Energy & Water

Who would partner?

• Secretary of Energy
• National Science Foundation
• Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate
• National Institute of Standards and Technology

What would the partnership develop? best practices for grid resiliency during cyber incidents

The funding commitment: $800 Million over 5 years

Will there be grants? Yes for research, development, and demonstration

HR 5760 (116th Congress)

What do analysts contribute Texas’ power load growth in September to?

• recovery of drilling activity
• recovery in manufacturing
• loosening of state restrictions

The numbers:

• 57.3 GW this August, weather-adjusted on-peak load averaged
• That’s up 2.3% over July
• That’s up 1.6% over 2019

S&P Global | Texas manufacturing survey shows fourth month of growth, boosting power loads

The state that banned styrofoam: Maryland

The legislation enacted these state code provisions banning styrofoam.

What does it apply to : applies to most food service containers

What does it NOT apply to:

• containers for raw butchered meat or seafood
•  prepackaged foods when purchased by the Maryland business, like eggs

Did local bans precede the state legislation? Yes, local bans in Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Anne Arundel counties, along with Baltimore City. D.C.’

The DCist | Maryland Bids Farewell To Styrofoam Starting Oct. 1

What is this new California Zero Emission Standard? This week California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order adopting a goal for the sales of all new passenger vehicles in the state to be zero-emission by 2035

If the state goes EV in its vehicles, what does that mean for power?

• 9% increase in electricity demand by 2030
• EVs are flexible load that open opportunities for supporting the grid

Utility Dive | ‘This will change the nature of load’: what California’s zero emission vehicle order means for the power sector

The US Chamber is here for it. “Momentum for potentially historic climate and energy innovation legislation appears to be growing on Capitol Hill”

The US Chamber has a history of supporting clean air. “The Chamber was an early supporter of bipartisan legislation to phase down their production and use of ” hydrofluorocarbons

They’ve been leading think tanks. They support innovative solutions from battery storage and grid modernization to advanced nuclear and carbon removal technologies

The key element: “ensure the clean energy infrastructure is available to build and commercialize them”

US Chamber of Commerce | With Momentum Building, Historic Climate Change Progress is Possible in 2020

The Company: Amazon

What is Amazon’s climate pledge? $2 billion Climate Pledge initiative to become a net-zero carbon company by 2040

How is Amazon investing this $2 billion for climate? Most recently with an additional investment in Rivian

What has Amazon previously invested in Amazon? an undisclosed monetary investment + purchase 100,000 electric delivery vans 

CNET | Amazon sinks cash into EV startup Rivian as part of Climate Pledge

The new partners: Sandia National Laboratories + PNM 

What will the partnership work on?

• advance energy storage
• solar photovoltaics
• power electronics
• artificial intelligence
• sensor technologies

The energy goals they want to help the US with:

• grid resiliency
• grid security
• grid stability 

Daily Energy Insider | Sandia National Laboratories, PNM partner on mix of resiliency, clean energy and security efforts

Where is the  Institute for Water Research, Sustainability and Policy? Univeristy of Texas- San Antonio

What are the goals of the  Institute for Water Research, Sustainability and Policy? To collaborate in the areas of water quality, water quantity, flood control and water policy

What about multidisciplinary water issues? yes, they will tackle those too like hydro-terrorism and the food-water-energy nexus across regional, national and international political boundaries

UTSA Today | New water institute to explore the resource’s impact on society

• Green construction and retrofits
• Clean mobility
• Renewable energy
• Active transport – more walking and bike space
• Nature-based solutions – tree planting and green spaces
• Waste and resources
•  R&D for clean technologies (tax incentives)

Utility Dive | 7 investment priorities for a green COVID-19 recovery: report

What impact has COVID had on solar installation? States that implemented strict restrictions on activity 

The overall impact to solar installations in early 2020? 6% decline in overall solar installations from the first quarter of 2020 

The numbers of installs:

• 3.5 gigawatts direct current (GWdc) of new solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity in Q2 2020, a decrease of 6% from Q1
• April, May and June 2020 represented a 52% increase year-over-year in installed capacity 

Utility Dive | Solar market limits pandemic’s ill effects, but states with strict restrictions see big installation drop

The EV platform: EV Connect, maker of the world’s leading electric vehicle charging management platform

The utilities: Salt River Project (SRP) in Phoenix and Tucson Electric Power (TEP)

The goals: deployment and management of EV charging infrastructure 

AIthority | EV Connect Platform Qualified For Arizona’s Two Largest Utility EV Charging Incentive Programs

What is the GridWise Alliance? Advocates for the inclusion of funding for grid investments in any stimulus packages

What 3 areas does Gridwise support additional funding?

• To meet clean energy goals
• To enhance resilience and security
• To replace aging infrastructure

Street Insider | GridWise Alliance Launches Grid Investments for Economic Recovery Initiative

Where: Australia

What will the National Water Grid Advisory Board do?

• assist the growth of Australia’s agriculture sector
• increase water security
• build drought and flood resilience

What sectors do Board members represent?

• engineering
• agriculture
• economic
• environmental and water sciences
• infrastructure investment
• stakeholder engagement

Utility | Government establishes National Water Grid Advisory Body

National Water Grid Authority

In what sounds like a page of Sun Tzu’s Art of War- what can Texas energy market learn from California’s blackouts?

What some are saying about CA: unreliability of the state’s renewables spurred the dearth in supply leading to blackouts

What do they say that means for TX? Don’t require the 60% renewable market that CA requires because there is a reliability issue with renewables + don’t offer as many subsidies and incentives for bringing new renewable generation.

How do TX and CA differ on renewables: TX does not subsidize its wind and solar producers to the degree that California does by offering 212 different renewable energy subsidies or tax incentives. Whereas TX incentivizes extra capacity.

The Texan | California Blackouts Highlight Contrast with Texas Energy, Provide Forewarning

Who is saying this?  Advanced Power Alliance

How will distributed resources and stable policy bolster the economy?

