RMEL eNews

Rocky Mountain Electrical League

Alltricity Network Report
Commonwealth delivers a wider range of services than ever before…
Commonwealth Associates, Inc. ®
Fire Hardening, Drone Services, Tower Modeling, Owners Engineering, T-Line Design, Substation Design, Protection & Controls, Commissioning, Compliance, Project Development, Safety & Site Security, Planning Studies, Land & Right-of-Way, Power Flow Studies, Environmental & Permitting 
Learn More!
Advertisement
Education and Upcoming Events
Burns & McDonnell
Alltricity Network Member Information
RMEL's trusted network is now accessible on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. These are forums intended for RMEL members only. Working side-by-side in a cooperative manner, RMEL members band together for the common goal of bettering the industry and improving service for utility customers. For more than 100 years, these key principles have proven successful, and more importantly, are tried and true methods for building strong business relationships.

 

RMEL Champions is a prestigious group of RMEL supporters with access to useful and beneficial promotional opportunities. Thank you 2021 RMEL Champions!

Visit https://bit.ly/2QtVZrJ to view the full article online.

Industry Information
The U.S. power sector's significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation over the past 15 years is an indication of what bolder efforts can be achieved by other economic sectors.

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/the-us-power-sector-is-halfway-to-net-zero-emissions-but-it-gets-harder-no/601718/ to view the full article online.

  

Offshore wind developer US Wind has submitted a bid for a new 1,200 MW offshore wind farm, slated for construction adjacent to the company's $77 million MarWin project, which is already set for construction off the coast of Maryland.

 

Visit https://www.utilitydive.com/news/us-wind-plans-up-to-12-gw-expansion-off-maryland-coast-moves-to-boost-dom/604499/ to view the full article online.

Spread across two locations and coupled with hydropower stations, Germany’s RWE is building a battery storage system with a total capacity of 117 MW, to be installed at its power plants in Lingen (Lower Saxony) and Werne (North Rhine-Westphalia).

Visit https://www.hydroreview.com/business-finance/rwe-builds-117-mw-of-battery-storage-coupled-with-run-of-river-hydro/ to view the full article online.

 
  
The Biden administration and leaders in the U.S. Congress unveiled details of the 2,700-page, bipartisan infrastructure package on Sunday that includes $550 billion in new spending. 

Visit https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/policy-regulation/whats-in-congress-infrastructure-bill-for-renewable-energy/ to view the full article online.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM), in collaboration with the Office of Nuclear Energy and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Geothermal Technology Office, issued a notice of intent (NOI) for a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) expected to support front-end engineering design (FEED) studies of direct air capture (DAC) combined with dedicated storage and coupled to existing low-carbon energy.

Visit https://www.energy.gov/fe/articles/doe-announces-intent-fund-direct-air-capture-feed-studies to view the full article online.

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), a recognized industry leader in wildfire safety, unveiled its wildfire mitigation and resiliency advancements in preparation for this year's wildfire season. 

Visit https://electricenergyonline.com/article/energy/category/general/90/911578/sdg-e-announces-wildfire-safety-and-resiliency-advancements-for-2021-wildfire-season.html to view the full article online.

Form EIA-861 and Form EIA-861S (short form) data files include information such as peak load, generation, electric purchases, sales, revenues, customer counts, energy efficiency, demand response, net metering programs, and distributed generation capacity.

Visit https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia861/ to view the full article online.

  
If the clean energy industry has shown us anything the past few years, it’s that it’s booming and ready to power our economy long into the future. 

Visit https://www.power-grid.com/der-grid-edge/four-ways-to-put-evs-on-our-roads-today/ to view the full article online.

Exelon will shut down its Byron and Dresden nuclear power plants in Illinois within weeks.

Visit https://www.power-eng.com/nuclear/waste-management-decommissioning/short-of-legislative-lifeline-exelons-dresden-byron-nuclear-stations-shutting-down-in-fall/ to view the full article online.

  
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) is expanding its digital footprint by linking with expert technology firms that specialize in artificial intelligence that will help advance NYPA’s strategic clean energy and climate action goals and benefit the utility industry.

