|
|
|
Library >> Articles
on Renewable Energy Resources and Transmission
>> Transmission Projects in North America
Articles on Transmission Projects in North America
- Superconductor
cable gets energized on Long Island
Apr 30, 2008 - Cleantech Group
American Superconductor said it's the longest
high temperature superconductor cable that's
ever been installed. A piece of Long Island,
N.Y.'s power grid has received an upgrade,
with Devens, Mass.-based American Superconductor
(Nasdaq: AMSC) announcing today that a section
of high temperature superconductor cable was
installed at a major interconnection point
in the system.
- NY's
LIPA Throws Switch On Nation's 1st Superconducting
Cable
Apr 30, 2000 - Dow Jones & Company, INc.
With concerns over the decaying energy infrastructure
in the U.S. mounting and new renewable-energy
capacity coming online in remote locations,
a new technology is emerging to relieve stress
on the overtaxed grid.
- DOE
Selects Projects for up to $50 Million of
Federal Funding to Modernize the Nation's
Electricity Grid
Apr 22, 2008 - Energy Department Documents
and Publications
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant
Secretary for Electricity Delivery and Energy
Reliability Kevin Kolevar today announced
the Department's plans to invest up to $50
million over five years (Fiscal Years 2008
- 2012), subject to appropriations from Congress,
in nine demonstration projects competitively
selected to increase efficiency in the nation's
electricity grid. The Renewable and Distributed
Systems Integration (RDSI) technologies demonstrated
in these projects aim to reduce peak load
electricity demand by at least 15 percent
at distribution feeders-the power lines delivering
electricity to consumers-and are part of the
Bush Administration's ongoing efforts to enhance
the efficiency and reliability of our nation's
energy infrastructure to ensure a reliable
supply of energy to all Americans.
- Juneau
utility costs to soar; avalanches cut cheap
power
Apr 18, 2008 - The Associated Press
Massive avalanches destroyed transmission
lines and support towers to a dam that supplies
85 percent of the city's electricity, and
utility rates could quintuple for months until
repairs are made, officials said.
- Corridors
of power are finding resistance
Mar 24, 2008 - Los Angeles Times
WASHINGTON -- There is wide agreement that
the nation needs to upgrade the aging system
that delivers electricity from power plants
to consumers -- a grid that is already overtaxed
and facing a 43% increase in demand over the
next two decades.
- Xcel
Energy Announces First Smart Grid City in
the Nation
Mar 12, 2008 - Business Wire
Xcel Energy announced today it will put in
motion its vision to make Boulder, Colo.,
the nation's first fully integrated Smart
Grid City.
- Hearing
held for power line that would link Montana,
Alberta
Mar 12, 2008 - The Associated Press
State and environmental leaders held the first
of three public hearings Tuesday to discuss
a proposed power line that would connect Montana's
power grid to Canada.
- Feds
push forward with power line plan for mid-Atlantic,
Southwest states
Mar 6,2008 - Devlin Barrett - The Associated
Press
New power line construction is more likely
in the mid-Atlantic states and the Southwest
after the government on Thursday said it was
pushing ahead with a plan to expand and modernize
the electric grid in those areas.
- Proposals
Sought for Renewable Resources
Feb 27, 2008 - New Haven Register
New England's power grid operator will get
its first glimpse by year's end of proposals
for long-distance transmission lines designed
to bring wind and hydropower from northern
New England and Canada's Maritime provinces.
ISO-New England will receive the proposals
at a meeting in December, said Stephen Whitley,
president and chief operating officer of the
Holyoke, Mass., grid operator.
- Texas
power grid operators narrowly avoid rolling
blackouts
Feb 27 - R.A. Dyer - McClatchy-Tribune Regional
News - Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas
Operators of the Texas power grid scrambled
Tuesday night to keep the lights on after
a sudden drop in wind power threatened to
cause rolling blackouts, officials confirmed
Wednesday.
- California
Approves Feed-In Tariffs, Rewards Energy Efficiency
FEb 6, 2008 - EERE Network News
The California Public Utility Commission (CPUC)
has approved long-term prices for the state's
utilities to buy renewable energy from their
customers. For seven of the state's utilities,
the so-called "feed-in tariff," approved on
January 31, applies to renewable energy systems
located at public water and wastewater facilities,
but for Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)
and Southern California Edison (SCE), a separate
feed-in tariff applies to any customer-located
renewable energy system up to 1.5 megawatts
in capacity. The tariff requires signing a
long-term contract for 5, 10, or 15 years,
but the price is adjusted based on the time
of day of the power generation. For instance,
for a system producing power throughout the
day, a 15-year contract signed with SCE in
2008 would earn about 15 cents per kilowatt-hour
on a summer weekday, while a system generating
power from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (such as a solar
power system), would earn about 22 cents per
kilowatt-hour under the same circumstances.