• RURAL COMMUNITIES. “growing renewable energy to bring additional economic opportunities to rural communities”
• CAPITAL INVESTMENTS. stable policies means capital investments
• AFFORDABILITY. new energy businesses can provide communities with greater economic resilience, while supplying affordable electricity to Texans, including oil and gas producers

Midland Reporter Telegraph | Comment: Diverse resources and stable energy policies will get Texas economy back on track

The State: Vermont

What in the world is happening? H688 (2020 | VT) has passed both chambers and allows

What would H688 do?

• Cut greenhouse gas emissions to 26 percent below 2005 levels by 2025
• A 40 percent cut below 1990 levels by 2030
• An 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050
• Creates a 23-member Vermont Climate Council responsible for approving the plan that the Agency of Natural Resources would be charged with implementing
• Permits lawsuits against the state for not achieving these reductions
  • residents cannot get a monetary award, the lawsuits can only make the state act

Vermont’s Independent Voice | Global Warming Solutions Bill Appears Headed Toward Veto Fight

Where: Connecticut

What: The legislature wants to impose minimum staffing and compensating customers for outages during disasters. Specifically, legislators say utilities should shift to thinking of customers first before shareholders because they provide a public service.

Is this new? No, ConEd in NY compensated customers for an outage voluntarily.

NBC Connecticut | Legislature Discusses Power Outage Reimbursements

Who is adjusting their renewable goals because of COVID? Baltimore County, MD

What is causing the readjustment to renewable goals? Lower Revenues

What specific renewable activities have been curtailed?

• building greener facilities
• building more environmentally friendly stormwater management infrastructure
• replacing fleets

What can Baltimore Co still achieve to their renewable goal?

•  Signed an agreement to convert the landfill’s methane gas produced by decomposing waste into electricity for generators 
• New  10-year agreement to provide a new glass recycling program for residents
• Install solar arrays on 5 government buildings and 2 closed landfills

Baltimore Sun via Governing | Pandemic May Postpone Baltimore County’s Renewable Goals

The State: California

The Legislation: SB 364 (2020 | CA)

How does this bill provide stability for solar + storage?

• exempts nonresidential active solar energy system constructed or installed prior to January 1, 2025, from taxation until there is a subsequent change in ownership of the nonresidential active solar energy system
• exempts nonresidential active solar energy systems from taxation on and after January 1, 2025, until there is a subsequent change in ownership

SEIA | California Legislature Continues Clean Energy Leadership with Latest Vote

Who is the U.S. Plastics Pact? Led by The Recycling Partnership and World Wildlife Fund.

Where is the financial backing? The Pact is part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation global Plastics Pact network

What did L’Oreal commit to by signing the Pact?

• By 2021 define the packing that is unnecessary or problematic
• By 2025 100% sustainable packing

The Corporations on the Advisory Council: Amcor, Balcones Resources Inc., Austin Resource Recovery (City of Austin, TX), Eureka Recycling, Grove Collaborative, Mars, Incorporated, Target, The Coca-Cola Company, Unilever United States, and Walmart, Inc.

List of Supporting Corporations & Entities

Allure | L’Oréal USA Commits to Ambitious Goal of 100-Percent Sustainable Packaging by 2025

US Plastics Pact | U.S. Plastics Pact Launches to Ignite Change Toward Circular Economy for Plastic

Why are energy companies investing in large swaths of forest?

• The up & coming speculative market in so-called voluntary offsets that can be in forest preservation

Give me an example of how voluntary offsets work:

• In Autumn 2019, BP invested $5 million in Pennsylvania’s Finite Carbon
• Finite Carbon helps landowners create and sell credits

• BP’s investment is aimed at hiring more foresters to begin use of satellites to measure biomass
• This data will allow BP to drum up more credits for use in the voluntary market

How does this work in the real world?

• A company will pay a land owner to keep their trees
• The companies can say they are responsible for having locked up a specific amount of carbon in the standing trees, calculable to the metric ton
• That savings of carbon from the trees offsets other activity emissions

WallStreet Journal | Preserving Trees Becomes Big Business, Driven by Emissions Rules

Who is the report by? Guidehouse Insights

The report: Market Data: Energy Storage for EV Charging

What are the touted benefits of EV chargers & combined energy storage?

• Makes EV charging more cost effective
  • Drawing energy from the grid during low-demand periods & releasing power to charge EVs during peak-demand periods
• Creates a sense of consumer safety with separate energy storage
• Makes fleet electrification more attractive for the commercial & industrial market
• Could be the most manageable approach to dealing with demand charges at public fast-charging stations

Utility Dive | Energy storage for EV charging can lower demand charges, Guidehouse reports

Where: Alice, TX

Why is Alice, TX building a desalination plant?

• Alice wants to stop buying water from Corpus Christi
• This brackish groundwater desalination plant is estimated to deliver more affordable water

Is there a private entity involved? Yes

How is this arrangement structured?

• Alice will pay Seven Seas Water Corp. about $2.20 per 1,000 gallons of water over a 15-year period
• Seven Seas Water will finance, design, build, own, operate and maintain a brackish water reverse osmosis plant on city owned land
• Alice is expected to use 3 million gallons of water a day, translating to Alice paying $12 million to Seven Seas Water over 15-years

Alicetx.com | Alice hires Florida firm to design, build desalination plant

What are people saying about California’s blackouts?

• California lacks the battery capacity to deploy renewable energy
• “the state’s grid integrated more solar power, which without sufficient battery storage can be less reliable than the fossil fuels that drive global warming,” according to Bloomberg.

The hurdles to prevent blackouts with battery storage:

• It won’t be cheap up to $19 billion
• “But more critically, there aren’t enough of these massive batteries to go around right now.”

ETF Trends | California Blackouts Highlight Need for More Battery Storage

Whose concept is clean energy as an employee benefit? Arcadia

What is Arcadia ? company that gives homeowners and renters a way to offset their carbon footprints through renewable energy credits and clean power developments

How is Arcadia packaging the clean energy as an employee benefit? When employees work from home, employee perks look different. As an employee benefit, “Arcadia can either buy renewable energy credits to offset an employee’s emissions or it can take pay for that employee’s energy usage by acquiring blocks of renewable power from energy markets around the country.”

