QUICK NEWS, 5-4: CALIFORNIA SETS WIND RECORD; BIG PV FOR AUSTIN; NY STATE OF GRID; ALASKA NEEDS NEW ENERGY

CALIFORNIA SETS WIND RECORD
California wind energy sets record
Tom Gray, April 27, 2011 (Regulacion Eolica con Vehiculos Electricos)

"California wind farm plants set a new record for instantaneous generation...[at the end of April], churning out 2,432 megawatts (MW) to easily best the old record of 1,915 MW...[It] was announced by the California Independent System Operator (Cal-ISO), the company that manages California's utility system...[which said] the record "symbolizes the beginning of an important shift in the state's power mix" as California moves steadily toward a new goal of obtaining 33% of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020...

"Peak demand on the ISO grid [in the coming summer] is expected to reach 47,814 MW, which is 687 MW more than the actual peak of 47,127 MW set in 2010. The 1.5% increase represents a modest economic recovery, leading both the ISO and the CEC to encourage energy conservation on hot days...An estimated 2,357 MW of demand response and interruptible load programs will be available to the ISO to deploy this summer. These “negawatts” can offset the need for new generation and counterbalance the variable output of renewable resources."

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"The probability of rotating power outages is less than 1%, assuming moderate levels of imported power. California gets a quarter of its daily electricity needs met from imports. Under normal peak demand conditions, operating reserve margins are projected to be greater than the [required] 15% resource adequacy requirements...

"By September 2011, the Energy Commission states that 846 MW of the state's electric generation capacity will be retired...[mostly facilities] using seawater for power plant cooling. New generation capacity added by the end of September 2011 is expected to be about 1,158 MW, with 893 MW of the new generation provided by renewable energy resources."

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"Record-high level of wind turbines comes as the California snowpack reaches 160% of historical average. The heavy snow inventory, combined with warm temperatures, could lead to fast stream flows that fuel a glut in hydroelectricity...[possibly requiring] the ISO to send quick signals for power plants to “back down”—sometimes even paying generators last minute to reduce output. Flexible on/off ramping capability is critical in making sure megawatts do not overload the grid.

"New geospatial technology and advanced visualization capabilities in the control center will help operators stay one step ahead of nature. With the first dedicated renewables-only dispatch desk in North America, the ISO is better prepared to anticipate swings in wind and solar production...The control center itself is a mini-power plant, with rooftop photovoltaic (PV) panels...[and] carport PV...The soon-to-be LEED-rated campus exemplifies California’s commitment to the environment..."


BIG PV FOR AUSTIN
FRV Contracts with RES Americas to Build Landmark Project for Austin Energy; Construction Begins on Webberville Solar, One of the Largest Solar PV Systems in the U.S
April 26, 2011 (Fotowatio Renewable Ventures)

"Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV)…[has] closed financing and begun construction on the 30 megawatt (MW) Webberville Solar project, one of the largest solar PV systems in the U.S…

"The project, which will be located just outside Austin, Texas, is scheduled to be operational by year-end. Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. (RES Americas), headquartered in Colorado with an Austin office of 20 employees, has been selected to construct the project and provide operations and maintenance services for the power plant for five years. Once operational, the solar energy from the plant will provide electricity under a long-term power purchase agreement with Austin Energy for 25 years…"

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"FRV has partnered with Bayerische Landesbank (BayernLB), which has fully underwritten the construction debt for the project. With this team now in place, the construction of the Webberville Solar project — sited on Austin Energy-owned land in Travis County, approximately 15 miles east of Austin in Webberville, TX — is fully under way…

"…[T]o maximize the solar energy output at the site, the solar plant will be constructed by mounting modules on a flat, single-axis tracking system. The project will deploy crystalline 270W photovoltaic modules that FRV procured directly from Trina Solar. The Webberville Solar project will provide enough clean energy to power 5,000 homes, while avoiding the emission of approximately 30,000 tons of CO2 per year…"


NY STATE OF GRID
NYISO: Grid Outlook Is Positive, But Challenges Persist
27 April 2011 (Renew Grid)

"Although the immediate outlook for New York state's electric grid is generally positive, the sustained adequacy of power will be impacted by a range of challenges, according to a new report released by the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO).

