January 19
Virtual Peaker, OMPA Partner on Demand Response Program
Top consumer smart energy news hand-selected and brought to you by the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative.
Member News
Virtual Peaker announced a strategic partnership with the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority (OMPA) to launch Turn Down the Watts, a new bring-your-own-device (BYOD) thermostat program to help reduce energy consumption during periods of high demand. OMPA is a collaborative organization that serves as a wholesale power provider, supporting 42 municipally owned electric utilities in Oklahoma.
FirstEnergy subsidiary Potomac Edison has submitted a five-year Electric School Bus Pilot Program proposal to the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) which the utility says will support Maryland’s Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022, which requires any new school buses contracted or purchased by public school systems in the state to have zero emissions.
As 2024 unfolds, we’re on the cusp of a transformative era where artificial intelligence (AI) is pivotal. TMG, a trusted energy and utility industry advisor, is excited to announce a strategic partnership with powerconnectAI Inc., a startup and pioneer in generative AI technology. This collaboration will fuse TMG’s deep industry insights with powerconnectAI’s innovative AI tools, revolutionizing customer engagement and enhancing clean energy solutions and other related service requests.
Despite national polls showing broad support for utility-scale solar among rural Americans, solar developers now report that community opposition and restrictive siting ordinances are leading causes of project delays and cancellations. Residents living near proposed and existing utility-scale solar sites have voiced a number of concerns, including its possible impacts on farmland and agricultural production.
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Industry News
It was easy to make the case for the low cost of electric vehicle charging way back in 2022 when gasoline prices were high and charging an EV was about 70 percent cheaper than filling up at the pump. But now that the price of gasoline is dipping below $3 per gallon, is it still cheaper to fill up a car on electrons rather than gasoline? The answer is yes — by a lot.
The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation on Wednesday said it had awarded nearly $150 million in grants to upgrade existing electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. The 24 grants in 20 states will be used to repair or replace nearly 4,500 existing EV charging ports. In some cases, the grants will be used to bring the chargers up to code, officials said. The grants complement the billions of dollars invested by federal and private entities to build out the national EV charging network.
The Lansing Board of Water & Light recently announced the launch of its new electrification rebate program, which it said is aimed “at promoting sustainable practices and encouraging customers to adopt cleaner, electric home and business equipment options.” Part of BWL’s Hometown Energy Savers®, this new program incentivizes BWL electric customers to transition to electric technologies that provide more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly choices.
Renewable energy didn’t just grow last year — it expanded at a pace not seen in years. An estimated 507 gigawatts of renewable electricity were added to grids around the world in 2023 — a new record, and an almost 50 percent year-over-year increase from 2022. That’s the fastest growth rate renewable additions have seen in over two decades. Solar — both utility-scale and rooftop — is the undisputed leader when it comes to new generation.