Tech Crunch | Energy offset and renewable power developer Arcadia pitches clean power as an employee benefit

Turns out some scientists say that solar inverters are a playground for hackers.

The scientists: Cyber-physical systems security researchers at the University of California

How can solar inverters be hacked?  By using a “remote spoofing device to target electromagnetic components found in many grid-tied solar inverters”

What happens? At worst, a blackout, and at best destabilization of the grid.

Science Blog | UC Irvine | Security Researchers Highlight Vulnerability Of Solar Inverters

Who on this green earth is turning beer into renewable energy? Australia

How does beer become energy when most humans relax & slow after consuming beer? biogas from left over beer not consumed because of COVID lockdowns

How much power is being produced? enough energy to power 1,200 homes a month. 150,000 liters of stale beer becomes 355,200 cubic meters of biogas.

Where does the beer get converted to energy? The Glenelg Wastewater Treatment Plant

Is there a cute name for beer energy? “Energy Ale”

Instagram | @goodgoodgoodco

Green Geeks | Unused Beer Is Creating Renewable Energy in Australia from Biogas

How can an EV pay for parking with its stored energy? Nissan has an exhibition space in Yokohama, the Pavilion, at which EVs can pay for parking by sending electricity

The next phase: Allowing Nissan Leafs to power homes and city infrastructure during disasters

Engadget | Your EV’s electricity can pay for parking at Nissan’s new exhibition

The EV fleet purchaser: Republic Services

The EV fleet purchase: 2,500 electric collection vehicles from Nikola Corp. possibly up to 5000 vehicles

The tea leaves: “Republic’s order will be “the reason why the market will go electrified,””

Utility Dive | Waste giant Republic Services orders 2,500 Nikola electric trucks, sending industrywide signal

• Oil & gas companies have up to 2/3 of their drilling operations managed remotely
• Remote work is no longer seen as the challenge it was once seen as
• Increasing digitization of work product
• Increasing digitization of equipment from drill bit censors to 3D printing of equipment

Oil Price | The Oil And Gas Industry Is Going Remote

• Dynamic Duo of Deputy Executive Directors with combined 54 years experience at TCEQ
  • Ramiro Garcia, Jr., former deputy director of TCEQ’s Office of Compliance and Enforcement
  • L’Oreal W. Stepney, P.E., former deputy director of TCEQ’s Office of Water
• Deputy Director – Office of Water
  • Earl Lott, former director of the Waste Permits Division for 12 years
• Deputy Director – Office of Compliance and Enforcement
  • Craig Pritzlaff, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of the Attorney General, Administrative Law Division. Effective Sept. 8

EIN News | TCEQ announces leaders to four top positions

Willie Nelson & Paul Simon, both who have homes in Texas Hill Country, are openly opposing  a new gas pipeline.

Why the opposition: contributing to the pollution of well water with 36,000 gallons of drilling fuel being leaked into the Trinity Aquifer in April 2020 by the pipeline builder

Is this new ground for Willie Nelson? No, he headline a festival opposing the TransCanada Pipeline. Longtime InfoHive subscribers will remember the festival and the resulting legislation.

Houston Chronicle | Willie Nelson and Paul Simon rail against controversial Texas pipeline

The swing state: Pennsylvania

The poll(s) results:

• 52% oppose fracking
• 48% favor the oil-and-gas extraction

Electrek | Where key swing state Pennsylvania stands on energy

What’s rectangular and can soon be engineered to store energy? Bricks

How is this possible? the red colorant of bricks can be converted to conduct electrcity

Does this make bricks batteries that store energy? No, it makes bricks super capacitors that hold electrical charge. Batteries hold electric chemical energy.

Why does this show promise?

• Bricks are porous and this have a great surface area for storage
• Bricks could easily be connected to solar panels

The Conversation | Clever chemistry turns ordinary bricks into electricity storage devices

What issues did Senators highlight concerning power cybersecurity?

• Department of Energy’s July 8th request for information (RFI), specifying six countries — China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia and Venezuela — as “foreign adversaries” from which the power sector cannot purchase equipment.
• Whether to permit a higher return on equity, for utilities that make cybersecurity enhancements to their grid operations.
•  That distributed energy resources could reduce cybersecurity targets by decentralizing electric power supply.

Utility Dive | Senate grills FERC, DOE on power sector cybersecurity

Where: Germany

What: Tesla may be exploring entering the German electricity market with an innovative tariff .

Why do people think Tesla is exploring becoming a utility? A survey sent to German customers by Tesla concerning utility service

Is this the only clue? No, Tesla also applied to UK for a power supply license from the national regulatory authority to set up automated electricity trading

PV Magazine | Tesla may become power provider in Germany

Michigan’s EGLE Charge Up Michigan Program offers funding for EV charger installation.

Who is receiving funds for EV charger installations?

• cities
• airport authorities
• economic development corporations
• convenience stores and gas stations

How much is available per charging station under the program? $70,000 per charging station

How will the overall costs for charging station installation be shared? In a partnership between the site’s owner, and the electric utility that serves the site. Each pay 1/3 of the cost to install the fast charger.

The program’s funding source: Volkswagen diesel emissions settlement

WXYZ | Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy awards $1.7 million in grants to build EV charging stations

The state: Colorado

How did Colorado justify increasing the taxes on oil & gas in 2020? Because of a shortfall in the regulatory agency that oversees oil & gas

How did they get both industry & environmental groups both on board?

• industry got a reduction in the levy rate
• environmental groups support the increased levy rate from the current rate

Colorado Sun | Colorado increases tax on oil and gas operators to fund a $3.4 million shortfall in regulators’ budget

Which company is cutting its oil production by 40%? BP

When will it cut production by 40%? over the next 10 years

What is BP’s zero emission goal? 2050

What will the 40% cut in oil look like for BP?

• By 2030, a cut of at least 1 million barrels per day
• By 2030, lower emissions from operations by 30 to 35%
• By 2030, accelerate investment in renewables & biofuels by 10-fold to around $5 billion per year

From the CEO: “Now we are pivoting to become an integrated energy company. …This coming decade is critical for the world in the fight against climate change, and to drive the necessary change in global energy systems will require action from everyone.”