Overall, the tariffs range from 8 to 31 cents
per kilowatt-hour. Facilities earning the
tariff cannot be participating in other state
incentive programs.
- Lines
for Transmitting Alternative Energy Urged
Jan 28, 2008 - Las Vegas Review - Journal
Gov. Jim Gibbons on Thursday accepted a report
that calls for developing transmission lines
so that geothermal, wind and solar energy
can be shipped from remote areas of the state
to cities.
- BC
Transmission Corp plans $5.1 billion investment
in electricity system upgrades
Jan 10, 2008 - Canada NewsWire
BC Transmission Corporation (BCTC) has filed
its Ten Year Capital Plan with the BC Utilities
Commission, outlining $5.1 billion in expenditures
designed to meet the increased clean electricity
demands of British Columbia's growing economy.
- Groups
To Sue US DOE Over Power Corridors
Jan 9, 2008 - Dow Jones & Company Inc.
Nearly a dozen environmental groups will sue
the U.S. Department of Energy next week to
stop development of national transmission
corridors, an official at one of the organizations
said Wednesday.
- Report:
States Falling Short on Interconnection and
Net Metering
Dec 19, 2007 - EERE Network News
A new report concludes that all 50 states
are failing to provide easy access to the
electrical grid for home-grown renewable energy
systems, while only four states are doing
their best to assure that the owners of such
systems earn credit for power fed into the
grid. Regarding "interconnection," or the
connection of customer-owned power systems
to the grid, many states set an arbitrary
maximum size of the system that can be connected
to the grid, or they set a cap on the total
combined capacity of the systems connected
to the grid. In many states, utility customers
must pay high fees for interconnection, while
also having to meet unreasonable requirements
for safety features, liability insurance,
and approval paperwork. Regarding "net metering,"
which provides a utility bill credit for customers
who feed power into the grid, some states
allow utilities to credit the power at a rate
that's lower than the retail rate, to limit
the amount of credit earned, or to limit the
credit that can be carried over from month
to month. Net metering often excludes commercial
and industrial partners and sometimes requires
the installation of an extra meter. And of
course, many states don't have a policy for
interconnection or net metering at all.
- TransCanada
urges Alberta link to U.S. power grid
Dec 18, 2007 - Norval Scott - globeinvestor.com
CALGARY — TransCanada Corp. wants Alberta's
electricity grid connected to the western
United States, allowing producers to export
electricity from the power plants they want
to build in Alberta.
- California
ISO Board Approves New Transmission Planning
Approach
Dec 13, 2007 - Business Wire
The California Independent System Operator
Corporation (California ISO) Board of Governors
today approved filing with the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC) a proposal that
would give the California ISO the explicit
authority to proactively identify and propose
transmission projects to reduce congestion
and provide economic benefits, ensuring the
not-for-profit public-benefit corporation
is compliant with FERC Order 890.
- Continental
Grid Vision Needed
Dec 11, 2007 - Martin Rosenberg - EnergyBiz
Magazine
Imagine no electricity existed in the United
States. Suddenly, a lab discovers the utility
of coursing electrons, and the age of electricity
is launched. Assume we immediately learned
everything we now know about how to generate
electricity using the sun, wind, nuclear power,
hydropower, natural gas, geothermal resources
and coal.
- Transmission,
Renewables: Arranged Marriage, But at What
Cost?
Dec 4, 2007 - NGI's Power Market Today
While technically and administratively California's
grid can absorb renewable generation sources
at the 20% level by 2010, according to a recently
completed report by the California Independent
System Operator (CAISO), how much the transformation
will cost and who pays for it are still unknown,
CAISO CEO Yakout Mansour said Monday during
a news media briefing on the grid operator's
new demand response lab.
- Texas
regulators OK transmission line
Nov 29, 2007 - The Associated Press
Texas public utility regulators have approved
plans for a $60 million transmission-line
project in South Texas, a victory for two
proposed wind farms that have placed two of
the nation's biggest ranches at odds.
- Final
tests under way for New Brunswick-Maine power
line
Nov 26, 2007 - The Associated Press
Final testing is under way for a new 345-megawatt
power transmission line between Maine and
New Brunswick, which will link the electrical
systems of the state and the Canadian Maritimes
Provinces.
- Groups
Criticize Energy Corridors
Nov 19, 2007 - Las Vegas Review
A federal plan for energy corridors running
through Nevada and other Western states drew
fire from environmental groups Thursday.
- California
ISO is First to Allocate Ten-Year Transmission
Rights in Accordance With Energy Policy Act
Nov 13, 2007 - Business Wire
The California Independent System Operator
Corporation (California ISO) has posted the
results of its allocation process for long-term
transmission rights--making it the first grid
operator to issue a ten-year financial hedge
for transmission users. Called Congestion
Revenue Rights (CRRS) by the California ISO,
the hedges provide Load Serving Entities (LSEs)
and other holders with a more stable cost
structure by offsetting the congestion costs
incurred for use of the high-voltage power
grid. The provision of long-term financial
commitments is in accordance with the directives
of the Energy Policy Act (EPAct).
