Global consulting firm Brattle Group’s transmission competition study showed utilities overspending billions on major transmission projects between 2013 and 2017 due to lack of competition for the projects and insufficient public review of the plans, USA TODAY reported.Only 2% of the transmission projects studied by Brattle went through a competitive bidding process, and costs grew an average of 34% over original estimates when large utilities handled them. The study estimated independent companies that won bids for the projects, reduced costs on average by 40% below estimates.

According to the Brattle study, focused on the potential savings achieved by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Order 1000, the regulations establishing competitive processes for developing transmission projects are limited.

Para leer más ingrese a:

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/report-brattle-research-shows-utilities-overspending-billions-on-transmiss/548797/

http://files.brattle.com/files/14880_brattle_competitive_transmission_naruc_11-13-18.pdf

In a world facing climate emergency, transforming fairly towards a fossil-free energy system in Europe has never been more urgent. Communities across the world are already feeling the impacts of climate breakdown. Europe, as one of the world’s richest regions and the birthplace of the industrial revolution, has the responsibility to lead the fight to fix it.

This booklet explains how new EU renewable energy legislation could be used to unleash a wave of fossil-free community energy across Europe.

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http://www.foeeurope.org/unleashing-power-community-energy
http://www.foeeurope.org/sites/default/files/climate_justice/2019/community_energy_booklet_final.pdf

Electrifying the transportsectorwill create new consumption patterns and business models but couldalso impose significant stress and costs on the electricity systemif left  unmanaged.  EASE’sposition  paper  on  energy  storage  and  mobility  introduces general principles that shouldbe implementedat EU level to support the roll-out ofElectric Vehicles (EVs). It also explains how energy storage systems can reduce the cost ofthis roll-out by coupling the energy and transport sectors. 

The European Association for Storage of Energy (EASE) published a position paper explaining the crucial role of stationary energy storage in enabling a rapid and effective transition to a decarbonised transport sector. It calls on policymakers and other stakeholders to address the barriers that hamper the uptake of storage and to enable relevant use cases.

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http://ease-storage.eu/category/publications/position-papers/
http://ease-storage.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2019.02.EASE-Energy-Storage-and-Mobility-Paper.pdf

Typical utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) projects are developed and financed based on an expected lifetime of about 25 years, even though commercial PV modules are capable of generating energy for much longer periods.

This report provides a snapshot of the present situation in the United States around photovoltaic (PV) module end-of-life (EOL) management. With an expected surge in PV waste volumes in the coming decades, best practices must be established for project decommissioning and for module collection, reuse, recycling, and disposal.

The report outlines drivers of existing and future PV waste volumes, currently available EOL options for PV plants and modules, and technologies adopted in mature PV markets such as Europe, where recycling is already mandatory. Key factors that may influence asset management decisions and module recycling and disposal practices are introduced, including performance monitoring, module composition and construction, policy and regulation, emerging recycling technologies, and research and development (R&D) opportunities.

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https://www.epri.com/#/pages/product/3002014407/?lang=en-US

Countries around the globe have set ambitious renewable energy targets and have grown increasingly reliant on sources such as wind and solar. However, to ensure that production is constantly equal to demand—a mandatory condition on the grid—they must be able to provide power when the wind doesn’t blow, or the sun doesn’t shine. Conversely, when production is higher than is needed, they can increase overall profitability if they can store the excess. Managing this intermittency requires additional flexibility, and new solutions.

For years, hydro storage has offered a cost-effective way to provide large-scale balancing and grid services, with improved predictability on cost and performance. New hydro storage technologies, such as variable speed, give plant owners even more flexibility and quicker response times.

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https://www.ge.com/renewableenergy/hybrid/pumped-storage

https://www.ge.com/content/dam/gepower-renewables/global/en_US/downloads/Whitepapers/ge-hydro-storage-sustainable-business-models-whitepaper.pdf

The integration of solar and wind power poses specific challenges as system operators pursue low-carbon investments and long-term energy sustainability. As these variable renewable energy (VRE) sources reach high shares of power generation, power systems must be increasingly flexible to maintain the balance of supply and demand over each day or year.

The resulting report aims to provide a guide to current innovations, either under development or already in use, in different settings across the globe. The resulting framework is meant to support informed decision-making on the best solutions for each different power system. The report concludes with an eight-step plan for power-sector transformation.

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https://irena.org/publications/2019/Feb/Innovation-landscape-for-a-renewable-powered-future

https://irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2019/Feb/IRENA_Innovation_Landscape_2019_report.pdf

Quarterly publication detailing distributed solar and rate design changes under consideration across the country. Includes a comprehensive review of all state and utility (investor-owned and large public power utilities) actions related to net metering, distributed energy resource valuation, community solar policy, residential fixed charges, mandatory residential demand charges, solar customer charges, third-party ownership legality, and utility-led rooftop solar programs.

Quarterly publication detailing distributed solar and rate design changes under consideration across the country. Includes a comprehensive review of all state and utility (investor-owned and large public power utilities) actions related to net metering, distributed energy resource valuation, community solar policy, residential fixed charges, mandatory residential demand charges, solar customer charges, third-party ownership legality, and utility-led rooftop solar programs.

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https://www.dsireinsight.com/publications/

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ac5143f9d5abb8923a86849/t/5c5251ef0ebbe8920917d8e8/1548898805549/Q4-18-Solar-Exec-Summary-Final.pdf

Electricity efficiency programs funded by utility customers cost-effectively offset a portion of growth in U.S. power needs. That, in turn, affects the need for investment in new electricity infrastructure, across generation, transmission and distribution systems. A new study by Berkeley Lab provides a bottom-up assessment of the potential impact of existing and likely state policies and market conditions to promote or constrain future spending and savings for electricity efficiency programs in all U.S. states.

The new study includes three scenarios—low, medium and high cases—for 2030, with projections of spending and savings for interim years. The scenarios represent different pathways for the evolution of electricity efficiency programs funded by utility customers given the current policy environment and uncertainties in the broader economic and state policy environment in each state.

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https://emp.lbl.gov/publications/future-us-electricity-efficiency

http://eta-publications.lbl.gov/sites/default/files/future_of_ee_final_report_20181205_final.pdf