Senate Confirms Nomination Of FERC Nominee
November 17, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
November 17, 2021
The Senate on Nov. 16 confirmed the nomination of Willie Phillips, Jr. to be a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for a term expiring June 30, 2026.
Phillips, a Democrat, is currently Chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC) of the District of Columbia.
Once he is sworn in, Phillips will return FERC to its full complement of five commissioners after the departure of Commissioner Neil Chatterjee on August 30, 2021.
He would also give Democrats a 3-2 majority on the Commission.
Developers Challenge Maine Ballot Initiative Result Blocking Transmission Project
November 17, 2021
by Peter Maloney
APPA News
November 17, 2021
Investors and stakeholders are challenging the results of a ballot initiative that could block a transmission project that would run through Maine to bring hydropower from Canada to New England.
NECEC Transmission and Avangrid Networks on Nov. 3 filed a lawsuit in Maine Superior Court challenging Question 1, which appeared on Maine ballots on election day, Nov. 2. Voters approved the initiative, the Legislative Approval of Certain Electric Transmission Lines, which calls for a prohibition on “the construction of electric transmission lines defined as high-impact in the Upper Kennebec Region, including the NECEC,” and requires “a two-thirds vote of each state legislative chamber to approve high-impact electric transmission line projects.”
New England Clean Energy Connect is a $950 million, 145-mile transmission project designed to bring 1,200 megawatts (MW) of hydropower from Quebec, Canada, into Maine and connect to the New England grid at Lewiston, Maine, and sell electricity to distribution companies in Massachusetts.
The project has secured permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Maine Public Utilities Commission, the Maine Land Use Planning Commission, and the Maine Environmental Protection Department.
In 2018, several Massachusetts utilities signed contracts to purchase 9.45 million megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity per year from Hydro-Quebec per through the NECEC transmission project.
At the time, Massachusetts’ Department of Energy Resources said the contract would result in 47 percent of the electricity consumed by Massachusetts being generated from clean energy and would “significantly contribute” to meeting the state’s emission reduction goals under the Global Warming Solutions Act.
The ballot initiative, which was approved by roughly 60 percent of voters, calls for a change in Maine law that would block the New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) project, NECEC and Avangrid said in a statement. The initiative is unconstitutional and violates both state and federal law, the plaintiffs said.
In their filing, Avangrid and NECEC argue that the ballot initiative violates the vested rights of the property owner, namely, the project company NECEC. The plaintiffs also argue that the initiative violates the separation of power clause of Maine’s Constitution by attempting to reverse executive and judicial branch decisions with legislative action.
And the plaintiffs argue that the initiative violates the contracts clause of both the Maine and United States constitutions by attempting to cancel a 25-year lease between NECEC and the State of Maine.
NECEC seeks a declaratory judgment from the Superior Court that the ballot initiative is unlawful and cannot be enforced. NECEC is also asking the court for an immediate injunction preventing retroactive enforcement of the initiative against the project, so that construction is not disrupted while this lawsuit proceeds.
Maine’s Supreme Court last year threw out a proposed ballot initiative that would have required the Maine Public Utilities Commission to reverse its May 2019 decision approving the NECEC project.
“Maine residents have voted decisively to terminate the CMP [Central Maine Power] corridor, which means the time has come for CMP to respect the will of Maine people by stopping this project immediately,” Pete Didisheim, advocacy director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine, said in a statement. “If CMP fails to halt construction activities right away, then the Department of Environmental Protection should move quickly to suspend the permit and require that CMP begin restoring areas of Western Maine that already have been damaged.”
Didisheim also called on Massachusetts to honor the electoral outcome “by selecting an alternative option for meeting its climate goals without imposing significant environmental harm on another New England state.”
“I think the decision in Maine speaks to a much larger issue, the work that is being done and needs to be done to electrify those portions of our economy that are currently driven by fossil fuels and that is transmission capacity and the strength and power of the transmission grid,” Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said during a press conference. “Whether you are talking about wind or you’re talking about hydro or you’re talking about basically any other form of renewable energy, transmission has to be a big part of the discussion because we are talking about literally in some cases, a doubling or tripling of the amount of energy, electricity that is going to be available to do it.”
“We are obviously looking at the results [of the ballot initiative] and talking to Avangrid, and they and we will figure out what the next move is,” Baker said, adding in response to a reporter’s question about the status of the project, “No. I don’t see it as dead.”
