Electricity

Balancing Swings in Power from Wind Farms on the Bonneville Power Administration Grid

2 Comments / Electricity, Energy markets / By

Michael Giberson From the Yakima Herald-Republic, “Ebb and flow of wind power stress NW power grid,” a report of the challenges in keeping the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) transmission grid balanced when power output from wind farms varies quickly: In the space of one hour last month, electricity generated at wind farms in the eastern …

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A Monday Morning Smart Grid Roundup

4 Comments / Economics, Electricity, Technology / By

Lynne Kiesling The development and evolution of smart grid technologies, policies, and investments continues apace. Some interesting contributions to the discussion are: A Popular Science article on “reinventing the grid”: Despite the over-the-top rhetoric that incorrectly focuses on “reinvention” instead of evolution, this article provides a reasonable overview of the current technology and policy issues. …

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Jetstream Announces More Utility-scale, Zero-emissions Hydrogen Power Plants

5 Comments / Electricity / By

Michael Giberson Just days after the company reportedly broke ground on their first plant in New Mexico, the Honolulu Advertiser reports that Jetstream Wind, Inc., has indicated plans to build another one of the “world’s first utility-scale, zero-emissions hydrogen power plants” at Molokai, Hawaii: The Molokai plant, proposed by Jetstream Wind Inc., would use electricity …

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Why Arizona Should Encourage Development of a Open, Competitive Electric Power Market

Electricity, Regulation / By

Michael Giberson Stanley Reynolds and Andrew Kleit have made the case for restructuring the electric power industry in Arizona to encourage development of an open, competitive electric power market.  Good stuff.  I’d especially encourage anyone interested in electric power policy to consider the authors’ eight-point list of elements required for a competitive market (pp. 19-20). …

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Negative Power Prices in Ercot West: Charts for Jan-june 2009

1 Comment / Electricity, Energy markets / By

Michael Giberson Below are three charts showing data on ERCOT West zone power prices for the January-June 2009 period.  The charts were derived from data provided through the ERCOT website, on their “Balancing Energy Services Market Clearing Prices for Energy Annual Report” page. These charts were prepared in the same way, including use of the …

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2009 Power Prices in Ercot’s West Zone: a Mix of Wind Power, Natural Gas Prices, Transmission Constraints, and (inefficient) Congestion Management Practices

2 Comments / Electricity, Energy markets / By

Michael Giberson ERCOT reached a new peak load record last week, beating the record set just a week before. Boone Pickens is backing off a little from earlier ambitions to build the world’s largest wind power facility near Pampa, Texas. The Wall Street Journal reported recently that low natural gas prices are limiting interest in …

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What’s So Funny About Generating Power from Onion Juice?

Electricity, Environmental policy / By

Michael Giberson In the news, many stories about the debut of a power system at Gills Onion that will produce electricity from onion-based biogas. The topic seems to have spurred extra effort to insert jokes into headlines (Don’t cry for me, California; Energy, layer by layer; From The Onion … No, Not That One), but …

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Power Consumers in Ercot Should Keep an Eye on Puct Rulemaking Project 34577

Electricity, Energy markets / By

Michael Giberson Earlier in July, the Public Utility Commission of Texas issued a proposed amendment to its CREZ regulations (the regulations governing the building of transmission to better support development of renewable energy in Texas). The main focus of the proposal is to refine and clarify the process by which the Commission ensures sufficient renewable …

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