Cristin Lyons

Great article from Sara Baldwin. Power Demand Reduction (DR) on the consumer side is a critical component to balancing our growing grid power needs. But we must go beyond traditional DR that curtails power and give the customers a means to reduce their own peak power behind-the-meter. Affordable, high-power energy storage is the key.

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Capacity market prices for energy in PJM surged, signaling a crucial demand for additional generation. PJM Interconnection's footprint is set to allocate $14.7 billion for capacity in the 2025/26 delivery year, a substantial rise from $2.2 billion in the previous auction. Stay informed about the energy sector's evolving landscape: [Link to the article] #EnergyMarket #CapacityAuction #PJMInterconnection

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PJM Interconnection recently made a statement regarding ending capacity payments for energy efficiency. Read the attached document to learn more. This shift could redefine how efficiency gains are driven across the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. Learn more about the potential impacts of this policy change: https://loom.ly/zE411oE

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This article discussion flies in the face of the market PJM has created. A market that only supports short term assets like wind and solar backed up by gas or batteries. In short it confirms the market flaws that have been claimed by utilities over many years, and should encourage support for creating market signals to create long lived assets like baseload generation plants.

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A bipartisan permitting reform bill was released on Monday. The proposed legislation supports FERC's authority to approve transmission lines and paves the way to require interregional transmission planning. If passed, the law would also require planners to consider advanced conductors and reconductoring in order to maximize current transmission capabilities. Read more about the new bill and the industry response in the article below. ⬇️ #FERC #Transmission #USEnergy #KinectSolar

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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) continues its investment in improving the nations interconnection process with a focus on advancing AI technology in the space. GridUnity looks forward to being a part of this important initiative.

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Exciting developments in Pennsylvania's energy sector as Senator Gene Yaw proposes a new loan fund to boost power plant construction! Modeled after Texas' initiative, this could be a game-changer for the PJM Interconnection grid, ensuring stability as demand grows. 📈 Explore how this could transform energy management in the region in this recent article from Utility Dive: https://loom.ly/FiIuQ3A

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Some good news! Accelerating the interconnection process for new resources is a huge step in improving resource adequacy for our ever-increasing demand and facilitating the energy transition to renewables.

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Alongside Duke Energy's newest solar + battery incentive program, #PowerPair, there's another program available for eligible customers!🔋 In our latest blog, we explore the ins and outs of this program and cover some FAQs related to the program to harness extra clean energy savings. Check it out - ☀️

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Starting your 2025 sales plan for major overhead and underground HV and EHV transmission projects? Look here, but remember routing and permitting lead times for some of these projects have been over 10 years. We need better policy and technical solutions to expedite the build out. Federal policies break down quickly on a state by state and local basis. We engineers should offer solutions built around technologies like underground, super conductors, advanced (composite core) conductors , DLR, rigorous FERC 881 compliance and compact designs (like BOLD). More capacity from existing rights-of-way is a megatrend and the solution for our immediate transmission needs. Do you agree? Thanks. Mike #pdi2 #innovation #transmission

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Kudos to Grid Strategies LLC for pulling this together. This is one of the best "state of play" reports on energy demand growth around. It's well worth the read, but here are some key takeaways. Five-Year Load Growth Forecast Explodes: Electricity demand is projected to increase by 15.8% through 2029, with a 5-year growth forecast jumping from 23 GW to 128 GW. Data Centers as Key Drivers: Data centers alone could contribute between 65 GW and 90 GW of new demand by 2029, with AI-centric facilities making up 70% of this growth by 2030 Infrastructure Lagging Behind: Despite rising demand, only 55 miles of high-capacity transmission were built in 2023. Planned investments are increasing but remain insufficient to meet the forecasted load Regional Hotspots for Load Growth: Texas, Northern Virginia, Georgia, and the Pacific Northwest are leading regions for demand, driven by data center development, hydrogen plants, and industrial manufacturing. Challenges with Forecasting and Planning: Utilities face difficulties in accurately predicting load growth due to factors like data center energy use, hydrogen production, and electrification of transportation. New Financial Models and Tariffs: Utilities are adopting new tariffs requiring financial commitments from large loads, like data centers, to share infrastructure costs Opportunities in Energy Efficiency and Resilience: Improvements in energy efficiency, though slow, could reduce overall strain. Distributed energy resources (DERs) and Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) are potential solutions for enhancing resilience and grid flexibility Risks to U.S. Global Leadership: Delays in grid expansion could hinder economic and technological leadership in strategic industries like AI and advanced manufacturing.  #cloudcomputing  #cryptomining  #energyinfrastructure  #climatechange  #gridoptimization  #smartgrid  #batterystorage  #smartbuildings  #iot  #ev  #energytransition  #energynews https://lnkd.in/gTMVUYgh

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Another great podcast from Power the Network with Tim Locker and Chris Kurtz, PE,PMP where they discuss the power grid, its components, and what might happen if the grid goes down. We hope you take time to listen.