Peninsula Clean Energy Enters Second Solar Plus Storage Agreement
November 17, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
November 17, 2021
California community choice aggregator (CCA) Peninsula Clean Energy has entered into its second 15-year agreement to procure solar and battery storage from a single project.
Peninsula Clean Energy reached a power purchase agreement with Arica Solar LLC, that includes 100 megawatts (MW) of solar and 50 MW (200 megawatt hours) of four-hour lithium-ion battery storage.
The project, which will be developed and owned by Clearway Energy Group, is expected to be operational on or around April 1, 2024.
It is the second solar-plus-storage power purchase agreement Peninsula Clean Energy has reached, following a 15-year deal signed in September with Leeward Renewable Energy involving 102 MW of solar and 52 MW of battery storage from the Chaparral Solar Facility in Kern County.
The location of the Arica Solar project in Riverside County, Calif., was chosen in consultation with environmental activists to avoid harm to area species and habitat.
Peninsula Clean Energy is the official electricity provider for San Mateo County and, beginning in 2022, for the City of Los Banos.
Founded in 2016, the agency serves 295,000 customers by providing more than 3,500 gigawatt hours annually of electricity.
Peninsula Clean Energy is on track to deliver electricity that is 100 percent renewable by 2025. The agency has earned investment grade credit ratings from Moody’s and Fitch.
The American Public Power Association has initiated a new category of membership for community choice aggregation programs.
Ditto Calls For House To Keep Direct Pay Energy Tax Credits In Build Back Better Act
November 16, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
November 16, 2021
The House of Representatives should keep the provisions of the Growing Renewable Energy and Efficiency Now Act in H.R. 5376, the Build Back Better Act, Joy Ditto, President and CEO of the American Public Power Association (APPA), said in a Nov. 15 letter to Rep. Michael Thompson, D-Calif., Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures.
“The act as drafted will ensure that all utilities and their customers benefit from incentives encouraging investments to transition to cleaner energy technologies: investments needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” wrote Ditto. “Enactment would mean that all utilities, not just for-profit utilities, can directly benefit from energy tax incentives. This will make these incentives fairer and more effective,” she said.
In the letter, Ditto also notes that federal tax expenditures are the primary tool Congress uses to incentivize energy-related investments. However, tax-exempt entities — including public power utilities, rural electric cooperatives, and other not-for-profit entities — cannot directly claim such incentives.
“In effect, utilities serving nearly 30 percent of utility customers in the U.S. are effectively locked out of owning such facilities. This explains why 80 percent of the nation’s (non-hydropower) renewable energy generating capacity is owned by merchant generators,” wrote Ditto.
The Build Back Better Act “addresses this inequity by allowing the direct payment of energy tax credits — including production, investment, and carbon capture tax credits — to any entity that owns the project. This would remove the financial disincentive for public power utilities to own such facilities, which are needed to transition to cleaner energy technologies needed to address climate change.”
It would also allow the full value of these credits to pay for additional clean energy investments that will benefit the more than 90 million Americans nationwide served by tax-exempt, not-for-profit electric utilities, she said in the letter.
“We strongly encourage Congress to take the steps needed to make these tax credits both more effective and more equitable for public power utilities and the communities they serve,” Ditto said.
The House could vote as early as Saturday, Nov. 20, on the Build Back Better Act. The vote hinges on formal estimates of the legislation’s costs by the Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation, which could be available as early as Nov. 19.
If approved by the House, the Build Back Better Act would next head to the Senate for consideration, possibly during the second or third week of December.
EPB, National Laboratories Earn Award For Cyberattack Protection Technology
November 16, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
November 16, 2021
Chattanooga, Tenn.-based public power utility EPB and the Oak Ridge and Los Alamos National Laboratories have received an award for a joint project that is developing technology to protect America’s electric grid from cyberattacks.
Specifically, the public power utility and the national laboratories received an R&D 100 Award. Established in 1963, the R&D 100 Awards annually recognize 100 accomplishments in research leading to new commercial products, technologies and materials from around the world notable for their technological significance.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Los Alamos and EPB have worked together for several years on the “QED: Quantum Ensured Defense of the Smart Electric Grid” project.
QED uses quantum communications in an effort to protect power grid control signals from third-party infiltration. EPB is the only utility in the U.S. that is field testing this quantum technology.
The technology harnesses single particles of light, or photons, to distribute cryptographic keys that can be used to lock control signals into secret codes to protect the electric grid. This novel method brings the security assurances of quantum communication systems to long-haul distances of electric grid systems.
