RMEL eNews

Industry Information

DC Approves Disputed Pepco Rate Increase in New Approach to Utility Regulation

District of Columbia regulators on Friday approved Potomac Electric Power Company's (Pepco) multi-year rate plan (MRP), authorizing the utility to recover $108.6 million through higher rates over three years, from 2020 to 2022.

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/dc-approves-pepco-exelon-multi-year-rate-plan-despite-widespread-objections-rate-increase/601428/ to view the full article online.

New England States Push for Governance Changes in ISO-NE, Ahead of Anticipated MOPR Reform

State regulators in the Northeast are cautiously optimistic that the new administration and improved relations with their grid operator will finally place their states — and their region — on a path toward dramatically reducing emissions in the next decade.

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/new-england-states-push-iso-ne-governance-changes-mopr-caspr-reform/601342/ to view the full article online.

FERC Issues Preliminary Permit for 250-kW Manville Dam Project

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has issued a preliminary permit to One Drop Hydro LLC to study the feasibility of the 250-kW Manville Dam Project in Providence County, Rhode Island.

Visit https://www.hydroreview.com/regulation-and-policy/ferc-issues-preliminary-permit-for-250-kw-manville-dam-project/ to view the full article online.

Koehler Converts German CHP Plant From Coal to Biomass

The Koehler Group has announced plans to fully convert its power plant at its Oberkirch location in Germany to a combined heat and power plant using biomass as a fuel.

Visit https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/baseload/koehler-converts-german-chp-plant-from-coal-to-biomass/ to view the full article online.

DOE Announces $5 Million to Improve Flexibility and Reliability of Advanced Power Plant Technology

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management announced that it has selected the West Virginia University Research Corporation to receive $5 million for the research and development of an advanced component that can improve the ability of thermal power plants to generate highly-flexible, low-carbon power from traditional, renewable, and nuclear energy.

Visit https://www.energy.gov/fe/articles/doe-announces-5-million-improve-flexibility-and-reliability-advanced-power-plant to view the full article online.

Secretary Granholm Launches Energy Earthshots Initiative to Accelerate Breakthroughs Toward a Net-Zero Economy

Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm launched the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy Earthshots Initiative, to accelerate breakthroughs of more abundant, affordable, and reliable clean energy solutions within the decade.

Visit https://electricenergyonline.com/article/energy/category/biofuel/83/903657/secretary-granholm-launches-energy-earthshots-initiative-to-accelerate-breakthroughs-toward-a-net-zero-economy.html to view the full article online.

New Infrastructure Connects West Texas Natural Gas-Producing Areas to Demand Markets

Recently completed pipeline projects in Texas and Mexico have increased natural gas transportation capacity from the Waha Hub—located near Permian Basin production activities in West Texas—to the U.S. Gulf Coast and Mexico.

Visit https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=48276 to view the full article online.

The Increasing Importance of Advanced Weather Technologies In Building Utility Operations and Field Services Resiliency

Advanced weather technologies are changing utilities’ approach to operations and long-term capital investments.

Visit https://www.power-grid.com/webcasts/the-increasing-importance-of-advanced-weather-technologies-in-building-utility-operations-and-field-services-resiliency/ to view the full article online.

Bill Gates’ TerraPower Chooses Wyoming to Build Next-Gen Nuclear Reactor

A next-generation, small nuclear plant will be built at a soon-to-be retired coal-fired power plant in Wyoming in the next several years, business and government officials said.

Visit https://www.power-eng.com/nuclear/bill-gates-terrapower-chooses-wyoming-to-build-next-gen-nuclear-power-plant/ to view the full article online.

Report Shows Grid-Scale U.S. Storage Capacity Could Grow Five-Fold by 2050

With declining technology costs and increasing renewable deployment, energy storage is poised to be a valuable resource on future power grids — but what is the total market potential for storage technologies and what are the key drivers of cost-optimal deployment?

Visit https://www.tdworld.com/renewables/article/21166155/report-shows-gridscale-us-storage-capacity-could-grow-fivefold-by-2050 to view the full article online.

Member Announcements

Austin Energy’s EV Auto Dealership Engagement Initiative Wins Smart Cities Award

Austin Energy’s Electric Vehicle Auto Dealership Engagement Initiative is a Smart Cities Smart 50 Awards winner.

Visit https://austinenergy.com/ae/about/news/news-releases/2021/austin-energy-ev-auto-dealership-engagement-initiative-wins-smart-cities-award to view the full article online.

Basin Electric Partners With Bakken Energy And Mitsubishi Power To Establish Clean Hydrogen Hub

Bakken Energy, LLC, formerly Bakken Midstream Natural Gas, LLC, and Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc. have signed a strategic partnership agreement to create a world-class clean hydrogen hub in North Dakota.