- Wind
farm supporters say coal-plant decision dooms
their projects
Nov 12, 2007 - The Associated Press
As many as 13 potential wind-farm projects
in western Kansas could be in danger because
of the state's decision to reject two coal-fired
generating plants near Holcomb, proponents
of the wind farms said.
- Creating
a 21st Century Grid
Nov 9, 2007 - Stephen Lacey - RenewableEnergyAccess.com
Peterborough, New Hampshire [RenewableEnergyAccess.com]
In 1957, as Eisenhower began his second term
as U.S. President, the first satellite launched
into orbit and the first commercial nuclear
reactor came online, electrical workers all
over the country were installing the world's
most advanced transmission and distribution
(T&D) system. Today, much of that T&D system
installed 50 years ago remains in place, holding
together a patchwork grid for ever-expanding
electricity markets.
- Giant
power line planned: Interstate electric pathway
unveiled for peninsula
Nov 7 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News -
Kate House-Layton Delaware State News, Dover
Delmarva Power on Tuesday unveiled a plan
for a proposed interstate electric transmission
line.
- Lawmakers
file bill that would help connect clean energy
to the power grid
Nov 1, 2007 - Media Release - www.house.gov
Two members of the Select Committee on Energy
Independence and Global Warming, U.S. Reps.
Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.),
today introduced legislation in the House
that would make renewable electricity produced
in rural areas available to urban energy users.
- Progress
Energy Carolinas Plans Plant Addition, New
Transmission Line
Oct 29, 2007 - /PRNewswire-FirstCall
As population and energy usage in southern
and eastern North Carolina continue to grow,
Progress Energy Carolinas plans to invest
an estimated $700 million to $750 million
in building new electric generation capability
at its energy complex in Richmond County and
new transmission capacity to move electricity
to where it's needed.
- Californian
water utility commits to transmission for
renewables
Oct 26, 2007 - Renewable Energy Focus
A water utility in southern California will
construct a transmission line to tap into
1,600 MW of geothermal and solar capacity.
- Neptune
Underwater HVDC Project Saves LIPA $20 Million
Oct 25, 2007 - Transmission & Distribution
World
The 65-mile undersea and underground transmission
link connecting Long Island with New Jersey
saved the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA)
an estimated $20 million this summer during
the first 100 days of operation, LIPA announced
today during the dedication of the Neptune
Regional Transmission Project. The Project
is expected to result in more than $1 billion
in net benefits over 20 years to LIPA and
its customers.
- UHV
– international standards to be set
Oct 24, 2007 - Engineer Live
Ultra high voltage (UHV) transmission is one
of the most promising ways of helping electricity
suppliers meet their ever-growing demand.
A new set of international standards should
help to speed this development
- Historic
HVDC tie connects U.S. and Mexico power grids
Oct 24, 2007 - ABB Press Release
An historic step towards the integration of
the Texas and Mexico power grids was taken
on October 10 with the official opening of
the Sharyland high voltage direct current
interconnection.
- Allegheny:
More lines, cleaner energy
Oct 22, 2007 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional
News - J. Miles Layton - The Dominion Post
The watchdog that oversees North America's
power grid says the full promise of renewable
fuels cannot be harnessed without first building
more power lines that can carry this cleaner
energy to consumers.
- Alternative
to Powerlink is Proposed
Oct 19 - The San Diego Union-Tribune
Opponents of the Sunrise Powerlink yesterday
unveiled a detailed alternative plan for a
vast expansion of solar power and other measures
that they say would cost no more than the
proposed power line and provide greater energy
security and environmental benefits.
- PJM
Board Approves PHI's Proposed Interstate Transmission
Line
Oct 17, 2007 - Business Wire
PJM Interconnection, operator of the Mid-Atlantic
power grid, today approved Pepco Holdings,
Inc.'s (NYSE:POM) proposal to build a 230-mile
interstate power line to enhance electric
reliability and improve transmission capacity
in one of most heavily congested regions of
the country.
- Neptune
Cable Provides Mid-Atlantic Power, $20M Savings,
LIPA Says
Oct 11, 2007 - NGI's Power Market Today
The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) said
Thursday its use of the 65-mile long Neptune
Regional Transmission System, an underground,
high-voltage direct current cable running
from Sayreville, NJ, to New Cassel, NY, saved
the company more than $20 million and brought
nearly 1.2 million MWh of low-cost power to
Long Island during July, August and September.
