the governor for signature. DRIVE requires utilities to compensate customers for providing grid services through virtual power plants, while specifically calling for utilities to accelerate vehicle to grid (V2G) bidirectional charging systems. Utilities must submit V2G plans by next April and virtual power plant plans 3 months later. 

3.) These actions matter. Today’s grid runs at around a 41% average annual capacity factor and it’s getting peakier. However, if we could cut demand by just 1%, we could reduce capital costs by roughly 8%. If we could cut peak demand by 10%, we’d reduce total expenditures by roughly a quarter. With a growing population of rooftop solar, home batteries, and EVs, we may soon have the tools to address this opportunity.

4.) California’s first-of-its-kind approach helps avoid unnecessary grid upgrades, while Maryland’s future virtual power plants and bi-directional EVs will add flexibility, while increasing capacity utilization factors –reducing costs per kilowatthour delivered.

5.) Charging EVs at the right times, combined with solar assets, rooftop batteries, and optimized bi-directional flows could deliver more clean power to the right locations, when we need it, while flattening those costly demand curves.

6.) If the two models were combined, then we’d really have something. Utilities elsewhere should be paying attention.

https://irecusa.org/blog/irec-news/milestone-decision-by-california-regulators-approves-the-use-of-der-schedules-to-avoid-interconnection-upgrades/

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/distributed-energy-resources/californias-new-rules-allow-solar-and-batteries-to-help-out-the-grid

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow’s Cleaner World

Peter Kelly-Detwiler

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow's Cleaner World invites listeners on a journey through the dynamic realm of energy transformation and sustainability. Listen to this podcast on:

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1.) Oak Ridge National Laboratory achieves “the world’s highest power density for a wireless charging system” for a passenger EV, sending 100 kW to a Hyundai Kona.

2.) California Energy Commission awards $3 mn to BorgWarner and project partners Fermata Energy and Lion Electric Company to support a 20-vehicle electric school bus fleet V2G project. Among other scenarios considered, V2G-enabled buses might power during Public Safety Power Shutoff events.

3.) Mondelez Deutschland Snacks Production receives permit from the State Office of Mining, Energy and Geology of Lower Saxony, Germany to explore locally for geothermal energy within 100 square km area. Mondelez is exploring potential of deep geothermal to supply carbon free heat that can support various industrial processes.

4.) Small-scale nuclear reactor company TerraPower plans to start building sodium-cooled modular nuclear reactor in Wyoming as early as June, irrespective of whether it has a Nuclear Regulatory Commission permit by then.

5.) Google, Microsoft, and Nucor combine demand for advanced clean electricity technologies, to accelerate development of new business models advancing early commercial-stage projects, such as advanced nuclear, next-generation geothermal, clean hydrogen, and long-duration energy storage.

6.) Following a successful pilot, Heimdall Power and Great River Energy announce the largest Dynamic Line Rating project in the U.S. to date, planning to install 52 of Heimdall’s Neurons across Great River grid, boosting transmission capacity.

1.) The Biden Administration lays out its National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy – a plan for EV charging and hydrogen dispensing stations along major U.S. freight corridors to support increased deployment of medium-duty and heavy-duty zero-emission commercial vehicles over the next couple decades.

2.) Volvo will focus on software to shorten EV charging times, partnering with U.K.-based Breathe Battery Technologies to do so. Testing shows that Breathe’s charging software and battery management systems may reduce charging times by 15% to 30%.

3.) Sulfur battery company Lyten says it has successfully automated its lithium-sulfur battery production line, converting standard lithium-ion manufacturing equipment and processes in only 6 weeks, at less than 2% of the total capital cost. Thus, Lyten could rapidly scale production by converting existing Li-ion gigafactories. Its low-cost sulfur-based battery has no nickel, cobalt, manganese, or graphite, with potentially twice the energy density of conventional lithium-ion batteries (though battery life is currently at 300 cycles).

4.) The Ørsted and Eversource 12-turbine 130-MW offshore South Fork Wind project is fully commissioned and delivering energy to New York – the first 100+ MW offshore facility to do so.

5.) Washington state legislators allocate $25 million for development of small modular reactors, supporting utility Energy Northwest’s DOE loan application. Energy Northwest plans to develop up to 12 SMRs generating up to 960 MW of power as early as 2030.

6.) Advanced nuclear company Oklo successfully completes second phase of its Thermal Hydraulic Experimental Test Article testing campaign with Argonne National Laboratory. Testing intended to optimize future reactor design.

7.) Analyst Wood Mackenzie says the SMR pipeline has increased, to a current 22 GW in Q1 2024, with global investment nearing US$176 billion. The US has over twice as many projects as the nearest competitor, with a 30% share of the global pipeline.

8.) Advanced deep geothermal startup Quaise Energy closes $21 Million financing round. Instead of traditional drilling approach,  Quaise plans to vaporize rock with high-powered microwaves. Field demonstrations will start this year, and Quaise will conduct magnetic and seismic surveys to identify advantageous areas for initial commercial pilots.

