RMEL eNews

Industry Information

Spot, the Robot, Keeps National Grid Employees Safe at HVDC Converter Station

National Grid’s Sandy Pond High Voltage Direct Current Converter Station imports hydroelectric power from the north of Canada for distribution in the northeastern United States. The thyristor valve hall is a 5-story building the size of a soccer field which converts direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) at the station.

Visit https://www.power-grid.com/executive-insight/spot-the-robot-keeps-national-grid-employees-safe-at-hvdc-converter-station/ to view the full article online.

Alliant, Duke Announce Generator Shutdowns, Accelerating Nation's Transition to Coal-Free Status

Alliant Energy on Tuesday announced it would retire its 1,100 MW Columbia Energy Center, making the company's subsidiary Wisconsin Power & Light coal-free by 2025.

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/alliant-duke-announce-coal-shutdowns-accelerating-nations-transition-to/594476/ to view the full article online.

Construction Begins on World’s Largest Integrated Solar-Powered Battery System

Florida Power & Light Company announced that construction has begun on the FPL Manatee Energy Storage Center, which is expected to become the world’s largest integrated solar-powered battery system, according to the company.

Visit https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/solar/construction-begins-on-worlds-largest-integrated-solar-powered-battery-system/ to view the full article online.

'This is Just the Beginning': Southwest Power Pool Begins Operating Western Imbalance Market

Southwest Power Pool (SPP) on Monday began operating its new Western Energy Imbalance Services (WEIS) market, kicking off the real-time balancing market with a half dozen regional utilities participating.

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/this-is-just-the-beginning-southwest-power-pool-begins-operating-western/594334/ to view the full article online.

Hydro Review: Data Down Under: Creating a Risk-Based Approach to Dam Monitoring and Maintenance

As dam assets age, accurate monitoring becomes increasingly important to ensure safety. With the impact of broad trends such as increasing urbanization and global warming, the challenges facing dam owners and the potential consequences of failure are mounting.

Visit https://www.hydroreview.com/dams-and-civil-structures/hydro-review-data-down-under-creating-a-risk-based-approach-to-dam-monitoring-and-maintenance/ to view the full article online.

U.S. Department of Energy Announces $15 Million in Funding Opportunities for Direct Air Capture Technologies

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE) has announced up to $15 million in federally funded financial assistance for cost-shared research and development projects under the funding opportunity announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0002402, Carbon Capture R&D: Bench-Scale Testing of Direct Air Capture Components (TRL 3) and Initial Engineering Design for Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Systems from Air (TRL 6).

Visit https://www.energy.gov/fe/articles/us-department-energy-announces-15-million-funding-opportunities-direct-air-capture-0 to view the full article online.

IRENA and IHA Forge Partnership to Advance Sustainable Hydropower

In recognition of their shared objectives to increase the uptake of renewable energy, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the International Hydropower Association (IHA) have signed a formal partnership agreement.

Visit https://electricenergyonline.com/article/energy/category/hydro/86/879920/irena-and-iha-forge-partnership-to-advance-sustainable-hydropower.html to view the full article online.

HPQ and Apollon Solar Renew Their Agreement to Pursue the Development of Silicon Materials for Energy Storage and Hydrogen Production

Innovative silicon solutions provider HPQ Silicon Resources Inc. (“HPQ” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: HPQ; FWB: UGE; Other OTC : HPQFF), is proud to announce the sixth renewal of its agreement with Apollon Solar SAS (“Apollon”) to continue developing nanoscale and porous silicon materials for energy storage, hydrogen production and high value-added applications.

Visit https://energycentral.com/news/hpq-and-apollon-solar-renew-their-agreement-pursue-development-silicon-materials-energy-storage to view the full article online.

Annual Energy Outlook 2021

The Annual Energy Outlook presents an assessment by the U.S. Energy Information Administration of the outlook for energy markets through 2050.

Visit https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/aeo/ to view the full article online.

Gas-Powered Infrastructure Achieves First Fire at Southern-Managed DOE Carbon Capture Testing Site

The National Carbon Capture Center has announced the “first fire” of its new natural gas infrastructure, paving the way for the first test runs of carbon capture technologies using actual natural gas-derived flue gas.

Visit https://www.power-eng.com/coal/clean-coal-technologies/gas-powered-infrastructure-achieves-first-fire-at-southern-managed-doe-carbon-capture-testing-site/ to view the full article online.

Elon Musk’s Ex-Chief Engineer Creates A New Car—And Says It Beats Tesla

The $169,000 Lucid Air is coming this spring, and Peter Rawlinson claims it’ll be the fastest, longest-range electric vehicle on the planet. He should know. A decade ago, he engineered Tesla’s Model S.

Visit https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2021/02/04/elon-musks-ex-chief-engineer-creates-a-new-car-and-says-it-beats-tesla/?sh=390b388b5b2e to view the full article online.

FirstEnergy Protects Line Workers With New Devices

More than 12,000 FirstEnergy employees show up to work each day to ensure power is delivered safely and efficiently to more than six million customers across its six-state service area.

Visit https://www.tdworld.com/electric-utility-operations/tools-and-technologies/article/21149823/firstenergy-protects-line-workers-with-new-devices to view the full article online.

Experts Tell Biden: Your Climate Goals Require a Carbon Price

Meeting the climate goals of President Joe Biden will require setting a national cost for carbon pollution and spending heavily on social programs to assist Americans hurt by the clean-energy transition.

Visit https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-04/experts-tell-biden-how-to-fix-climate-and-inequality?srnd=green to view the full article online.

Member Announcements

At One-Year Anniversary of Clean Energy Commitment, APS Reports Steady Progress

In the year since Arizona Public Service (APS) announced its bold commitment to serve customers with 100% clean, carbon-free energy by 2050, the company has made steady progress toward that goal.