- Western
power network studied: Transmission lines
could span four states to allow better sharing
of energy
Oct 11 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News -
Jack King Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
At least 10 private and governmental entities
are studying the possibility of major new
transmission lines that would connect Wyoming,
Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona in what could
be a blueprint for regional energy interconnection
lines.
- Sharyland
Utilities Commissions 150 Megawatt 'DC Tie'
Between Texas and Mexico
Oct 10, 2007 - /PRNewswire
Sharyland Utilities, L.P. announced that a
ceremonial commissioning event was held today
at the Sharyland Plantation in Mission, Texas,
for its new $40 million, 150 megawatt High
Voltage Direct Current Tie ("DC Tie") project
- Internet-like
energy system becoming reality
Oct 9, 2007 - Paul Hanley - The StarPhoenix
Several years ago, the futurist Jeremy Rifkin
predicted the world would build an energy
system that would resemble the Internet. The
Internet is, of course, the worldwide, publicly-accessible
series of interconnected computer networks
that consist of millions of smaller domestic,
academic, business and government information
networks. People everywhere can link to the
Internet, put information in and take it out.
- Interstate
Transmission Vision for Wind Integration
Oct 9, 2007 - American Electric Power
American Electric Power, working at the request
of, and in partnership with, the American
Wind Energy Association (AWEA), presents a
high-level, conceptual interstate transmission
plan that could provide a basis for discussion
to expand industry infrastructure needs in
the future. AEP believes that expansion of
Extra High Voltage (EHV) interstate transmission
systems provides increased reliability, market
efficiency, environmental optimization and
national security for the benefit of electric
customers across the United States.
- Summit
Reflects Collaborative Spirit on Transmission
in West
Oct 8, 2007 - Wind Energy Weekly
In an event underscoring the growing understanding
of transmission’s importance, Governors Dave
Freudenthal (D-Wyo.) and Bill Ritter (D-Colo.)
headlined a regional summit in Fort Collins,
Colo., aimed at increasing access to the Western
electric grid for wind and other renewable
energy sources.
- Texas
CREZ Plan Could Become National Model
Oct 8, 2007 - Wind Energy Weekly
The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT)
on October 2 issued an interim final order
in its high-profile “CREZ” case, designating
five “Competitive Renewable Energy Zones”
in West Texas and the Texas Panhandle and
authorizing development of transmission lines
needed to deliver electricity produced in
those windy areas to customers throughout
Texas.
- Texas
Decision Could Double Wind Power Capacity
in the U.S.
Oct 4, 2007 - RenewableEnergyAccess.com
CREZ Plan could become national model. The
Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) issued
an Interim Final Order yesterday that could
enable construction of up to 22,806 Megawatts
(MW) of new wind power in Texas. A final order,
transmission plan, and budget are still pending
before the Commission but are expected to
be finalized in early 2008.
- Feds
Announce Power Line Areas in Mid-Atlantic
States, Southwest
Oct 2, 2007 - Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Thinking of life without
the threat of power blackouts? So is the government,
and it moved Tuesday to ensure a nonstop flow
of electricity by designating large corridors
of the Southwest and mid-Atlantic as critical
to the nation's energy grid.
- New
Reports Show ISOs and RTOs Provide Tangible
Benefits
Oct 1, 2007 - energycentral.com
Three reports were released today by the ISO/RTO
Council (IRC) highlighting the value North
America’s 10 Independent System Operators
(ISOs) and Regional Transmission Organizations
(RTOs) bring to the electricity markets they
administer. The three reports focus on the
progress of competitive markets, as well as
how ISOs and RTOs help foster development
of demand response and renewable energy resources.
The reports were unveiled during a media briefing
in Washington, D.C., hosted by IRC-member
CEOs and senior executives.
- Reliable
and Sustainable Power Supply for Urban Demand
Centers Such As San Francisco
Sep 26, 2007 - New Release - Siemens
Trans Bay Cable, LLC has awarded Siemens Power
Transmission & Distribution, Inc. (SPT&D)
a contract worth more than US $150 million
to construct a 53-mile undersea high voltage
direct current (HVDC) transmission link between
San Francisco’s City Center electrical power
grid and a Pacific Gas & Electric substation
near Pittsburg, California. The HVDC PLUS
system will transmit up to 400 megawatts at
a direct current (DC) voltage of 200 kilovolts
and is the first order for Siemens using its
innovative HVDC PLUS technology. The main
advantages of the new HVDC PLUS link are the
increased network security and reliability
due to network upgrades and reduced system
losses.
- Consortium
to Spearhead Renewable Energy Transmission
Initiative
Sep 25, 2007 - energycentral.com
Imagine solar mirrors shimmering in the sun
and wind turbines harnessing the wind by generating
thousands of megawatts of clean, green power
from remote California deserts and hillsides.