Visit https://www.basinelectric.com/News-Center/news-releases/Basin-Electric-partners-with-Bakken-Energy-and-Mitsubishi-Power-to-establish-clean-hydrogen-hub to view the full article online.

CPS Energy Announces Key Milestones in Case Against ERCOT

CPS Energy announced that it was successful in defeating two key actions brought by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) in CPS Energy’s case against the state electric grid operator.

Visit https://newsroom.cpsenergy.com/cps-energy-announces-key-milestones-in-case-against-ercot/ to view the full article online.

Evergy Files Kansas Integrated Resource Plan

Evergy filed its first Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) with the Kansas Corporation Commission. The plan prioritizes sustainability, reliability and cost competitiveness with retirement of 1,200 megawatts of coal-based fossil generation and the addition of 3,200 MW of renewable generation in the next 10 years.

Visit https://investors.evergy.com/news-releases/news-release-details/evergy-files-kansas-integrated-resource-plan to view the full article online.

Construction Underway at NPPD Ainsworth Community Solar Site

If you live in and around Ainsworth, you might have noticed construction at the site of NPPD's newest SunWise℠ community solar facility located just north of the Cowboy Trail at the south end of East City Park. Construction officially began the second week of May.

Visit https://www.nppd.com/press-releases/construction-underway-at-nppd-ainsworth-community-solar-site to view the full article online.

OPPD Board Of Directors Selects VP & CFO Javier Fernandez to Lead the Utility

The Omaha Public Power District Board of Directors named Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Javier Fernandez as the utility’s next President and Chief Executive Officer.

Visit https://www.oppd.com/news-resources/news-releases/2021/may/oppd-board-of-directors-selects-vp-cfo-javier-fernandez-to-lead-the-utility/ to view the full article online.

TerraPower, Wyoming Governor and PacifiCorp announce efforts to advance nuclear technology in Wyoming

TerraPower, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon and PacifiCorp announced efforts to advance a Natrium™ reactor demonstration project at a retiring coal plant in Wyoming. The companies are evaluating several potential locations in the state.

Visit https://www.pacificorp.com/about/newsroom/news-releases/pc-tp-announce-advanced-nuclear-technology-wyoming.html to view the full article online.

PNM Seeks Proposals for New Electricity Resources to Support New Mexico’s Economic Recovery and Growth

Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) recognizes the role it plays in helping New
Mexicans recover from the economic downturn caused by the pandemic.

Visit https://www.pnm.com/documents/396023/22818938/PNM+issues+two+requests+for+proposals+052421.pdf/d4eeb442-279b-578f-27e7-589232207806?t=1621890200400 to view the full article online.

SRP Emphasizes Importance of Lowering Wildfire Risk

The wildfire season has just begun for Arizona’s high country, and so far more than 2,000 acres have burned in the SRP watersheds – a vital source of water for the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Visit https://media.srpnet.com/srp-emphasizes-importance-of-lowering-wildfire-risk/ to view the full article online.

Tri-State Completes "Open Season" Partial Requirements Nomination Period

Tri-State has completed the next step in the process to provide more self-supply flexibility to its members, including increased local renewable generation, with its first-ever “open season” nomination period for members to express their interest in transitioning to partial requirements memberships.

Visit https://tristate.coop/tri-state-completes-open-season-partial-requirements-nomination-period to view the full article online.

United Power Tops 99,000 Meters

United Power recently topped 99,000 meter connections thanks to record-setting growth in April.

Visit https://www.unitedpower.com/united-power-tops-99000-meters to view the full article online.

Kids Get Charged Up at Electric Vehicle Display at Children’s Museum

Children can climb behind the wheel, push buttons and plug in a charger in a revamped electric vehicle at a Children’s Museum Tucson’s exhibit, recently modernized by TEP.

Visit https://www.tep.com/news/kids-get-charged-up-at-electric-vehicle-display-at-childrens-museum/ to view the full article online.

SN, Trinity Partner for Wildfire Prevention

The wildfire season in 2020 was particularly devastating, with West Coast states finding the destructive events difficult to control. More than 10.2 million acres were burned in California, Oregon and Washington. The fires took lives, destroyed buildings and resulted in around $20 billion in damage.

Visit https://www.wapa.gov/newsroom/NewsFeatures/2021/Pages/SN,-Trinity-partner-for-wildfire-prevention.aspx to view the full article online.

Xcel Energy Hits Carbon Reduction Milestone, Reduces Water Consumption and Promotes Electric Vehicles

Xcel Energy announced that the company delivered for customers, achieved key carbon reduction goals, supported its communities and kept customer bills low despite challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic downturn and civil unrest in the states it serves.

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

Rocky Mountain Electrical League