From a London, England energy transition think tank: “BP has radically changed the game,”

Houston Chronicle | BP to cut oil and gas production by 40% over 10 years

The Study is by: American Univeristy

What did the study find? “counties where the EPA rollback may have supported increased air pollution had an average 39% more COVID-19 cases and 19% more deaths from the virus.”

Will this study be mentioned in clean air debates with regulators, legislators, consumers, and activists? yes, of course it will be.

Energy News Network | Wheeler dismisses study claiming EPA role in elevated air pollution, COVID-19 cases

The State: North Carolina

What’s happening according to the Governor’s tweets: The Legislature isn’t doing enough. The US Senate isn’t doing enough. So, his administration has a plan.

WBTV | N.C. governor plans to help residents with rent, utility bills

Other states, hello.

Michigan HB 5949 (2020 | MI) would declare the internet a utility. 

The Michigan Public Service Commission would regulate all broadband service companies. 

Why regulate the internet? COVID taught us the internet should be accessible and available to everyone (school age kids we see you)

The Huron Hub | Camilleri introduces legislation to protect consumers by designating internet as a public utility 

What’s working for utilities:

• passive load control
• behavioral management though time-of-use rates

Remember 1st grade when you “needed improvement”, for utilities they say it is:

• Customer experience
• Customers should not be treated as grid assets
• The customer experience should be easy, convenient, & affordable

Utility Dive | Utilities must prioritize customer experience to advance role of electric vehicles on the grid: experts

Which utility: Tennessee Valley Authority

What is the Tennessee Valley Authority UV Light program?

Offering financial assistance for schools, restaurants, nursing homes and other buildings with public places to install ultraviolet germicidal irradiation lights in air ducts to minimize the spread of airborne microorganisms such as COVID-19.

How does the UV Light work? Installed in air ducts, the UV light kills the virus as the air is circulated into heating or air conditioning units

The incentive offered: $30 per ton for duct-mounted UVGI systems

Chattanooga Times via Governing | Tennessee Utility to Install UV Lighting for COVID-Protection

The State: New York

The legislation: S2000B (2020 | NY)

What’s a PFSA? poly and perfluorooctanoic acids

What type of packaging uses PFSAs? bags for pastries and popcorn & pizza boxes

Other legislative action: House supports funding $50 million for research & development funding for PFAS remediation and disposal

Times Union | New York Legislature approves bill to ban PFAS in food containers

Florida Public Service Commission is taking on COVID impact to rate payers.

Other issues floating around in the regulatory hearing: passing along coronavirus-related costs to customers in the future.

Tampa Bay Business Journal | Utility regulators to eye Covid-19 customer impacts in Florida

Where: Florida

What is happening in Florida utility regulation? Wal-mart is participating in more utility rate regulation

Is there something specific that Wal-Mart is chining in on? Renewable Energy and Rates

Why is it happening?

• Wal-Mart has set renewable energy goals
• It currently buys 1.22 billion kilowatt hours/yr from the state’s 5 major electric utilities with a monthly consumption that is is about 102,000 times that of an average household

Tampa Bay Times | Why is Walmart participating in Florida’s electric regulatory process?

The investor owned utilities: those operating in New York

How will investor owned utilities build out an EV Program?

• Via a cost recovery period for charging assets will be 15 years or greater

What other elements were included in the regulatory order?

• Creating a Fleet Assessment Service
• for site feasibility and rate analysis
• aiding fleet owners in identifying savings opportunities
•  $15 million make-ready pilot program for medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles
•  $10 million toward utilities partnering with transit authorities

Utility Dive | New York investor-owned utilities to fund $701M make-ready EV infrastructure program

Who: Round Top Heavy Rare Earth and Critical Minerals Project in West Texas + Texas Mineral Resources Corp. 

What: 100% renewable energy for the Round Top Heavy Rare Earth & Critical Mineral Project in Hudspeth County, West Texas

What will the renewable energy project look like?  

• 45 acre a solar farm
• 15 MW to support mining and processing

Why the switch to renewables? “60% of the materials produced at Round Top being used in clean-tech and green-tech applications, we are now committing to extend that clean-green approach into how we design and operate the Round Top Mine”

USA Rare Earth LLC  via Oil & Gas 360

This tax is a result of a series of 2019 decisions by commissioners at the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT).

The specific PUCT action was:

• the adoption of the Operating Reserve Demand Curve

What’s the sticking point for opponents?

• That the ORDC sends its revenue to electric generators at the cost of ratepayers
• That the ORDC is on top of subsidies for renewables

 The Energy Alliance Opinion via Dallas Morning News | Putting an end to Texas’ $4.3 billion electricity tax

Who is involved in the pilot program, Building a Technically Reliable Interconnection Evolution for Storage? DoE, Interstate Renewable Energy Council, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), trade associations Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), Energy Storage Association (ESA), California Solar + Storage Association (CALSSA), two utilities: PacifiCorp and New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) and a law firm, Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger.

The goals of the pilot program:

• develop a roadmap to removing the key challenges identified in the interconnection process
• create a toolkit of solutions
• provide extensive training and educational outreach

“Establishing best practices for the interconnection of storage to the grid is critical to sustaining market growth and enabling significant clean energy deployment,”- Larry Sherwood, CEO and president of the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC)

Energy Storage News | US DoE supports project to tackle ‘complex and unclear’ rules for interconnecting energy storage

Which regulatory agency has new proposed rules for recycling solar panels? California Department of Toxic Substances Control

What will the new rules do for solar energy? classify solar panels as a subset of hazardous waste known as universal waste 

How does this help recycle solar panels? The EPA allows universal waste be subject to a “streamlined” set of standards compared to other types of hazardous waste, making easier to recycle by:

• reducing the generator regulatory requirements
• permits accumulation of waste for up to one year
• there is no need for a hazardous manifest
• reduces of the amount of labeling and recordkeeping

“Other states may use the California rule as a roadmap for their own regulations,” attorneys from the law firm Baker Botts . HELLO TEXAS, WE SEE YOU & YOUR SUNSHINE.