"…[Power Trends 2011; Energizing New York’s Legacy of Leadership] is NYISO's annual review of the forces and factors affecting the state's electric system. According to the authors, developments over the past decade have contributed to a more reliable system, and with planned additions in the near future, the adequacy of power resources is not an imminent concern."

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"…[D]evelopments include smart grid efforts…to enhance the operation of the transmission and distribution systems, as well as to empower the end-use electricity consumer…[T]he new technology may be combined with consumer access to dynamic pricing that involves a rate structure reflecting the changing supply-and-demand conditions in the wholesale electricity market…

"…[T]he sustained adequacy of resources may be challenged by several factors…[including] the considerable lead time required for power infrastructure project development…Consequently, the report recommends that the planning horizons of policymakers and regulators encompass the time required for the electric industry to address new laws and changes in regulatory requirements [for financing, permitting and constructing major energy projects]."

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"…[There is also a] need to address aging generation and transmission infrastructure. As of the end of 2010, 60% of the state’s power-plant capacity was put into service before 1980. Similarly, 84% of the high-voltage transmission facilities in New York went into service before 1980…[It is especially urgent] to develop adequate replacement generation to serve southeastern New York in the event of the retirement of the nuclear power units at Indian Point…[so as] to prevent violation of mandatory resource adequacy reliability standards and maintain the supply of power and transmission voltage support needed to move electricity over power lines…

"…[T]he New York electric system faces the cumulative impact of impending environmental regulations…Renewable energy integration is also lacking, and although the mix of fuels used to generate electricity in New York is relatively diverse - including a relatively balanced mix of hydropower, nuclear, coal, natural gas and oil - fossil-fueled generation predominates in the high-demand downstate region…[Removing] barriers to trade among regional power markets, [increasing] renewable resources and energy efficiency, [improving] coordination among neighboring grid operators and…[planning] across the Eastern Interconnection…[could] yield annual savings of $193 million for New York."


ALASKA NEEDS NEW ENERGY
Utilities look to renewables as natural gas dwindles
Tim Bradner, April 28, 2011 (Alaska Journal of Commerce)

"Despite its high costs, renewable energy is a good risk-management strategy for Southcentral Alaska electric utilities, which currently depend heavily on natural gas for power generation…[because] natural gas reserves are running down…

"Renewable energy – wind, hydro and geothermal – can be expensive at the front-end but its key advantage, in the long run is that the fuel is free…The state and the Railbelt utilities partnered to build the Bradley Lake dam near Homer [20 years ago]…Natural gas prices have since doubled from what they were 20 years ago but the cost of Bradley Lake hydro power has been stable and low…"

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"Cook Inlet Region Inc.'s planned $160 million Fire Island wind project…[has met] difficulties in securing power sales agreements with local utilities…[but if] it's just business-as-usual, and aside from the gas supply issue, Alaskans in the Railbelt communities will spend an estimated $60 billion to purchase fossil fuels over the next 20 years, money that flows out of the state's economy, and this doesn't assume any increases in price…In rural Alaska, where communities are heavily reliant on diesel, $6 billion will be spent…[so there] are about 30 wind projects operating in rural communities in combination with conventional diesel generation.

"While a portfolio of energy supplies is important, conservation is key, and Alaskans have proven successful in this. The state's popular energy rebate program, which refunds homeowners' investments in energy efficiency, is a demonstrated success…The state has mandated energy efficiency measures for public buildings. These things are important because studies show that about 50 per cent of the total "life-cycle" cost of a structure over time is in operating costs, and much of that is in heat and power…Only about 17 percent of total costs is actual construction."

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"The good news is that a variety of renewable energy options are available to utilities in Southcentral and Interior Alaska…[including] the Fire Island wind project and also a potential geothermal resource at Mount Spurr…Ormat Nevada, a geothermal company, plans to resume testing this summer…Mount Spurr could provide 50 megawatts to 100 megawatts to the Southcentral grid…[if] a 40-mile transmission line [is built]…Geothermal power projects are typically online 99 percent of the time, which beats even gas-fired power generation…

"There are other wind projects that could feed power into the Railbelt grid…Integration of variable wind power into a local grid, which requires the assurance of steady, reliable power, is always a challenge…[but the] Kodiak Electric Association has solved this…There are smaller hydro projects in the region, too…"