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow’s Cleaner World

Peter Kelly-Detwiler

Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow's Cleaner World invites listeners on a journey through the dynamic realm of energy transformation and sustainability. Listen to this podcast on:

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1.) EV charging startup Gravity Mobility cuts ribbon on the fastest public charging station in the U.S.  The mid-town Manhattan station - designed for EV owners and fleet operators - boasts 500 kW chargers offering 200 miles of range in five minutes.

2.) Samsung SDI unveils battery tech roadmap with ultra-fast charging batteries by 2026 that can go from 8 to 80% state-of charge in 9 minutes.  All solid-state mass-produced battery eyed for 2027, increasing density by 40% over current model. Samsung also plans to mass-produce a battery by 2029 that will offer 20 years of cycle life.

3.) Enhanced geothermal company Fervo Energy raises $244 mn to support its 400 MW Cape Station project in Utah.

4.) Midwest grid operator MISO announces Tranche 2 of effort to bolster infrastructure to improve reliability and reduce curtailments, at an estimated price tag of between $17 billion and $23 billion.It includes several planned 765 kv high-voltage transmission lines to create a transmission highway.

5.) Oregon jury orders PacifiCorp to pay $42 mn to victims of Labor Day 2020wildfires. That follows previous jury awards of $90 million and $85 mn in other fire-related cases.

6.) Texas A&M Forest Service investigation finds Xcel Energy power lines responsible for record Smokehouse Creek blaze, noting a utility pole “appeared to be decayed at the base,” and fell into a grassy area. A&M also finds a second (Windy Deuce) fire also caused by power line.

7.) The Energy Information Administration reports the U.S produced more crude oil than any nation at any time in history, for the past six years in a row. 

1.) The Washington state Legislature votes along party lines to adjust its carbon pricing system to make it compatible with California’s and Quebec’s cap-and-trade systems. The earliest any alliance could occur is 2025, assuming the cap-and-invest program survives a November referendum on its existence.

2.) International Airlines Group commits to its largest sustainable alternative fuel purchase agreement to date. Producer Twelve will deliver 785,000 tons of electrically derived sustainable aviation fuel, or e-SAF, using power-to-liquid technology and captured CO2 emissions.

3.) New York state approves offshore wind contracts for Equinor’s 810-MW Empire Wind 1 and Ørsted’s 924-MW Sunrise Wind. These projects re-bid at new price points. They had pulled back from previous commitments, claiming economics were no longer viable in the face of supply chain issues and other constraints. Other states - including New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut - are taking similar re-bid approaches.

4.) The IRS/Biden Adminstration rules affecting eligibility for clean hydrogen tax credits are coming under pressure, with criticism coming from the seven regional hydrogen hubs designated by the DOE late last year to accelerate the hydrogen industry. In a letter, the hubs commented the current approach “may have far-reaching negative consequences for the entire domestic clean hydrogen industry.”

5.) Stellantis brings back its Fiat 500e back to the U.S. with a price tag of just over $34K and low range of 149 miles. It may be a pretty good bellweather as to whether the American market will support a low-cost, low-range urban EV.

6.) Excel Energy files an 8K less than a week after the million-acre Smokehouse Creek fire, notifying the SEC that as of February 26th, fires were burning in or near the service territory of its Southwestern Public Service Company. Two days later, it received a letter from a law firm representing parties allegedly affected, providing Xcel Energy “with notice of potential exposure for damages” and requesting that a fallen SPS utility pole near the fire’s potential area of origin be preserved. Utilities are at increasing risk of this nature in a changing climate.

1.) Grid operator ISO-New England says substantial investments in grid infrastructure – up to $1 billion annually through 2050 - will be necessary to accommodate supply side renewables as well as end-use technologies such as EVs and heat pumps.

2.) New England’s offshore Vineyard Wind project is delivering 68 MW from its first 5 turbines, up from 5 MW in January, with another 738 MW still to come on-line. Nine of its planned 62 turbines in the water, while the 10th is currently being installed.

3.) The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management approves Equinor’s Construction and Operations Plan for 810 MW Empire Wind project to serve New York. Construction is set for later this year, with first power deliveries by 2026.

4.) The Orsted/Eversource JV’s 132 MW South Fork Wind installed the last of its 11 turbines on February 20, and should be fully commissioned in coming months.

5.) California’s Public Utilities Commission adopts a plan for development of over 56,000 MW of renewable generation by 2035, as part of effort to cut carbon emissions.  The plan includes a broad range of renewable and storage resources.

6.) New York City adds 7,532 EVs to Lyft and Uber fleet since last October, when its Green Rides effort was initiated. Current total exceeds 10,090 EVs, roughly 12% of the city’s Lyft and Uber population. 

7.) A total 105,258 plug-ins hit U.S. streets in January 2024, up 18.9% from January 2023, and representing 9.78% of total light duty vehicles sold. The U.S. EV total now stands at 4.8 million since 2010. U.S. battery manufacturers announced projects can supply around 10 million new plug-ins each year by 2030.

8.) WhileFord and GM slow their EV roll somewhat, Stellantis charges ahead, recording positive EV margins in the midst of record-breaking 2023 corporate profits. EV margins are not yet in line with conventional vehicles, but inching closer.