Breaking News

Electric cars are a hot topic and a big question mark for utilities. Now a report from KEMA, Inc. and Taratec Corporation aims to provide a few answers.

Assessment of Plug-in Electric Vehicle Integration with ISO/RTO Systems examines products and services PEVs could provide under existing market and reliability structures of the North American independent system operators (ISO) and regional transmission organizations (RTO). Researchers focused on identifying programs that could be implemented in the near term, such as regulating PEV battery charging as a demand resource.

The project team estimates that one million PEVs could be deployed in North America within the next five to 10 years. Based on historic sales of the Toyota Prius, the highest concentration of vehicles would be on the West Coast and in the Northeast. The report states that the wholesale energy price impact of those cars ranges from negligible up to 10 percent, depending on the region, available resources and load (both time of day and day of the year). The greatest impact would likely be if lots of PEVs were to charge their batteries at the same time on a day when energy use in the region is already high.

Utilities might be able to mitigate the potential problem of price impacts from PEV charging by implementing price mechanisms such as dynamic pricing, special tariffs or managed charging. These steps would reduce charging over a higher demand, concentrated time period, such as late afternoons in the summer. Also, ISO/RTO systems need to change market rules and invest in IT infrastructure to effectively integrate PEV resources into the existing grid, according to the report.

Overall, vehicle electrification in North America presents power providers with a challenge while also offering unique opportunities. The report concludes that experience with smart grid technologies and using load as a resource in tandem with testing and demonstrations will be invaluable in preparing for the unique changes predicted to arrive.

Are there electric vehicles already in use in your territory? What is your utility doing to prepare for PEVs?

Read about Energy Services Manager Ron Horstman’s test drive of the new all-electric Ford Focus in the September Energy Services Bulletin.

To meet the solar industry’s growing need for qualified installation workers, the U.S. Department of Energy has established the Solar Instructor Training Network, and recently named the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) to be the network’s national administrator. The Training Network’s goal is to develop high-quality, local and accessible training in solar system design, installation, sales and inspection.

IREC will receive up to $4.5 million over the next five years to serve as the Training Network’s national point of contact, disseminate its products and best practices recommendations and manage collaborations with stakeholders to address issues related to solar training. The Training Network is expected to prepare more than 1,400 instructors to train thousands of workers for the solar installation industry. This is welcomed answer to the common complaint that qualified solar installers can be hard to find, especially away from major market areas.

The DOE launched the Solar Instructor Training Network in 2009 to accelerate market adoption of solar technologies by ensuring a standard of  high-quality installations and to create sustainable jobs within the solar installation industry. The network includes nine Regional Training Providers that extend coverage to the entire United States. Read the DOE press release.

Has your utility had difficulty finding qualified solar workers to install projects? How are you meeting that need in your area?

Be part of the biggest geothermal conference and expo in North America. “Celebrating 50 Years of Clean, Renewable Power,” the Geothermal Resource Council’s (GRC) 2010 annual meeting, will take place Oct. 24 to 27, 2010 at the Sacramento Convention Center.

Now in its 34th year, the GRC annual meeting attracts the leading voices and minds of the geothermal industry from every corner of the globe. Attendees can network, explore business and educational opportunities and learn about the latest geothermal research, exploration, development and use. More than 205 papers representing five tracks have been accepted for presentation at the annual meeting. Session tracks include power operations, enhanced geothermal systems, heat pumps and direct use applications, geophysics and more.

Pre-conference events include workshops and field trips. Workshops on Oct. 22 and 23 will focus on reservoir evaluation, developing energy efficiency and renewable energy portfolios, geothermal heat pumps, and DOE’s Geothermal Electricity Technology Evaluation Model (GETEM). Attendees may sign up for tours of the California Independent Systems Operator or the Geysers steam field, now in its fifth decade of geothermal electricity generation. The Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) is also hosting a public policy pre-conference workshop on Saturday, Oct. 23.

In tandem with the annual meeting is the GEA Geothermal Energy Expo, the world’s largest gathering of vendors supporting geothermal resource exploration, characterization, development, production and management.

Meeting sponsorships and booth space are still available. For more information, call 530-758-2360.

It’s not too late to participate in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) voluntary demand response (DR) survey.  FERC has extended its original July 31 deadline to Aug. 20 specifically to get more input from public power utilities.

The survey is collecting information on utilities’ demand response programs, including implementation of smart grid initiatives and time-of-use rates. According to Michele Suddleson of the American Public Power Association (APPA), many policy makers use the survey results to gauge how quickly various sectors of the industry are moving to implement DR. Given the strong national focus on these issues, it is important to show that the public power sector is actively pursuing demand response solutions. 

Please download the survey form (pdf) and e-mail your responses to FERC by close of business, Friday Aug. 20. FERC provides answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ) from previous surveys on its website, or you can direct your questions to 1-888-585-9232 between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. Help Public power show its success in the area or demand response!

Find out what you missed at the  free webinars on renewable energy, presented by the Environmental Protection Agency. Presentations are available on the website to download.

• July 29: Webinar on Opportunities for Distributed Wind Development
• August 4:  Improving Solar PV Results Through Collaborative Procurement
• June 24: Procuring Green Power Through Reverse Energy Auctions
• April 20: Webinar: Renewable Energy for the Printing Industry
• April 8: Webinar: Green Power Procurement for K-12 Schools
• February 23: Webinar: Green Power Communities
• January 28: Webinar: Green Power Purchasing Aggregations

School districts everywhere are installing, or at least considering installing, renewable energy systems as a way to reduce operating costs. Those that haven’t thought about it might if they knew more about the benefits. Renewables for Schools, on Aug. 25, will show utility professionals how to help schools in their service territory develop renewable projects. The second webinar, scheduled for Sept. 22, will focus on answering educators questions. Read more.

Both webinars are free, but you must register to participate. Download the agenda and registration form.

Beginning Tuesday, Aug. 10, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) will offer a new monthly Member Engagement Webinar series. The webinars are intended to educate and inform members on opportunities for engagement at ACORE. Market, finance, policy activities and global outreach endeavors are just a few of the topics the events will cover. Participants will learn more about navigating ACORE’s Member Center, getting the most out of its Committee GroupSite and ways the organization’s platforms can assist members for marketing and visibility purposes.

Tom Weirich, vice president of Membership & Corporate Relations, will present the webinar at 3:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. PDT.  Learn more about ACORE’s programs and activities by becoming a member and registering for the webinar by Friday, Aug. 6.