Power & Utilities
A massive investment in transmission infrastructure is necessary to move renewable energy over long distances from where it is produced to where it is needed. These transmission lines, which are so necessary to combat climate change present an inherent wildfire risk exacerbated by drought conditions in the western United States and Canada.
Energy legislation enacted across U.S. states so far in 2022 spans a broad spectrum of topics portraying actions to facilitate the energy transition. These include measures to expand renewables and distributed resources, strengthen climate commitments, optimize grid performance, and sustain the nuclear power fleet. … Read the full report …...
PJM Interconnection LLC’s capacity market auction for the 2023-2024 delivery year cleared at $34.13 per megawatt-day (MW-day), which is nearly 32 percent lower compared to the 2021 auction and the lowest in almost a decade. The auction results reflect a low-carbon resource mix, with a growth of more than 5,000 cleared megawatts of carbon-free resources, according to the grid operator, which operates across 13 states and the District of Columbia.
The swift advancement of sophisticated cyber threats alongside the increase in advanced energy system control technologies has called for stronger measures to secure critical infrastructure and energy sector resilience.
Energy storage is evolving to be an essential part of the energy transition given its ability to provide power on demand and optimize grid performance amid the proliferation of intermittent renewable energy resources.
Aging infrastructure, a rapidly changing generation profile, and climate change concerns are driving efforts to facilitate a flexible power grid that can absorb higher levels of distributed resources and withstand damaging weather events.
Energy utilities across the U.S. are expanding opportunities for customers to participate in programs designed to reduce their carbon footprint. Green pricing options have been on the rise, encouraging consumers to meet a portion of their electricity needs from renewable energy resources. Carbon offset programs are becoming popular among natural gas utilities, allowing customers to compensate for their combustion-related emissions.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which represents the largest investment in U.S. infrastructure, includes major provisions important to the energy industry, ranging from building out the first national network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to modernizing the electric transmission grid and expanding clean energy.
Upgrading and expanding the U.S. electric transmission system is key to enhancing grid reliability and resilience while enabling greater integration of carbon-free resources to meet clean energy goals.
Long-term planning strategies of electric utilities across the U.S. reflect the growing trend towards phasing out coal-fired power generation while embracing renewables. Coal power plants account for 85 percent of electric generating capacity scheduled to retire in the U.S. during 2022, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Revisions to rules governing competitive retail electricity markets are focused on strengthening customer protections while exploring ways to expand access to these markets. Recent actions include efforts to open retail electric competition in Arizona, Connecticut’s investigation into supplier offers, and Maine’s update to marketing standards for retail electric services.
Several states are reshaping their distributed generation policies and programs amid the proliferation of distributed solar and other solutions prompted by changing customer needs and clean energy goals. Recent actions range from California’s proposed net metering successor, which has triggered cost-shift debates in the nation’s largest solar market, to New York’s roadmap to achieve 10 gigawatts (GW) of distributed solar by 2030.