- State
office advocates building power lines
Sep 23, 2007 - The Associated Press
The Schweitzer administration has a new ally
in its effort to develop energy in Montana:
a state office promoting power lines and other
energy infrastructure.
- Portrait
of a Mature Grid Operator
Sep 21, 2007 - William Sweet - IEEE Spectrum
Online
With electricity deregulation, independent
authorities have been established to manage
regional power systems. But not all are created
equal
- Bringing
Remote Renewable Energy to Market
Sep 19, 2007 - RenewableEnergyAccess.com
California consortium to spearhead renewable
energy transmission initiative. Although California
is blessed with some of the best geothermal,
wind and solar resources in the U.S. -- as
well as the policies and legislation in place
to do take advantage of those resources --
a number of the renewable energy-rich areas
are too far from the electric transmission
grid to render them useful.
- AEP,
ITC Complete Extra-High Voltage Transmission
Study
Sep 19, 2007 - American electric Power - energycentral.com
Companies recommend 700 miles of new, extra-high
voltage transmission linking Ohio to Michigan
to enhance reliability, and support a more
efficient generation market, including making
better use of existing generation
-
- Southwest
Power Pool Transmission Plan Caught in Catch-22
Sep 18, 2007 - Journal Record - Oklahoma City
Planning for the future of electricity generation
in Oklahoma is kind of like debating over
which came first: the chicken or the egg.
- Consortium
to Spearhead Renewable Energy Transmission
Initiative
Sept 17, 2007 - New Release - California Energy
Commission
Sacramento - Imagine solar mirrors shimmering
in the sun and wind turbines harnessing the
wind by generating thousands of megawatts
of clean, green power from remote California
deserts and hillsides.
- Southeastern
Transmission Owners Announce Inter-Regional
Transmission Planning Process
Sep 10, 2007 - PRNewwswire-First Call
In response to recent initiatives by the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to expand
regional coordination of electric transmission
systems, several Southeastern transmission
owners today proposed a plan to expand the
existing processes for regional transmission
planning. The plan outlines an inter-regional
process among the following transmission owners:
Alabama Electric Cooperative, Dalton Utilities,
Duke Energy Carolinas, Entergy Operating Companies,
Georgia Transmission Corporation, Municipal
Electric Authority of Georgia, Progress Energy
Carolinas, Santee Cooper, South Carolina Electric
and Gas, South Mississippi Electric Power
Association, Southern Company, and Tennessee
Valley Authority. The process proposed today
will be incorporated into each participating
transmission owner's planning process.
- Lack
of lines limit solar energy sales
Sep 1, 2007 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News
- Matt Hildner The Pueblo Chieftain, Colo.
If the large-scale production of solar energy
is going to take off in the San Luis Valley,
it will need some help getting to urban markets.
- Department
of Energy Official Touts Bush Administration's
Efforts to Modernize our Nation's Electric
Grid
Aug 29, 2007 - energycentral
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) newly
confirmed Assistant Secretary for the Office
of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability
Kevin M. Kolevar today highlighted the Bush
Administration's efforts to increase the use
of advanced technologies in the Nation's power
delivery system equipment, as well as DOE's
recent announcement to invest up to $51.8
million to modernize and secure our nation's
electric grid. Mr. Kolevar visited the Entergy
Louisiana Operations Center in Gretna, LA.
The Entergy Corporation, DOE's Oak Ridge National
Laboratory and nkt cables of Germany joined
the Southwire Company's team, which was selected
by the DOE in June to receive up to $13.3
million to install a high-temperature superconducting
cable to solve real-world electrical congestion
near downtown New Orleans.
- Four
Entities Team Up on Transmission Development
Work
Aug 14, 2007 - Business Wire
With the common goal of bringing new transmission
to the Rocky Mountain and Desert Southwest
regions, Arizona Public Service Company, PacifiCorp,
National Grid and the Wyoming Infrastructure
Authority today announced they have entered
into an agreement to work together on preliminary
development of new high-voltage transmission
lines for the West.
- Canadian
premiers air energy grid; greenhouse gas curbs
asked
Aug 9, 2007 - Chris Morris - Canadian
Press (AP)
MONCTON, New Brunswick --Canada's premiers
are encouraging the concept of a national
transmission grid to make sure Canadians
benefit fully from the country's energy
resources.
- New
transmission lines: Worth the high cost?
Aug 6, 2007 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News
The state is in a headlong rush to extend
its electric transmission system. But with
an estimated cost of more than $10 billion
-- at least $500 for every man, woman and
child served by the Texas power grid -- some
are questioning how much is too much.
- PG&E
Signs Agreement With Solel for 553 Megawatts
of Solar Power
Jul 25, 2007 - PRNewswire-FirstCall
Pacific Gas and Electric Company announced
today that it has entered into a landmark
renewable energy agreement with Solel-MSP-1
to purchase renewable energy from the Mojave
Solar Park, to be constructed in California's
Mojave Desert. The project will deliver 553
megawatts of solar power, the equivalent of
powering 400,000 homes, to PG&E's customers
in northern and central California. The Mojave
Solar Park project is now the world's largest
single solar commitment.
