August 6
Duke Reaches 10,000-MW Renewable Energy Milestone
Top consumer smart energy news hand-selected and brought to you by the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative.
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With the 144-MW Pflugerville Solar facility recently coming online, Duke Energy reached a significant milestone – it now owns, operates or purchases more than 10,000 MW of solar and wind energy throughout the United States from both its regulated and unregulated businesses. Duke Energy’s renewables portfolio includes nearly 200 sites in 22 states, with more than 1000 MW of new projects under construction throughout the country, including Florida, Texas and the Carolinas.
National Grid has partnered with Sunnova Energy and SolarEdge Technologies to use the companies’ distributed resources for an efficient grid network in the region. Sunnova’s aggregated residential solar and storage portfolio delivers over 150 GWh of clean energy per year to New England’s homeowners, which will now be integrated with National Grid’s main network. The DERs will provide voltage support across Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Xcel Energy, in its second quarter earnings report last Thursday, said it plans to significantly accelerate decarbonization efforts in its home state of Minnesota and will cut emissions by 85 percent by 2030. Xcel is preparing for a major transition, with long-time CEO and Chairman Ben Fowke slated to retire in August and turn over the reins to Bob Frenzel, President and Chief Operating Officer.
Con Edison and its affiliate Orange & Rockland (O&R) Utilities have issued a request for proposals (RFP) seeking developers to install large battery storage systems. The battery storage systems would be placed in New York City and four counties to the north. They would go into operation by the end of 2025. Con Edison is seeking projects that total at least 200 MW in New York City and Westchester County, while O&R is looking for projects totaling 10 MW.
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Industry News
Although 2021 is only halfway over, state utility regulators and regional grid operators have had their hands full grappling with issues at the cutting edge of the energy transition. How can utilities develop resource plans that align with state policy goals? How do all those mobile batteries in the growing fleet of electric vehicles (EVs) integrate with the grid? How can customers get the support they need to make smarter energy decisions?
Renewable energy surpassed coal and nuclear generation, becoming the number two generation source in 2020, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Electric power generated by wind, hydroelectric, solar, biomass and geothermal sources reached a record 834 billion kWh, or about 21 percent of the electricity generated in the United States last year, according to the EIA.
A new pilot project to install electric vehicle chargers on light poles in Kansas City, Missouri, could reduce one of the most commonly cited barriers to greater electric vehicle adoption: The lack of accessible charging infrastructure. The barriers are especially acute for the millions of Americans who don't have garages.
Exelon Utilities announced a new goal that would see the company reduce its operations-driven emissions by 50 percent as of 2030 and further cut those emissions to net-zero by 2050. These expanded goals will apply to each of the utilities under Exelon Utilities’ umbrella: Atlantic City Electric, BGE, ComEd, Delmarva Power, PECO and PEPCO. Collectively, they supply electricity and gas to more than 10 million customers across five states and the District of Columbia.
