Smart Grid

Vermont’s First Solar Microgrid Project with Battery Backup

Vermont’s Green Mountain Power has begun work on an innovative solar project that combines energy storage and microgrid integration. On August 12, 2014, Green Mountain Power (GMP), a Vermont electricity utility, announced breaking ground on the $10M Stafford Hill Solar Farm project in Rutland, Vermont.  According to the U.S. Department of Energy, it is the…...

$2.2B U.S.-Canada Transmission Project Clears DOE Review

DOE has issued its final Environmental Impact Statement for a 336-mile electric transmission system between the United States and Canada, clearing the way for final Presidential Permit issuance. On August 11, 2014, Transmission Developers Inc. announced that the Department of Energy (DOE) has issued the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for its proposed Champlain Hudson Power…...

California and Mexico Sign Climate and Energy Agreements

During a Trade and Investment Mission to Mexico, California Governor Brown signed agreements with Mexico to enhance cooperation on environmental issues and encourage cross-border clean energy investments. On July 28, 2014, California Governor Edmund G. Brown, Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Undersecretary Rodolfo Lacy, and Mexican National Forestry Commission Director General Jorge Rescala…...

DOE Issues $4B Loan Guarantee Solicitation

DOE has issued a $4B loan guarantee solicitation to support innovative renewable energy and energy efficiency projects that mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. On July 3, 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE) issued a loan guarantee solicitation of up to $4B for innovative renewable energy and energy efficiency projects aimed to prevent, reduce, or sequester greenhouse…...

NYEW 2014 Transportation Breakfast: The Need for Standards and the Right Market for Innovation

The transportation sector plays a large role in economic competitiveness and in environmental sustainability, which according to the EPA, accounted for 27 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in 2010, trailing just the power sector. Going forward, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects an average energy consumption increase of 1.1 percent by the world transportation sector…....

NYEW 2014 Energy Storage Roundtable: Calling for Clear Guidelines and Incentives

Policymakers and industry leaders are increasingly understanding the importance of energy storage in a number of applications, such as integrating renewable energy sources and providing grid resiliency, which has become particularly exigent in New York in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. As a result, organizations like the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology (NY-BEST)…...

DOE Grants $10M for Electricity Grid Improvement

DOE has committed more than $10M to improve the electricity grid by deploying advanced software that works with synchrophasor technology. On June 11, 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced more than $10M for six grid improvement projects across five states.  The projects will increase deployment of advanced software that works with synchrophasor technology to…...

ARPA-E Announces $33M Funding for DG Technologies at New York Energy Week

ARPA-E has announced $33M in funding under its new REBELS program to support innovative distributed generation technologies.   On June 19, 2014, the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) announced $33M in funding for 13 projects through its new Reliable Electricity Based on Electrochemical Systems (REBELS) program.  The new projects will focus on…...

Con Edison to Test Innovative Energy Storage Technology

On March 12, 2014, Eos Energy Storage announced plans to test its Aurora energy system at a Con Edison facility in mid-2014. The pilot aims to demonstrate the value of distributed energy storage in reducing costs associated with energy infrastructure upgrades to serve peak electricity demand. The project is supported by $1M in funding from the…...

New York Is First To Tackle Grid Modernization With REV

The New York State Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) initiative aims to answer the question of how to proceed with New York’s energy future in the face of aging electric generating plants and the need for a more resilient energy infrastructure. Overview The initiative – announced by Governor Cuomo in April 2014 – tasks the…...

EXPIRE Act Supports Renewable Energy Industry at a High Cost

Multiple energy industries rely on federal tax incentives to spur private investment in commercializing renewable technologies. However, the periodic expirations of these tax credits have led to business uncertainty and an inability to make long-term planning decisions. The most recent Senate extender bill – the Expiring Provisions Improvement Reform and Efficiency (EXPIRE) Act of 2014…...