- IREC
Publishes Updated "Connecting to the Grid"
Guide
Jul 13, 2007 - Interstate Rnewable Energy
Council
The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC)
has published a new edition of its Connecting
to the Grid guide. The fifth edition of this
guide, published in July 2007, addresses new
and lingering interconnection issues relevant
to all distributed generation (DG) technologies,
including renewables, fuel cells, microturbines
and reciprocating engines. Because interconnection
issues remain largely in the domain of the
states, the guide has been designed for state
regulators and other policymakers, utilities,
industry representatives and consumers interested
in the development of state-level interconnection
standards.
- Ford
and Southern California Edison Partner on
PHEV Research
Jul 13, 2007 - Clean Edge News
Ford and Southern California Edison are combining
resources to explore ways to make plug-in
hybrid (PHEV) vehicles more accessible to
consumers, reduce petroleum-related emissions
and improve the cost-effectiveness of the
nation’s electricity grid
http://www.cleanedge.com/story.php?nID=4822
- New
battery packs powerful punch
Jul 5, 2007 - Paul Davidson - USA Today
A new type of a room-size battery, however,
may be poised to store energy for the nation's
vast electric grid almost as easily as a reservoir
stockpiles water, transforming the way power
is delivered to homes and businesses. Compared
with other utility-scale batteries plagued
by limited life spans or unwieldy bulk, the
sodium-sulfur battery is compact, long-lasting
and efficient.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/environment/2007-07-04-sodium-battery_N.htm?POE=click-refer
- PG&E
Teams With Google to Demonstrate Vehicle-To-Grid
Technology at the Company's Mountain View
Campus
Jun 19, 2007 - PRNewswire-FirstCall
San Francisco - Pacific Gas and Electric
Company (PG&E) today announced it has teamed
with Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) to demonstrate
Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology at the search
leader's Mountain View campus as part of the
company's philanthropic initiative to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to
global warming through Google.org. The two
companies also celebrated the completion of
Google's 1.6 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic system
at the campus, for which PG&E will award the
company approximately $4.5 million in incentives
-- one of the largest commercial solar rebates
ever for the utility.
- PacifiCorp
investing $4 billion in transmission lines
May 30, 2007 - bizjournals.com
PacifiCorp will spend more than $4 billion
to build high-voltage transmission lines connecting
Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Oregon and the Southwest.
The 1,200-mile network will carry 500 kilovolts
of power in Wyoming connecting to 1.7 million
customers in the West served by Pacific Power
and its sibling, Rocky Mountain Power.
http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?Feed=ACBJ&Date=20070530&ID=6974748
- National
Grid Invests More Than $600 Million in Electric
System Enhancements During the Last 12 Months
May 9, 2007 - Business Wire
Westborough, Mass. - National Grid made a
record investment of more than $600 million
in enhancements to its electricity networks
in New York and New England during the first
year of a five-year plan to enhance reliable
electric service for its customers. During
the five-year period between March 2006 and
2011, the company projects that capital expenditure
on enhancements to its existing U.S. electricity
and gas networks will total more than $3 billion.
- FEDS
OFFER NEW HEARINGS ON POWER LINE EXPANSIONS
May 9 - Devlin Barrett - The Associated Press
Federal officials said Wednesday they will
expand their public hearings on two proposed
electricity "transmission corridors" - designations
that could spur the building of major new
power lines in many states regardless of local
opposition.
- NSTAR
Energizes Major Underground Transmission Line
May 3, 2007 - Business Wire
BOSTON: NSTAR has officially flipped the switch
on its massive underground transmission project,
easing congestion in the regional power grid
and adding much-needed capacity to the existing
system. The 18-mile high-voltage transmission
line is one of the largest electric infrastructure
upgrades in the history of the United States
utility industry. It will help ensure the
region can meet steadily growing energy demand
in time for the all-important summer peak.
- Russia
Plans World's Longest Tunnel, a Link to Alaska
(Update4)
Apr 18, 2007 - Bloomberg - Yuriy Humber and
Bradley Cook
Russia plans to build the world's longest
tunnel, a transport and pipeline link under
the Bering Strait to Alaska, as part of a
$65 billion project to supply the U.S. with
oil, natural gas and electricity from Siberia.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a5OJJzlp0xwM
- Senate
OKs Renewable Energy Power Line Bill
Apr 13, 2007 - The Pueblo Chieftain
After more than two months of debate, compromise,
rewriting and more rewriting, a measure to
help erect power transmission lines in rural
Colorado from renewable energy plants won
preliminary approval in the Senate on Thursday.