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This decision by the FERC sends a powerful message, reaffirming the critical importance of nuclear energy in our transition to reliable, low-carbon power. While short-term volatility is inevitable, the long-term perspective is clear: nuclear energy is increasingly recognized as a cornerstone for stable, clean energy, with unmatched reliability that intermittent sources like wind and solar simply cannot offer on their own. With growing recognition from investors and policymakers alike, nuclear energy’s value is finally being understood and appreciated for its ability to deliver consistent power without the need for extensive backup. This shift marks a pivotal moment for the industry, one that prioritizes resilient, sustainable solutions that support grid stability and meet modern demands for low-carbon energy. The FERC’s decision underscores that nuclear is not just an asset—it’s a necessity. With the mounting challenges to grid reliability, the time is now for governments, companies, and investors to take decisive steps to expand our nuclear capacity. The future of clean, dependable energy is nuclear, and it’s a thrilling moment to be part of this transformation.

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A few highlights out of today's U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) DOE Grid Deployment Office announcement for the next round of federal GRIP program funding grants for #transmission. Today's announcement provides $2.2 billion in federal funding for 18 projects. Three of the today's projects utilize #advancedconductors - these are composite core conductors that can increased existing ROW line capacity at the same voltage and have 30-40% fewer line losses without sag. The California Energy Commission was awarded ~$650 million for a project that will reconductor 100 miles of lines in the state, in addition to utilizing other advanced transmission technologies. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality in partnership with Duke Energy Corporation will utilize advanced conductors to maximize an existing 230kV right of way. The grant is for $57 million. Utah Office of Energy Development was awarded almost $250 million to replace legacy transmission technology with advanced conductors in existing right of ways. DOE notes that this will "improve grid #reliability for 700,000 utility customers across four states and five tribal nations and enable the integration of more than 500 MW of renewable #energy." On the #HVDC front, New York received a $30 million contribution for the $3.2 billion New York Clean Path project, a 1300 MW system that will move renewable energy from upstate / western NY to New York City. The Montana Department of Commerce was awarded $700 million for the North Plains Connector Interregional Innovation (NPCII) project, a 3,000 MW HVDC project that will connect WECC, MISO, and SPP. On the #offshorewind front, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources was awarded almost $390m to both add and upgrade points of interconnection as well as to add #batterystorage to allow for the integration of 4,800 MW of #interconnecting wind resources. Note that this will impact the design of the #transmission RFP expected in New England in the relatively near future. That RFP will be driven by the New England states in terms of scope and will be conducted by ISO New England under a new structure that Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently approved outside of the disfavored public policy structure that the NE states did not embrace. https://lnkd.in/eU_VfmTQ

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Constellation acquires Calpine, making it the largest merchant power producer in the U.S. during a time of unprecedented growth in electricity demand. #PWI, #ESP, and #BREA provide multiple opportunities to invest in this trend. https://lnkd.in/gQWY8u73

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On July 9, ten states signed an MOU to create the Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission, with goals to enhance grid reliability, reduce energy costs and support offshore wind projects. However, the practical implementation remains to be seen according to Actalent senior practice manager Ryan Cross, PE, MBA. ⚡ In this Utility Dive article, Cross shares the key challenges the states will have to overcome, along with opportunities for significant regional benefits >> https://bit.ly/3zWPlRN #utilities #energy #transmission #weareactalent

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Excellent article by Jeff St. John! Even though US transmission owners have been investing more than ever in grid infrastructure (over $25 billion annually), bottlenecks in the power grid are preventing the US from meeting surging demand and interconnecting the necessary new resources. Good news is that we do have tools to address these challenges: more proactive planning, grid enhancing technologies, and improved generator interconnection processes! (See, for example, https://lnkd.in/d-BhHaXF, https://lnkd.in/e8vSr4V7, and https://lnkd.in/e7VpYVvj) https://lnkd.in/e7BaRV7S

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