Utility Dive | New California regulation could jump-start solar panel recycling sector

The Utility: FirstEnergy in Ohio

What actions did the CEO take to support diversity & inclusion? linked 10% of annual bonuses for himself and other top executives to diversity goals

Has it worked? Yes. In 2018 it didn’t pay out the diversity bonuses because it failed to meet diversity goals.

What is included in the diversity metrics?

• hiring women
• hiring people from underrepresented ethnic groups for professional jobs
• including underrepresented (women, Black, people from underrepresented ethnic groups) in succession plans
• how employees respond to questions about diversity in a company survey

Is this unique? In an old school industry like utilities, yes. However, it is often seen in tech companies.

New York Times via Baltimore Sun | Want more diversity? Some experts say reward CEOs for it

Which state is grappling with a competitive electric market and EV expansion? Virginia

How is the comparison to utilities expanding broadband working to support utilities and EV expansion? Competition worked where it was profitable, but in rural areas broadband wasn’t profitable and utilities filled a gap.

The open SCC EV Case

16 questions to be answered in the case include:

• How is demand on the grid expected to grow due to electric vehicle charging?
• What’s the current state of Virginia’s charging infrastructure?
• How can special electricity rates be designed to incentivize their use, particularly during off-peak hours? 
• “Is the market for providing public charging stations competitive or should it be considered a natural monopoly with service provided exclusively by regulated utilities?”

How are most competitive utilities viewing the case? As an opportunity for grid options.

Virginia Mercury | Electric vehicle use is rising. But who should be at the wheel during the transition?

What policy issues are at the forefront of commercial real estate development and EV charger deployment?

• Do building codes require EV chargers?
• Can utilities cover the cost of EV infrastructure in commercial buildings via rates?
• Are there partnerships to cover the cost of the EV charger itself?
• Are tax, grants, and rebates available?

What are property specific considerations for EV charger installation at commercial property?

• How many EV charge ready parking spaces are required? Or, how many are needed?
• Is the property’s policy on EV charging scalable to accommodate EV market share increases?
• What pricing method should be adopted?

Commercial Property Executive | Getting Ahead of the Coming EV Wave

How did Intermittent renewables pass a COVID-19 grid reliability test?

• through mid June 2020, renewable energy overtook coal generation for 116 days
  • 39 days in 2019
•  wind and solar energy made up 12% of the total U.S. generation average
  • up from 10% in 2019
• Polling favors renewables
  • 65% of residential respondents saw increasing renewable energy development as boosting the national economy

Utility Dive | Deloitte: Intermittent renewables pass COVID-19 grid reliability test

3 Ways COVID is increasing transition to renewable energy by looking at BP, pre-COVID.

Before COVID BP did the following:

• BP quit petrochemicals
  • BP sold off all its petrochemicals except 1 German plant
• BP pledged 100% renewable energy
  • BP has a long history in these waters
  •  20 years ago it began its “Beyond Petroleum” renewable energy campaign
  • It recently partnered with a California based solar energy facility
• The purchaser of BP’s petrochemical facilities is sustainable minded
  • The purchaser is focused on recycling efforts on the waste-to-energy field

Triple Pundit | Why COVID-19 Will Accelerate the Renewable Energy Transition

The utility: Tucson Electric Power

What did Tucson say in its announcement to end coal generation?

• 2032 deadline to quit coal
• 70%+ renewable energy by 2035
• Adding 1 solar storage facility
• Adding 2  New Mexico wind farms
• 80% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2035

Tucson.com | Tucson Electric Power plans to end use of coal-generated electricity by 2032

Which legislature? Pennsylvania

What is the Pennsylvania legislature considering limiting? The State’s ability to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative or any other similar cap and trade program

What happened the same day this passed the Pennsylvania House?

• PA’s Department of Environmental Protection released an analysis showing that cutting carbon emissions from power plants would save $1.9 billion of dollars, add 27,000 jobs, and 639  lives

The Legislation: HB 2025 (2020 | PA)

Utility Dive | Pennsylvania House OKs bill curbing state’s ability to join RGGI in ongoing dispute with governor

According to SMU law professor James Coleman the following 3 reasons make eminent domain for transmission lines more challenging:

• “more environmental reviews
• more governments with veto power
• more restrictions on the use of eminent domain.”

Why does this matter?

• to move away from coal and natural gas, renewable energy has to be moved on transmission lines
• this requires new transmission lines to the site generating renewable energy 
• 2 major renewable transmission lines are in lengthy legal battles ( 780-mile Grain Belt Express that would connect wind energy-rich Kansas to Indiana, to the 520-mile SunZia line that would stretch from New Mexico to Arizona)

Are industry analysts concerned? Yes. “Power lines have actually provoked more political controversy than pipelines,” said Ryan Driskell Tate, an analyst at Global Energy Monitor, a non-governmental organization that catalogs fossil fuel infrastructure.

Forbes | Activists Not Only Slow Oil Pipelines, But Also Power Lines Needed For Renewable Energy

The industry increasing its power usage: Data Centers

The increase in power usage:

• 3% growth rate 2019-2025
• 40% power capacity share
• $1 Billion in investments in Virginia alone in 2019

States with data center investments: Virginia, Arizona, Illinois, Nevada, California, Texas, Ohio, Tennessee, Iowa, and North Carolina

4 reasons the data center power use will grow:

• Increasing Procurement of Renewable Energy
• Emergence of Nickel-Zinc & Prussian Blue Sodium-ion Battery UPS Systems
• Use of Fuel Cells in Data Centers
• Adoption of DC UPS Systems to Reduce Power Loss

Oil & Gas 360 | The US data center power market share is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 3% during the period 2019-2025

What taxing jurisdictions are considering taxing fuel oil generation? A block of eight state governors from Nuevo León, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Jalisco, Michoacán, Durango, Guanajuato, and Colima

Why tax fuel oil generation?

• Taxing federal owned fuel
• To support local governments
• To respond to “the federal government’s obsession with obsolete, inefficient and polluting energy”
• Prioritizing clean energy

BNA Americas | Plan to tax fuel oil generation in Mexico gains momentum

The New Kid on the Block: The Climate Pledge Fund

Who is creating this VC fund? Amazon

What’s the funding level? $2 Billion in initial funding

Which industries could be funded for clean energy projects?

