NewEnergyNews: ORIGINAL REPORTING: Amid Pandemic Uncertainty, A Potential Future Takes Shape/

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YESTERDAY

THINGS-TO-THINK-ABOUT WEDNESDAY, August 23:

  • TTTA Wednesday-ORIGINAL REPORTING: The IRA And The New Energy Boom
  • TTTA Wednesday-ORIGINAL REPORTING: The IRA And the EV Revolution
  • THE DAY BEFORE

  • Weekend Video: Coming Ocean Current Collapse Could Up Climate Crisis
  • Weekend Video: Impacts Of The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Current Collapse
  • Weekend Video: More Facts On The AMOC
  • THE DAY BEFORE THE DAY BEFORE

    WEEKEND VIDEOS, July 15-16:

  • Weekend Video: The Truth About China And The Climate Crisis
  • Weekend Video: Florida Insurance At The Climate Crisis Storm’s Eye
  • Weekend Video: The 9-1-1 On Rooftop Solar
  • THE DAY BEFORE THAT

    WEEKEND VIDEOS, July 8-9:

  • Weekend Video: Bill Nye Science Guy On The Climate Crisis
  • Weekend Video: The Changes Causing The Crisis
  • Weekend Video: A “Massive Global Solar Boom” Now
  • THE LAST DAY UP HERE

    WEEKEND VIDEOS, July 1-2:

  • The Global New Energy Boom Accelerates
  • Ukraine Faces The Climate Crisis While Fighting To Survive
  • Texas Heat And Politics Of Denial
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    Founding Editor Herman K. Trabish

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    WEEKEND VIDEOS, June 17-18

  • Fixing The Power System
  • The Energy Storage Solution
  • New Energy Equity With Community Solar
  • Weekend Video: The Way Wind Can Help Win Wars
  • Weekend Video: New Support For Hydropower
  • Some details about NewEnergyNews and the man behind the curtain: Herman K. Trabish, Agua Dulce, CA., Doctor with my hands, Writer with my head, Student of New Energy and Human Experience with my heart

    email: herman@NewEnergyNews.net

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  • WEEKEND VIDEOS, August 24-26:
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  • The Virtual Power Plant Boom, Part 1
  • The Virtual Power Plant Boom, Part 2

    Wednesday, September 09, 2020

    ORIGINAL REPORTING: Amid Pandemic Uncertainty, A Potential Future Takes Shape

    As utilities tackle immediate COVID-19 impacts, analysts stress need to focus beyond the pandemic; Power systems across the country need new approaches for today's shifting loads, but focusing on recovery and tomorrow’s resources can be even better, analysts say.

    Herman K. Trabish, May 20, 2020 (Utility Dive)

    Editor’s note: Usage is beginning normalize but remains far from normal and industry leaders continue to see an uncertain future.

    Data now verifies a pandemic-driven collapsing commercial-industrial (C&I) electricity load is only partially offset by sheltering-at-home customers' spiking residential usage. Utilities have implemented measures to help residential customers cope with rising powerbills. But some utility leaders and analysts are thinking beyond today's uncertainties and looking instead toward tomorrow's system needs in light of these shifting load dynamics, they told Utility Dive.

    Because of the economic turmoil, "a sharp recovery to previous 'normal' daily load shapes is unlikely without new stimulus efforts," Energy Innovation Senior Fellow Eric Gimon told Utility Dive. But "utilities are safer equities than most in this storm, so it could be a moment for CEOs to pursue new electrification revenues and expenditures for system flexibility they will need going forward."

    The growing "emphasis on energy efficiency and clean and alternative resources" will present new "opportunities for economic development as the economy reopens," Consolidated Edison (ConEd) spokesperson Allan Drury agreed. "Coming out of the pandemic, customers and regulators are likely to set higher expectations for reliability" that require new "smart investments" that will be "good for the economy," he told Utility Dive.

    Disconnection moratoria and bill relief address near term needs, and keeping close track of shifting load data is vital, but the better question is what tomorrow's power system can be, utility spokespeople and system analysts told Utility Dive. For system operators across the country, C&I loads are sharply down and residential use is rising, but with flatter peaks. Overall, U.S. load was down 6.5% in April, according to a May 12 Brattle Group report.

    A sampling of residential demand showed an average 12% increase and that C&I demand was off by an average of 31% through April 27, consulting firm ICF reported May 3. Average "daily peak demand dropped by 10%" from April 27 to May 3, but has since "reached relative steady state," it found. Meanwhile, utilities face new challenges created by the shifting C&I and residential loads.

    Demand from residential air conditioning is up "about 40%," which is "a real concern" for system operators and customers, Scott Hinson, chief technology officer at consumer energy data specialist Pecan Street, told Utility Dive. Because residential customers' usage is atypically high, local utilities could face higher transmission charges and ERCOT could face reliability challenges in summer months, Hinson said. To protect reliability and keep customer bills low, Austin Energy and other utilities "probably need to ask residential customers for changes in behavior," like reducing home cooling or using public cooling centers during heat waves, he added… click here for more

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