Demand response – an energy saving tool that encourages customers to shift their electricity use to times of day when there is less demand on the power grid or when more renewable energy is abundant – has been at the core of my work this summer as an Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps fellow. My host company, Jones Lang… Keep reading →
It would be logical to assume that we make decisions based on our needs, desires, and values regardless of how the choice is presented. For instance, we wouldn’t expect the choice to become an organ donor to depend on whether you must check a box to accept or decline donation. But we would be wrong:… Keep reading →
Quick Take: By now you are thoroughly sick of hearing me hammer at utilities to speak up about the future they want. Our industry has hit a tipping point. Bellwether states such as New York are already rethinking the regulatory compact. Unless utilities become part of those discussions, they’ll end up in a future designed by others.… Keep reading →
A claimed breakthrough in solid oxide fuel cell technology Earlier this week, General Electric announced that it is initiating an entrepreneurial effort to commercialize its solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology for megawatt-scale stationary power applications. Billion-dollar fuel cell startup Bloom Energy also works with SOFC technology at this scale. GE has claimed a recent… Keep reading →
A new demand-side program will be a training ground for future utility reforms in New York Consolidated Edison is taking a new approach to delivering reliable power that is as radical as the gentrification sweeping New York’s outer boroughs. Con Ed filed a proposal on Wednesday with the New York Public Utilities Commission for a… Keep reading →
The Energy Department recently launched the Microgrid 2014 MVP Challenge, a competition to support resiliency and adaptation in communities across America. The Challenge will recognize local organizations that have adopted successful grid strategies which can continue providing vital public services during power disruptions caused by severe weather and other events. As part of the Obama… Keep reading →
On a hot day in August 2003, a high-voltage transmission line failed in Ohio, followed by a series of failures on other vital lines over the next two hours. As the massive power flows sought a path of least resistance, they overloaded other high-voltage lines and the time intervals became shorter between each subsequent failure.… Keep reading →
Quick Take: Need more ammunition to convince ratepayers and regulators that it’s time to modernize? Need more statistics and examples of just how bad things have gotten in the U.S.? Read “A Smarter Power Grid for U.S. Utilities” from Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Brief abstract below. – Jesse Berst Power outages in the United States are up… Keep reading →
Quick Take: By now, I’m sure you’ve read the predictions that we’ll be living in a world of federated microgrids within a decade or two. Yet many of those predictions gloss over an essential question. What will power those microgrids when the main grid goes down? Microgrid enthusiasts often imply that renewables plus storage will provide… Keep reading →
Summers in Austin, Texas are hot. Temperatures rise to an average of 97 degrees Fahrenheit daily, causing residents to swelter and energy bills to soar. However, one Recovery Act-funded project is helping find a way to turn down the heat on electricity bills. The Pecan Street Project is testing a new smart grid system in the Robert… Keep reading →