• transportation
• energy generation
• battery storage
• manufacturing
• food and agriculture

Where are Amazon employees on Clean Energy?

• Created the Amazon Employees for Climate Justice
• 2019 open letter, signed by thousands of employees
• Urging Amazon to commit to a deadline to secure 100% renewable electricity

What other Clean Energy steps has Amazon taken in the last year?

• co-founded an initiative called “The Climate Pledge”
• a commitment to reach carbon-reduction goals set in the Paris Climate Agreement 
• 2040 deadline to be carbon-neutral
• $700 million financing round in the electric-vehicle startup Rivian
• intends to buy 100,000 of its electric-delivery vehicles

Wall Street Journal | Amazon to Launch $2 Billion Venture Capital Fund to Invest in Clean Energy

Where: Iowa

What rule by the Iowa Utilities Board will preempt local zoning?

• A new definition for “facility”
• The new facility definition will include:
  •  “any solar, wind or storage generating plants or combinations of plants that have a total generating capacity of 25 MW (megawatts) or more”

What is the impact to local community?

• local zoning rules preempted
• no public hearings would be triggered before a certificate of necessity is issued
• expands eminent domain authority to more entities

NW Iowa | N’West Iowa counties mull proposed rule

What does a global battery passport seal mean?

• a global quality seal
• verification tool on a digital platform
• ability to share value chain data of EV batteries

How will a battery passport help the battery energy storage industry?

• Further battery storage sustainability
• Help recycling efforts
• Reduce its carbon footprint

Is this program mirrored after another industry seal? Yes, the IBM supply chain software that tracks gem stones and gold to eliminate blood diamonds that launched in 2018

Oil Price | EV Batteries Are About To Get Their Own Passports

What is a virtual power plant? Software that connects battery storage systems

Who is partnering to create one of the largest U.S. virtual power plants? Sunrun & Southern California Edison

What benefits are touted supporting virtual power plants?

• Good in disasters like wildfire, earthquakes, hurricanes
• Decentralized energy is responsive
• Supports grid reliability
• Supports grid security
• Stable
• Reliable
• Consistent 

What will customers notice?

• $250 incentive in year 1
• Their battery storage will be tapped up to 80 times/ year

Clean Technica | Your Home Battery Can Be Part Of A Virtual Power Plant In California

Who is crafting the pilot program?

• California Energy Commission
• California Public Utilities Commission

What existing regulatory programs does the pilot build upon?

• Technology and Equipment for Clean Heating (TECH) initiative
• CPUC’s BUILD pilot order
• SB 1477 (2018 | CA)

What are 3 goals of the pilot program?

• Incentives
  • for building owners and developers
• Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emmissions
  • buildings must deploy technologies that reduce emissions
• Customer Savings
  • the deployed Greenhouse Gas Emission tech should also lower customer bills in new residential buildings

Timeline:

• Energy Commission will deliver its plan to the CPUC July 24, 2020, public comment through June 29th
• Launch of the pilot program during Q2 of 2021

Utility Dive | ‘The start of something big’: California crafts pilot program to reduce building emissions

Which state is adding EV Chargers to its Visitor Centers? Georgia

What partnership is behind the project? The Ray, Donovan Energy, & ABB

How is the EV charging station powered? Solar, offering 175kW charging power

Times News | Charging Station Upgraded at Georgia Visitor Center

• business process improvements to drive down costs
• innovation that lowers costs through technology breakthroughs
• establishing reasonably standard offerings to streamline timelines and reduce costs

Utility Dive | Fluence unveils intelligent, modular storage product with 800 MW/2,300 MWh of projects

Who issued a new report on the EV charging industry impact? RD Reports & Data

By 2030 the EV Charging market will:

• Grow 38.6%
• Valued at $147.94 billion
• Drop in home charging to 40% of the market

The Rising | New report projects EV charging infrastructure market

How can load impact grid security according to the principal manager of technical staff at Sandia National Laboratories?

• If there is too much load on the grid provided by EV chargers
• That load is controlled & manipulated in aggregate
• Could result in power system problems

What grid security issues are at the top for National Motor Freight Traffic Association? The security of high-voltage chargers for medium- and heavy-duty EVs, that could do more damage if hacked

How could these high voltage EV chargers cause grid concerns?

• By switching the chargers off and on quickly it can ultimately cause power outages

What regulatory concerns exist?

• lack of comprehensive cybersecurity guidelines for electric vehicle supply equipment
• the 2 impacted industries, transportation & energy, need greater coordination

E&E News | ‘Major vulnerability’: EV hacks could threaten power grid

Who: L7 Drive 

What does L7 Drive offer: ‘Internet of Energy’ by connecting batteries and other energy sources to a secure cloud management platform

How does it deliver secure battery storage management?

• industrial-grade security cloud data processing application
• monitors and controls batteries within milliseconds

PV Magazine | Morning Brief: solar for South Carolina and batteries for Texas

Who: Monterey Bay Community Power

How does the Monterey Bay Community Power EV incentive program work?

• Open to public school systems in 3 counties–Monterey, San Benito & Santa Cruz 
• $200,000 per bus
• Total of 6 EV buses
• Up to $20,000 for charging infrastructure

PV Magazine | Morning Brief: solar for South Carolina and batteries for Texas

Where: Houston, TX & Odessa, TX

Who:

• Broad Reach Power of Houston, TX
• Owns a 3 GW portfolio of utility scale solar & energy storage power projects
• Backed by energy investors EnCap Investments, Yorktown Partners, and Mercuria Energy

What:

• 15 utility-scale battery storage plants 
• each site will have battery systems capable of storing and distributing up to 10 megawatts of power

PV Magazine | Morning Brief: solar for South Carolina and batteries for Texas

Looking at Texas electricity usage led to determining the economic strength of the following industries:

• home improvement stores (5% year over year increase in April 2020)
• hospitals (1% increase year over year for April 2020)
• retail electricity sellers

Houston Chronicle | Power data shows which businesses weathered the shutdown

Where: Indiana

What action prompted the Indiana’s Public Utility Commission to investigate? A “controversial request from state utility companies to recover costs & lost revenue in ways that could include rate increases for customers”

What other options are the Utility Commissioners now considering?