- Canadian
government gives first permit to cross-border
power line
Apr 6, 2007 - The Associated Press
A proposed cross-border power transmission
line connecting electric systems in Alberta
and Montana has cleared a major regulatory
hurdle in Canada.
-
Expanding
the Grid
Mar 30, 2007 - Ken Silverstein - EnergyBiz
Insider - Editor-in-Chief
Western states want to expand
their grid to improve regional electrical
reliability and make room for renewable
energy resources. Altogether, eight transmission
owners and operators have come together
to provide a high voltage backbone transmission
system between Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico
and Arizona.
- Stakeholders
Convene to Discuss Wyoming-West, TOT-3 Transmission
Projects
Mar 21, 2007 - Wind Energy Week
At a meeting that included the Wyoming Infrastructure
Authority (WIA), Trans-Elect, LLC, and National
Grid, PLC, to address the Wyoming-West and
TOT-3 transmission projects, participants
clearly spoke of the initiatives as “wind
first” transmission lines with respect to
their use.
- Now
on Governor's Desk, Colorado's SB100 Would
Create Transmission Resource Zones
Mar 19, 2007 - Wind Energy Weekly
A bill aimed at getting the transmission built
that’s crucial to connecting renewable energy
resources with load centers in Colorado cleared
the state legislature and at press time was
sitting on Governor Bill Ritter’s (D) desk,
awaiting his signature. The governor is expected
to sign the legislation.
- Southern
Company and DOE Show New Technology to Enhance
Reliability of Electric Transmission System
Mar 16, 2007 - PRNewswire-FirstCall
Southern Company today demonstrated a new
technology at its Power Coordination Center
in Birmingham, Ala., as a top Department of
Energy (DOE) official attended the dedication
ceremony. The technology, trade-named GenVARR(TM),
provides new, real-time calculations of generator
reactive power reserves to operators of electric
transmission systems, allowing them to increase
the reliability of electricity delivered from
power plants to customers across large geographic
regions.
- Alternative-Energy
Bill Heads to Ritter; Plan Would Make
It Easier to Transmit Solar, Wind Power
Mar 5, 2007 - The Gazette, Colorado
A key component of Gov. Bill Ritter's renewable-energy
agenda moved closer to approval Friday, with
the House voting to ease obstacles to building
transmission lines needed to bring wind and
solar power to market.
- House
tentatively approves plan to build electric
lines
Mar 2, 2007 - The Associated Press
The House gave initial approval Friday to
a plan to allow electric companies recover
the cost of building new transmission lines
after lawmakers said the state needs a way
to deliver on its promise to promote renewable
energy.
- Utilities
Seek to End Isolation of Northern Maine's
Power Grid
Mar 1, 2007 - NGI's Power Market Today
In an effort to create a more competitive
electricity market in Maine, officials at
Maine & Maritimes Corp. confirmed Thursday
that its subsidiary Maine Public Service Co.
(MPS), and Central Maine Power (CMP) have
agreed to study the feasibility of a new power
transmission line that would directly connect
the Aroostook County power grid to the rest
of the state.
- First
Segment of SCE's Renewable Energy Transmission
Project Approved
Mar 1, 2007 - Businesswire
The California Public Utilities Commission
(CPUC) today approved Southern California
Edison's (SCE) application to build segment
one of the Tehachapi renewable transmission
project.
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070301005980&newsLang=en
- AEP,
MidAmerican Joint Venture Floats $4.2B Transmission
Plan for Texas
Feb 27, 2007 - NGI's Power Market Today
Electric Transmission Texas LLC (ETT), a joint
venture of American Electric Power and MidAmerican
Energy Holdings, wasted no time in coming
up with a massive new transmission plan for
Texas to support renewable energy development
and load growth. The plan includes more than
$4.2 billion in new transmission, including
a 1,000-mile project that would support development
of Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ)
and a 900-mile, high-voltage, high-capacity
backbone transmission system that would support
reliability and growth.
- Power
agency discussed proposed 1,000-mile transmission
line
Feb 20, 2007 - The Associated Press
Developers who want to build three coal-fired
plants near Holcomb are gathering comments
from landowners whose property would be used
to construct a 1,000-mile power transmission
line from Colorado to Finney County to help
power the plants.
- Undersea
cable could bring 'green' power to Hub
Feb 14, 2007 - Tribune Business News
As two companies press ahead on projects bringing
natural gas to Boston through offshore terminals,
a third group is also looking to the sea for
a new source of energy -- a 140-mile underwater
electric cable from Maine to South Boston.
- Maine,
New Brunswick ink accord to cooperate on electricity
links
Feb 9, 2007 - The Associated Press
The leaders of Maine and New Brunswick agreed
Friday to explore ways to enhance cooperative
efforts to expand their electrical interconnections.