The team has demonstrated the operational use of QED on part of a 21-kilometer field test bed on EPB’s smart grid and 100% fiber optic network in Chattanooga, Tenn. Together the scientists are seeking ways to escape the ongoing attack-defend cycle of cybersecurity breeches by developing this new method of protecting information.
This project is part of a larger collaboration including industry partner Qubitekk, based in San Diego, California.
Funding for this project was provided by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response.
EPB serves the greater Chattanooga area and delivers electricity to more than 170,000 homes and businesses across our 600 square mile service area which includes most of Hamilton County as well as parts of surrounding counties in both Tennessee and Georgia.
In 2010, EPB Fiber Optics, which offers internet, TV, and telephone services, became the first provider in the United States to deliver up to 1 Gig internet speeds utilizing a community-wide fiber optic network which is accessible to every home and business in its service area.
In 2015, EPB became the first, and to date, only American internet service provider to make up to 10 Gig (10,000 Mbps) internet speeds accessible to all its residential and commercial customers as a standard offer.
EPB has also utilized its community-wide fiber optic network to deploy the most advanced and highly automated smart grid power management system in the nation.
Massachusetts Town Seeks Investigation of Power Line Management By National Grid
November 16, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
November 16, 2021
The Town of Hull, Mass., recently filed a petition with the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) asking the DPU to open an investigation into the manner in which National Grid has managed the two electric lines that provide electricity to Hull.
The filing asks the DPU initiate a full investigation regarding National Grid’s failure to follow good utility standards in maintaining the two lines.
The petition also asks the DPU to order National Grid to upgrade the lines and associated facilities at National Grid’s expense.
In addition, the petition requests that National Grid be ordered to reimburse Hull Light $3.1 million Hull Light has expended to protect residents and businesses from National Grid’s failure to exercise proper care for the lines.
Expense reimbursement includes the cost Hull Light has made and continues to make to have generators during winter months because of what the utility says is the precarious nature of National Grid’s electric supply lines to Hull.
The petition is available here.
WPPI Energy Member Utilities Partner With Local Theatre To Help Educate Students on Energy Efficiency, Electricity
November 16, 2021
by Vanessa Nikolic
APPA News
November 16, 2021
Wisconsin-based joint action agency WPPI Energy and its member utilities recently partnered with The National Theatre for Children (NTC) to work on educating students and families on energy efficiency and electricity.
Founded in 1978, NTC is a Minnesota based theatre company that holds free programs at schools across the country to educate and inspire future generations on a variety of topics from financial literacy to energy conservation. Over the years, NTC has expanded its offerings to include virtual events as well.
Member utilities of WPPI Energy and NTC developed “The Energized Guyz,” a new program that will be livestreamed this fall and delivered virtually. This virtual offering aims to accommodate students whether they are learning in the classroom or remotely from home.
The program brings information on energy efficiency and electricity to more than 80 schools in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Iowa. The presentations focus on what energy is, the uses of energy, how energy is wasted, and how to conserve energy.
The livestream features a host who introduces the program, sets up a series of comedic videos, and leads a Q&A session in which students and teachers can ask questions for the host to answer during the presentation. The educational videos tell a superhero-themed story about science, energy efficiency, and electricity.
Stacie Running, energy services manager at WPPI Energy said the program provides a unique learning opportunity for students.
“We are excited to partner with NTC and the local schools to provide this opportunity for students,” Running said. “The performances provide a fun and entertaining platform that encourages students to learn more about energy.”
Livestream events accompany a digital curriculum including games, e-books, interactive lessons, and assessments for educators. The utilities sponsor every aspect of the program, providing free supplemental materials for teachers looking to enhance their educational resources this school year.
For more information about “The Energized Guyz” livestream, visit nationaltheatre.com.
WPPI Energy is a member-owned, not-for-profit organization that serves 51 locally owned electric utilities in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Upper Michigan.
New Report Sees Record Levels Of Wind and Solar Energy Additions In 2022
November 15, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
November 15, 2021
Record levels of wind and solar generation additions are expected to come online in 2022, according to a new report from S&P Global Market Intelligence.
“It’s going to be a record year for renewable energy development in the U.S. in 2022,” with 44 gigawatts (GW) of solar and 27 GW of wind power set to be installed alongside more than 8 GW of battery storage, said Richard Sansom, Head of Commodities Research at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
The report said that the growth in wind, solar and storage will be facilitated by the creation of dedicated programs such as virtual power purchase agreements and green tariffs.
At the same time, early plant retirement costs due to the energy transition will present challenges for utilities and state regulators with 29 GW of coal retirements planned for 2020 through 2025.