• disconnection moratorium
• waiving fees
• adjusting late fees
• creating payment arrangements
• consideration of the utilities’ request for recovering costs and lost revenue

IndyStar | Commission investigating the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on utilities, ratepayers

The study authors: Wood Mackenzie

How much will battery storage expand by 2030? increase to 26 gigawatts (GW) from 3 GW in 2020 across 5 major European power markets, Britain, Germany, France, Italy & Spain

How much will pumped storage plants expand by 2030?  increasing to 205 GW by 2030 from a current 122 GW

What’s crucial about 2030? Battery storage will be so cheap that pumped storage will no longer be necessary

New York Times | Use of Battery Power Storage Seen Accelerating to 2030 and Beyond: WoodMac

The company: SparkCharge

The charge rate: 1 mile of range per 1 minute of charging. Up to 75 total miles.

How much total energy storage in the portable charger? Up to 5 battery components that each store a total of 3.5 kWh of charge (3.2 kWh usable)

Car Buzz | Portable EV Charger Is The Future Of Roadside Assistance

Who discovered the possibility of storing solar energy in molecules? Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology

How does this work? “The system starts with a liquid molecule made up of carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen. When hit by sunlight, the molecule draws in the sun’s energy and holds it until a catalyst triggers its release as heat. “

What could this storage apply to?

• thermal energy for homes
• thermal energy for electric vehicles
• expansions into storing energy into electricity

Bloomberg Business | An Energy Breakthrough Could Store Solar Power for Decades

Mexico’s Comision Federal de Electricidad is calling for renewables to contribute to infrastructure costs saying that currently the traditional generators subsidize renewables.

How is this impacting renewables in Mexico? Mexico’s power grid regulator is preventing several dozen new renewable energy plants from connecting to the network

New York Times | Exclusive: Renewable Firms in Mexico Must Contribute to Grid Backup-CFE Chief

The MIT Study published in the journal Applied Energy found that used EV batteries had the following advantages for the grid:

• backup storage for grid-scale solar photovoltaic installations
• additional 10+ years of battery life
• At 60% of their original price, the back up storage for solar provides a reasonable net return on investment

MIT News | Solar energy farms could offer second life for electric vehicle batteries

pv magazine International | Used EV batteries for large scale solar energy storage

Who is involved in this public-private partnership?

• University of Washington
• Enphase Energy Inc

Where will testing occur? At 3 Enphase buildings in Austin, TX

What is the partnership testing?

• Enphase is bringing its  grid-forming inverters
• University of Washington is contributing its control systems for unrestricted penetration of photovoltaic (PV) solar on the grid

What’s the unresolved question to get to a 100% renewable grid? The “architectural and algorithmic foundations required to reliably integrate unlimited distributed, renewable energy resources, like solar photovoltaic (PV), on our electric grids.”

Global Newswire | Enphase Energy Collaborates with University of Washington for 100% Renewables Grid

What are the 2 existing carbon capture generation facilities? —Petra Nova in Texas & Boundary Dam in Saskatchewan, Canada

Who is the new kid, #3? Young station, Project Tundra  in North Dakota

The company behind Young station, Project Tundra ? Minnkota Power Cooperative in Grand Forks, North Dakota

Which of the 3 is the largest? The North Dakota project

The numbers:

• Capture and store up to 90% of the CO2
• $1 Billion in capital to raise
• 2022 building start

Popular Mechanics | Will the World’s Biggest Carbon Capture Facility Work?

Who: Layer1 Technologies, a bitcoin mining start up backed by Peter Theil

How do Bitcoin mining and battery storage fit together? Layer1 installed proprietary demand-response technology based on the energy market standards developed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)

What benefits are offered to the grid?

• meet peak market demand
• stabilize national and local energy grids
• the energy storage systems of mining operations dynamically manage their electricity usage 

What benefits are there for bitcoin miners?

• In exchange for putting energy back onto the grid in peak times, miners negotiate a lower rate during operations
•  The battery storage systems also have a “patent-pending immersed liquid-cooling infrastructure” that reduces the company’s all-in electricity costs by over 75%

Layer1 Launches Bitcoin Batteries to Stabilize Energy Grids by Releasing Electricity to Meet Market Demand

Who is requesting the Texas Attorney General to answer this quandary? Senator Birdwell

What question shall the Attorney General answer? Whether a contract between a home rule city and a Special Utility District can prohibit the city from petitioning for decertification from the district’s Certificate for Convenience and Necessity.

Why is this a question? Three provisions may say a city can’t be bound by this prohibition.

• Local Gov. Code Section 51.072
• Local Gov. Code Section 51.078
• Texas Constitution Article 11, Section 5

RQ-0354-KP

What specific outsourcing is at issue? Tennessee Valley Authority’s move to hire out of country IT support

What did the utility say in support of outsourcing IT?

• Strengthen IT. Strengthen the utility’s Cybersecurity and IT operations
• Everyone else does it. Most other electric utilities have already.
• Sensitive Information will stay in the US.

What piece of legislation is targeted to prohibit the outsourcing? Federal COVID relief bills.

Chattanooga Times Free Press via Governing | Congressman Attempts to Block Utility’s Outsourcing Efforts

The pension system:California State Teachers’ Retirement Systems

Why is California State Teachers’ Retirement Systems investing in energy storage? It’s part of its climate policies. The system adopted climate based policies 15 years ago

What has the pension system done to support energy storage?

• Supporting storage technology development and implementation through investments
• Corporate engagement in developing viable energy storage technology 

EDF + Business | CalSTRS says climate is major portfolio threat, companies must walk the walk on net-zero

Who is saying there is an annual $344 Million cost saving for Texans with distributive storage?  Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance 

How much distributive energy is necessary to save $300 million annually in Texas? 1,000 MW of distributed storage

The numbers behind the analysis:

• 20% reduction in peak demand with added storage or other DERs
• 20% of Texas transmission and distribution expenditures are due to load growth
• peak demand reductions ranging from 5% to 25% from adding DERs

Texas Advanced Energy Business Alliance  | “The value of integrating distributed energy resources in Texas.” 