Visit https://www.aps.com/en/About/Our-Company/Newsroom/Articles/At-one-year-anniversary-of-clean-energy-commitment-APS-reports-steady-progress to view the full article online.

Basin Electric an Inaugural Participant in New Electricity Market

Basin Electric was an inaugural participant in Southwest Power Pool’s (SPP) Western Energy Imbalance Services (WEIS) market, which was launched at midnight Feb. 1.

Visit https://www.basinelectric.com/news-center/news-briefs/basin-electric-inaugural-participant-new-electricity-market to view the full article online.

El Paso Electric Partners with Casa Nissan to Offer Discounts on Electric Vehicles

El Paso Electric (EPE) customers now have 13,500 reasons why they should leave the gas tank behind and plug-in to a brighter, cleaner and more sustainable future all while saving several thousand dollars along the way.

Visit https://www.epelectric.com/company/news/el-paso-electric-partners-with-casa-nissan-to-offer-discounts-on-electric-vehicles to view the full article online.

Evergy Appoints Kirkland B. Andrews Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Evergy, Inc. (NYSE: EVRG) announced Kirk Andrews will become the company’s executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective Feb. 22, 2021. Andrews fills the role currently held by Tony Somma, who announced his plans to depart the company on January 8.

Visit https://investors.evergy.com/news-releases/news-release-details/evergy-appoints-kirkland-b-andrews-executive-vice-president-and to view the full article online.

2021 Funds Available From LES’ Sustainable Energy Program

Lincoln Electric System’s Sustainable Energy Program is returning in 2021 with $1.25 million in incentive funds.

Visit https://www.les.com/about-les/news/view?article_id=123503 to view the full article online.

First Student, First Transit and NextEra Energy Resources Agree to Jointly Pursue Electrification of Tens of Thousands of School and Public Transportation Vehicles Across the U.S. and Canada

irst Student, Inc., First Transit, Inc., and NextEra Energy Resources, LLC announced they have entered into a framework agreement and are working toward a joint venture to pursue the electrification of tens of thousands of school and public transportation vehicles across the U.S. and Canada.

Visit http://newsroom.nexteraenergy.com/2021-01-26-First-Student-First-Transit-and-NextEra-Energy-Resources-agree-to-jointly-pursue-electrification-of-tens-of-thousands-of-school-and-public-transportation-vehicles-across-the-U-S-and-Canada to view the full article online.

Platte River Helps Communities Respond to COVID-19

When the COVID-19 pandemic began to emerge in 2020, Platte River took measures that emphasized staff safety and system reliability.

Visit https://www.prpa.org/other-news/platte-river-helps-communities-respond-to-covid-19/ to view the full article online.

PNM Meter Reader Saves Customer’s Life

Very few know the streets in town as well as a PNM meter reader. Each one walks an
average of 8-10 miles per day and drives 20-40 miles per day, collectively, reading about 567,000 electric meters statewide per month.

Visit https://www.pnm.com/documents/396023/22818938/NEWS+RELEASE+-+PNM+meter+reader+saves+life_011921.pdf/b97d9a18-abbf-be01-e500-44276fe12988?t=1611106866385 to view the full article online.

Southern Power to add Battery Energy Storage Resources to two California Solar Projects

Southern Power, a leading U.S. wholesale energy provider and subsidiary of Southern Company, has been awarded two 20-year power purchase agreements by Southern California Edison (SCE) and is adding battery-based energy storage resources at both Southern Power’s Tranquillity Solar Facility and Garland Solar Facility in California.

Visit https://www.southerncompany.com/newsroom/2021/feb-2021/southern-power-to-add-battery-energy-storage.html to view the full article online.

SRP Offers Free Energy Savings Kits to Limited-Income Customers in Multifamily Communities

Salt River Project’s Multifamily Solutions Program is designed to help multifamily communities become more energy efficient.

Visit https://media.srpnet.com/srp-offers-free-energy-saving-kits-to-limited-income-customers/ to view the full article online.

Southwest Power Pool Expands Offerings to Western Utilities With Launch of New Electricity Market

The real-time balancing market is the latest of SPP’s contract-based Western Energy Services to be implemented in the Western Interconnection and is expected to lower wholesale electricity costs, increase price transparency, and mitigate congestion on the transmission system for market participants.

Visit https://www.tristategt.org/southwest-power-pool-expands-offerings-western-utilities-launch-new-electricity-market to view the full article online.

TEP Finishes Record Year for Service Reliability

Tucson Electric Power’s service was more reliable last year than ever before as we rose to the challenge of serving our customers’ energy needs amid record-setting heat and a public health crisis.

Visit https://www.tep.com/news/tep-finishes-record-year-for-service-reliability/ to view the full article online.

WAPA's Transparency Site Updated With FY 2020 Data

On Jan. 29, Western Area Power Administration met its commitment to customers and stakeholders to update The Source with financial and operational information for the past fiscal year, which included returning $272.3 million to the U.S. Treasury, totaling nearly $2.6 billion over the past eight years.

Visit https://www.wapa.gov/newsroom/NewsReleases/2021/Pages/wapa-transparency-site-update-2020.aspx to view the full article online.

Xcel Energy Seeks New Solar Projects Near Sherco Power Plant

Xcel Energy is seeking proposals to add approximately 500 megawatts of new large-scale solar near the existing Sherco Power Plant in Becker, Minn.

Visit https://www.xcelenergy.com/company/media_room/news_releases/xcel_energy_seeks_new_solar_projects_near_sherco_power_plant to view the full article online.

Rocky Mountain Electrical League