The report also said that U.S. utility capital expenditures are expected to remain on the upswing, with investments in upgrading and modernizing the country’s aging energy and water infrastructure reaching $63 billion and utility renewables spending surpassing $14 billion in 2022.
The S&P Global Market Intelligence 2022 Electric, Natural Gas and Water Utilities Outlook Report is part of a “Big Picture Outlook” series published by the division’s research group that provides a look ahead of key strategic trends and opportunities.
APPA’s Ditto Appointed To Serve As A Member of Electrical Safety Group’s Board
November 15, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
November 15, 2021
The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) recently appointed Joy Ditto, President and CEO of the American Public Power Association (APPA), to serve as a member of its Board of Directors.
The directors comprising ESFI’s board are senior management representatives from a number of organizations dedicated to providing electrical safety information to the public, communities, and the workforce, ESFI noted.
ESFI is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting electrical safety at home and the workplace.
“The ubiquity and convenience of electric power is a modern marvel to be celebrated,” said Ditto. “And I am proud to represent the more than 2,000 public power utilities across this country that provide this essential service every day. But we must never forget that we are wielding a dangerous force that must be respected and used with care. This is why I care so much about the mission of ESFI and why I am honored to take on an enhanced role in its efforts to educate the public about electrical safety.”
The future programs created with APPA will allow ESFI to better serve public power utilities and their customers, ESFI noted.
ESFI’s goal is to create free-to-share materials that will help utility workers prevent electrical injuries while working around utility equipment, especially overhead power lines, and assist utilities in promoting safety to their customers while at home. As emerging technology evolves, future programs will be developed to address how customers can use technologies such as electric vehicles and solar panels safely, it said.
For a complete list of ESFI’s Board of Directors, visit esfi.org/board-of-directors.
Seattle City Light, National Labs Studying Hydrogen’s Potential As A Truck Fuel
November 15, 2021
by APPA News
November 15, 2021
Seattle City Light, in partnership with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and Sandia National Laboratories, is embarking on studies to explore the potential of using hydrogen instead of fossil fuels for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
The studies are being supported by awards totaling $2.12 million from the Department of Energy, and they are designed to help Seattle City Light and the Port of Seattle to meet their emission reduction goals. Partners in the studies also includes The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) and PACCAR/Kenworth.
The City of Seattle has set a goal of reducing total core greenhouse gas emissions 58 percent by 2030 and becoming carbon dioxide neutral by 2050.
One of the studies, Analytic Framework for Optimal Sizing of Hydrogen Fueling Stations for Heavy Duty Vehicles at Ports, will explore the potential of shifting from fossil fuel to clean hydrogen as fuel to power medium-and heavy-duty vehicles, including heavy equipment such as forklifts, drayage trucks and cranes.
The study will also look at the potential to scale up the technology if demand for hydrogen increases, including the potential to use the energy stored as hydrogen to power cruise or cargo ships while they’re being loaded and unloaded.
That study is funded with a $1.35 million award from the Department of Energy (DOE), and $150,000 from Seattle City Light.
The second study, Large-scale Hydrogen Storage – Risk Assessment, Seattle City Light and the Port of Seattle will assess the risks and benefits associated with scaling hydrogen produced using renewable resource to a level large enough to serve multiple maritime-related and utility uses.
At that scale, hydrogen could potentially be used for propulsion for tugboats, commercial fishing vessels and passenger ferries and to accommodate a significant portion of drayage trucks and cargo handling equipment serving the port. The research will also look at the requirements of using clean hydrogen as a fuel for larger ships.
The second study is being funded with a $770,000 award from the DOE, $185,000 from Seattle City Light, and $145,000 from the Port of Seattle.
The project partners are projecting a two-year timeframe to produce the final project recommendations.
“It is more important than ever for Seattle City Light to collaborate with our customers who want to confront the climate crisis by decarbonizing their operations,” Debra Smith, City Light’s general manager and CEO, said in a statement. “We are excited to partner with these agencies to implement a cleaner future for our customers at the port and our region as a whole.”
Several public power utilities across the country are exploring the emissions reduction potential of hydrogen fuel, including New York Power Authority, OUC in Florida, and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
In the Pacific Northwest, Douglas County Public Utility District is working under a $1.9 million grant to demonstrate the first hydrogen fueling station for fuel cell electric vehicles in Washington state. And the Eugene Water and Electric Board in Oregon is developing a renewable hydrogen production facility.