PV Magazine | Distributed storage could save Texas $344 million per year by deferring transmission and distribution costs

What coalition was behind the legislative success? Fix the Pipes Alliance

Who are members of Fix the Pipes Alliance? broad coalition of labor, business, environmental, city and legislative leaders

What funding mechanisms were adopted to replace aging and failing sewer and water systems?

• at least $300 million statewide funding for municipalities to upgrade sewer and water pipes
• inclusion of water & wastewater funding in the state  $2 billion state bonding bill 

Is there a COVID benefit? Puts 7,200  tradespeople to work

Duluth News Tribune | Coalition urges Minnesota Legislature to pass construction bill to fix sewer, water systems

What is the Cyberspace Solarium Commission? Created by Congress to “develop a consensus on a strategic approach to defending the United States in cyberspace against cyberattacks of significant consequences.” 

Where can I find the report? https://www.solarium.gov.

Did they make recommendations? Yes, 80

Why is private corporation and government cooperation important in energy? 87% of energy critical infrastructure is privately owned

What are the big picture takeaways?

• Governments should codify “systemically important critical infrastructure”
• Need for an established plan that maintains the continuity of the economy in consultation with the private sector “to ensure continuous operation of critical functions of the economy in the event of a significant cyber disruption.”

T&D World | Utility Commissioners Briefed on Pillars to Boost Critical Infrastructure Security

Where: Richmond, California

What’s the charging rate?

• FREE to the public
•  Stores power up to 225 miles of electric driving each day
• Up to 28 miles of range per hour

What else do I need to know?

• Allows first responders access to electricity in power shutoffs
• Operates off-grid
• Saves the city installation construction costs
• Generates no utility bills
• Relocates as needed

East Bay Times | Solar-powered EV station opens in Richmond for public use

Where: Mexico

Why did Mexico stop connecting solar and wind energy to its grid?

• protect energy security during the Covid-19 pandemic

What do opponents say?

• There is no technical motivation or legal basis
• Negatively impacts competition

PV Magazine | Mexican government halts grid connection of new solar and wind projects

What prohibitions are in the executive order?

• ban the use of equipment for the power grid manufactured by a company under the control of a foreign adversary
• ban the buying of equipment that poses a national security threat

The executive order also creates the Task Force on Federal Energy Infrastructure Procurement Policies Related to National Security.  Who sits on this task force?

• Chair: Energy Secretary or the Secretary’s designee
• Secretary of Defense
• Secretary of the Interior
• Secretary of Commerce
• Secretary of Homeland Security
• Director of National Intelligence
• Director of the Office of Management and Budget
• head of any other agency that the Chair may designate in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Interior

The Whitehouse | Executive Order on Securing the United States Bulk-Power System

The Hill | Trump issues executive order to protect power grid from attack

Where: East Texas

Who:

• Angelina & Neches River Authority 
• The Texas Rural Water Association
• Texas Wide Area Radio Network

What: Distributing 7,000 masks, with a limit of 5 masks per employee

Lufkin Daily News | ANRA offering masks for water and wastewater utility workers

What is Autobidder? Tesla’s software to control those energy assets

Where has Tesla applied to be a utility? The United Kingdom

How is Tesla talking about it?

• “Autobidder provides independent power producers, utilities, and capital partners the ability to autonomously monetize battery assets“

• “Autobidder is a real-time trading and control platform that provides value-based asset management and portfolio optimization, enabling owners and operators to configure operational strategies that maximize revenue according to their business objectives and risk preferences.”

What can Autobidder’s AI do?

• Price forecasting
• Load forecasting
• Generation forecasting
• Dispatch optimization
• Smart bidding

Electrek | Tesla has a new product: Autobidder, a step toward becoming an electric utility

BBC | Tesla applies to generate electricity in UK market

Who:  Ormat Technologies, Inc, a subsidiary of Viridity Energy Solutions Inc

What:  Rabbit Hill Battery Energy Storage System facility in Georgetown, Texas

How much power? 10 MW of fast responding capacity to the ERCOT market

Benefits of the battery storage according to supporters:

• grid reliability support for ERCOT
• provides all types of ancillary services required by ERCOT, including fast frequency response.

Is this Ormat’s 1st battery storage & grid support? No, they are also in, or getting into:

• New Jersey
• New England
• California

Ormat Announces Commercial Operation of Rabbit Hill Battery Storage

Who is tying COVID recovery & electricity provider choice? Texas Power Switch

What is Texas Power Switch? A coordinated electricity auction to offer cost savings operated by iChoosr, an electric power aggregation service

What are supporters saying in a post COVID world?

• More people working from home
• Higher Electric Bills, residential usage is 30% higher over last year
• Great time for saving costs through iChoosr

Killeen Daily Herald | Texas Power Switch hopes to save consumers money as economy recovers from coronavirus

Where: Chicago

What are the new building codes for EV charging in Chicago?

• new residential construction of five units must reserve reserve no less than 20% of parking spaces for EVs
• commercial properties with at least 30 on-site parking spaces (previously 50) must reserve no less than 20%of parking spaces for EVs.
• No requirements for retrofitting existing buildings

Smart Cities World | Chicago strengthens EV charging measures for new buildings

What are we talking about? the University of Texas endowment, the second biggest university endowment in the US with  $30 billion in assets

How would a cut in production help the UT endowment?

• CEO of University Lands says a 20% cut to production would be an effort to help save the endowment value
• Estimates show the Endowment in 2020 will sendto the Permanent Univeristy Fund $300 Million less than it did in 2019

When will the Texas Railroad Commission next act on a cut to production rates? May 5, 2020

Chief Investment Officer | University of Texas Endowment Oil Money In Jeopardy

Where: Mississippi

What happened? Prior to COVID restrictions, Pontotoc Mississippi Electric Power Association voted against offering broadband during an April special called meeting

How are the other 11 power associations proceeding in Mississippi? Moving forward with broadband

How did Pontotoc customers respond? By calling for broadband implementation & for greater input

Governing | Mississippi Residents Urging Broadband Reconsideration