- California
ISO Enters New Era of Transmission Planning
Jan 24, 2007 - Business Wire
The California Independent System Operator
Corporation (California ISO) has entered a
new era of transmission planning with a comprehensive
plan that examines what California's power
grid will need one to three years from now
to ease bottlenecks and enhance reliability
and what will be needed in five to 15 years
to keep up with the expected growth in energy
supply and demand.
- AEP
and MidAmerican Move Forward with Texas Transmission
Joint Venture
Jan 23, 2007 - American Electric Power
American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP - News)
and MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company are
moving forward with formation of Electric
Transmission Texas LLC (ETT) as a joint venture
to build transmission facilities in Texas.
ETT filed with the Public Utility Commission
of Texas yesterday for approval to operate
as an electric transmission utility in Texas.
The filing also seeks to establish initial
rates for ETT.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070123/cltu037.html?.v=84
- Maine
finds no insurmountable obstacles to leaving
regional grid
Jan 22, 2007 - David Sharp - The Associated
Press
Maine ratepayers don't get enough in return
for participating in the regional power grid
and there are "no insurmountable legal, economic
or technical barriers" to leaving it, according
to a preliminary report by the Maine Public
Utilities Commission.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2007/01/19/maine_finds_no_insurmountable_obstacles_to_leaving_regional_grid/
- Black
& Veatch receives safety award from PG&Efor
major power transmission project
Jan 9, 2007 - Overland Park, Kan
Black & Veatch was recently awarded the 2006
Supplier Safety Award by Pacific Gas & Electric
Company (PG&E) in connection with engineering,
procurement and construction work on one of
the longest 230-Kilovolt (kV) underground
transmission projects in the United States.
PG&E’s Jefferson-Martin project in the San
Francisco Peninsula logged more than 1.3 million
safe work hours on the project. The project
comprised 24 miles of underground and 3.5
miles of overhead transmission line construction
- The
Potential for Residential Demand Response
on Transmission and Distribution Assets
Dec 29, 2006 - Energy Pulse
The power grid has evolved over the last century
to meet the demands of many different customers.
From REA’s and co-ops to industrials, grid
connections have been engineered to deliver
during peak consumption periods over their
projected lifespan. Designing for the lifespan
of transmission and distribution decades ago
would have used a percentage estimate for
increase in annual demand, as no other options
were possible. Without load shedding, shifting
and demand response (DR) technologies of the
last decade, design would have been an open-ended
exercise – the engineers would have chosen
a number they thought appropriate and designed
accordingly. And this still may have been
design practice today.
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1395
- National
Transmission Corridors
Dec 27,2006 - Energy Bizz Insider
Can new federal laws succeed in helping the
nation build a modern grid in tune with a
digital society? The Energy Policy Act of
2005 is now being put to the test.
- Groundbreaking
Minnesota Wind Integration Study find up to
25% Wind can be Incorporated Reliably into
Electric Power System
Dec 13, 2006 - Awea
Results of a new study show that, under
the right policies, utilities can incorporate
wind power into their resource portfolio,
comprising up to one-fourth of their delivered
energy, without sacrificing reliability and
with minor costs for absorbing the wind.
http://www.awea.org/newsroom/releases/Groundbreaking_Minnesota_Wind_Integration_Study_121306.html
- Cracking
the bottlenecks
Dec 12, 2006 - Ken Silverstein - Energy Biz
Insider
Federal regulators are revving up. They’re
preparing to take steps to begin building
new transmission lines, particularly lines
that are considered vital to the national
interest. It’s all part of the objectives
of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which include
constructing a grid that is in tune with a
modern economy and a digital society. Transmission
planning has long been an onerous process.
- Major
Eastern Transmission Lines Promise NE Supply
Diversity
Dec 11, 2006 - NGI's Power Market Today
Whether fully recognized or not, electric
transmission has become an ever-more valuable
strategic resource, and the only key remaining
question is who develops and pays for it,
according to a preview provided Power Market
Today Thursday of the Massachusetts-based
consulting firm Energy Security Analysis Inc.'s
(ESAI) study focused on the East, "The New
Transmission Vision." The full report will
be published in January.
http://intelligencepress.com/features/top_power/last_week.emb
- Utilities back plan for Wyoming-to-Calif.
power lines
Dec 7, 2006 - Market Watch
San Francisco - Seven western U.S. electric
utilities are backing the plans of four
western governors to build huge power lines
from northeast Wyoming to southern California,
a project that
could bring down electricity bills and add
additional supplies to a tight power market.
http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?siteid=mktw&guid={D075217F-DEC7-4D3F-965B-BFD72B81C42E}
- Western Governors Urge FERC to Adopt
Conditional Firm Service
Dec 5, 2006 - energycentral.com
Western governors urged FERC to adopt transmission
reforms that would promote more flexible use
of the existing transmission system and provide
| |
