[Report] New England’s Eighth Forward Capacity Auction Draws Market Design Concerns

Coal Power, Emissions, Energy Efficiency, Energy Storage, Environmental Markets, Fossil Fuels, Hydropower, Natural Gas, Nuclear Power, Oil, Power & Utilities, Renewables, Smart Grid, Solar Power, Wind Power

ISO-NE’s eighth Forward Capacity Market Auction (FCA-8) rates became effective September 16, 2014, despite FERC being unable to reach agreement on whether the filing was “just and reasonable.” The final price for existing sources was set at the administrative price of $7.025/kW-month, a 123 percent increase from the FCA-7 clearing price. The Northeast Massachusetts (NEMA)/Boston…...

Ohio State University Develops First Rechargeable Solar Battery Hybrid

Energy Storage, Renewables, Solar Power

An innovative solar cell-battery hybrid developed at OSU is expected to reach 100-percent efficiency and reduce costs by 25 percent. On October 3, 2014, Ohio State University (OSU) reported the invention of the world’s first solar battery – a patent-pending technology that combines a battery and solar cell into one hybrid device.  The new design…...