Visit https://www.tdworld.com/grid-innovations/asset-management-service/article/21171429/nypa-selects-technology-firms-to-help-accelerate-intelligence-capabilities to view the full article online.

They used to call Susan Gray “the girl” when she started as an intern at Tucson Electric Power in 1994. Now we call her President and CEO.

Visit https://www.tep.com/news/opening-doors-of-opportunity-for-women/ to view the full article online.

 
Member Announcements
Austin Energy is keeping electric vehicle drivers energized with the deployment of seven new fast chargers at 811 Electric Drive, bringing the total number at this location to eight. 

Visit https://austinenergy.com/ae/about/news/news-releases/2021/austin-energy-boosts-ev-fast-charging-stations-on-electric-drive to view the full article online.

 
Kevin Solie, Basin Electric senior environmental compliance administrator, presented at the USWAG (Utility Solid Waste Activities Group) CCR (Coal Combustion Residual) Workshop virtually.

Visit https://www.basinelectric.com/News-Center/news-briefs/Solie-presents-on-Laramie-River-Station-project to view the full article online.

El Paso Electric (EPE) is excited to announce the launch of its newest initiative to help drive innovation and collaboration between EPE and its diverse community. 

Visit https://www.epelectric.com/company/news/el-paso-electric-launches-customer-advisory-partnership-to-drive-collaboration-and-innovation to view the full article online.


What should  Nebraska Public Power District’s carbon reduction initiatives look like in the future? End-use customers of NPPD, and its wholesale public power partners (rural power districts and municipalities), can play a role in making that determination through a series of informational forums to be held during August.  

Visit https://www.nppd.com/press-releases/information-forums-on-decarbonization-scheduled-by-nppd to view the full article online.

  
Omaha Public Power District is among the highest-scoring utilities nationwide in a new study related to brand trust.

Visit https://www.oppd.com/news-resources/news-releases/2021/july/newly-released-study-names-oppd-a-most-trusted-utility/ to view the full article online.

Following a nationwide search process, Platte River Power Authority recently hired Melie Vincent to serve as the organization’s next chief operating officer (COO).

Visit https://www.prpa.org/news-releases/platte-river-names-new-chief-operating-officer/ to view the full article online.

 
  
It is common for teachers to dig into their bank accounts to buy needed items for their students and classrooms. 

Visit https://media.srpnet.com/teachers-score-big-with-srp-learning-grants/ to view the full article online.

Governor Laura Kelly announced an exciting new partnership between the Kansas Department of Commerce’s Certified Sites program and Kansas-based Sunflower Electric Power Corporation, which will increase the number of shovel-ready development sites Kansas can showcase to developers nationwide.

Visit https://www.sunflower.net/sunflower-kansas-department-of-commerce-partner-on-certified-sites/ to view the full article online.

Modernization of the electric grid should not be the singular focus of spending in the United States, rather we should also be targeting our efforts and dollars at specific projects that will make the most immediate impacts. 

Visit https://www.unitedpower.com/how-modernize-electric-grid to view the full article online.

In March, WAPA's Small Unmanned Aircraft System, or sUAS, pilot program reached its conclusion. These units can be used when surveying and inspecting miles of transmission line, saving both time and money, as well as preserving one of WAPA's most valuable assets: the safety of its workers and linemen.

Visit https://www.wapa.gov/newsroom/NewsFeatures/2021/Pages/WAPA%E2%80%99s-sUAS-pilot-program-lifts-off.aspx to view the full article online.

 Xcel Energy spent close to $524 million with Texas and New Mexico vendors in 2020 to improve and maintain its extensive electrical system and provided more than $1.1 million in funding to nonprofits working to meet the needs of communities impacted by the pandemic.

Visit https://tx.my.xcelenergy.com/s/about/newsroom/press-release/xcel-energy-boosts-area-communities-in-2020-20Y2R0000008RWLUA2 to view the full article online.

White Paper
When it comes to transitioning from carbon-based to renewable source energy systems, Americans are on board. They're less keen, however, having these new energy infrastructures -- wind turbines or solar farms -- built close to their homes, which creates hurdles for policymakers. That's according to a study from University of Georgia researcher Thomas Lawrence.

Visit https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/07/210719120340.htm to view the full article online.