Kevin Stone

Massachusetts’ clean energy bill is a strong example of how government action is crucial in advancing green energy. The $200 million investment in offshore wind and extended contract terms will help accelerate the state's renewable energy goals and ensure long-term sustainability. By incorporating carbon capture and nuclear fission into the clean energy definition, this legislation not only drives innovation but also supports job creation and emissions reductions. Governments must continue to lead these efforts to build a resilient, low-carbon energy future. #GreenEnergy #Sustainability

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Interesting read on near term electricity reliability planning - growth of intermittent capacity; asset shifts; growing cyber-threats; sector-coupling gas & grid; inter-regional capacity markets and demand growth. A lot to digest. In my view, district energy systems fit perfectly in the mix to support cities, communities and campuses as the energy transition unfolds. https://lnkd.in/eFQr9uGs

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On November 7, 2024, Granite Shore Power CEO Jim Andrews participated at the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire Energy Symposium, offering valuable insights on the state’s energy landscape. During the panel, State of Energy in New Hampshire, Andrews discussed the critical need for reliable energy as New England retires traditional power plants and looks toward renewable solutions. “Our Merrimack and Schiller Stations are shifting to renewable energy parks, but this winter, fewer energy sources will be available—a real risk to stability,” shared Andrews. “Expanding energy sources is essential to lowering costs and ensuring a sustainable future.” To meet demand, GSP is investing in battery storage technology at Schiller Station, which will balance the grid by charging during low-demand times and discharging at peak hours. This effort supports GSP’s long-term vision for a resilient, clean energy future, alongside their landmark decision to end coal-fired operations in New England. A collaborative partnership with lawmakers and the community will be critical to delivering reliable power to the families and businesses of New Hampshire, now and into the future. Read the full release here: https://lnkd.in/e8hj3sFp

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The Next Decade for #NorthAmerica Power Grid (2025-2034) The #energysector is on the brink of transformative challenges as highlighted in the 2024 NERC's Long-Term Reliability Assessment. Below are key highlights from the report 1. With electrification, including #EVs and #heatpumps, summer #peakdemand is expected to rise by 15%, and winter peak demand by 18%—the sharpest growth in two decades. 2. Nearly 78 GW of confirmed #generator #retirements by 2034 leave #reservemargins thin, heightening risks during extreme weather events. 3. #SolarPV and #batteries dominate new additions, but their weather-dependent nature challenges consistent output. The grid's ability to deliver essential reliability services (like frequency and voltage support) is under pressure. 4. While 28,275 miles of new #transmissionlines are planned, permitting and siting delays hinder progress, threatening the interregional energy transfers critical for handling shortfalls. 5. #MISO faces critical shortfalls by 2025 due to generator retirements outpacing resource additions. 6. Regions like #ERCOT, #NewEngland, and #California confront growing risks from extreme weather, resource variability, and infrastructure constraints.

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Special electric rates for electric heat pumps. The cost basis for electric heat in most markets per MMBTU has always been higher for electric heat vs fossil fuel even considering the higher thermal efficiency of heat pumps vs boilers. This rate reduction if approved will be an important step towards increasing the economic adoption of heat pumps vs cheaper fossil fuel based heating.

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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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Another 40 GW of solar and wind capacity coming to the U.S. power grid this year could generate ~10 GW of baseload-equivalent generation because of its intermittency. Will the wave of renewable installs be enough to flatten natural gas’ power gen gains this summer? Yes, likely, say analysts. However, one wrinkle is Canada, according to Wood Mackenzie. The northern neighbor has uncharacteristically flipped to a net importer of U.S. power (5 GW swing in April) and could provide uplift to U.S. generation this summer. Worth checking if Canada-bound electrons are in your model. Natural Gas Intelligence https://lnkd.in/e4iUpp-a

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Navigating the choice between the ITC and PTC requires careful consideration of project economics, investor preferences, and regulatory frameworks. By aligning incentives with broader climate objectives and mitigating economic distortions, we can unlock the full potential of renewable energy and pave the way for a sustainable energy future. #ITC #PTC #RenewableEnergy

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Great high level article by Sonal Patel in Power Magazine about all the action in the #transmission energy sector. Check it out: https://lnkd.in/eEWhQv99

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Exus Renewables North America has begun the repowering of the 139 MW Twin Ridges Wind Farm in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The Twin Ridges repowering project involves replacing the nacelles and blades of the existing wind turbines while retaining the towers and foundations. The repowering will result in a 30% increase in energy generation for the project. “As the wind energy industry faces increasingly complex obstacles to growth, including a nearly 3 GW interconnection queue of renewable energy projects trying to connect to the grid, repowering has become a path to help meet clean energy goals,” said Jim Spencer, CEO of Exus Renewables North America. “Thanks to these upgrades, the Twin Ridges project will generate clean, reliable and renewable power – and millions in community investment – to the region for decades to come.” Exus Renewables will invest approximately $200 million in the project, creating 150 union construction jobs. It expects to inject over $7.35 million into the local economy through the procurement of materials and services from local suppliers and anticipates that over the 30-year life of the project, more than $100 million will be invested in the community through tax and landowner payments. Vestas-American Wind Technology, Inc. will supply American-made nacelles, hubs, blades, and tower adaptors for the project. #cleanenergy

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In the next five to 10 years, large numbers of power plants in Pennsylvania are scheduled to go offline, even as overall demand for power increases. Read our blog to find out the potential side effects and a proposed energy solution for the grid. #grid #powerplants #brownouts #powergenerationfacilities https://lnkd.in/eBSef2ZM

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To fully harness the power of wind and solar, we must also invest in expanding and modernizing the transmission infrastructure, ensuring it can handle the increased load and variability. This approach will help to mitigate challenges and maximize the impact of our renewable resources, creating a resilient and reliable grid that supports our clean energy goals. Renewables are not just part of the solution—they are the foundation. The task ahead is significant, but the benefits of a renewable-powered future for New England and other regions are immense. #RenewableEnergy #CleanEnergyFuture #WindPower

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We are getting many questions from industry who are confused about the Order No. 901 standards revisions. We don't have all the answers, but want to be helpful in sharing what we can glean from North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC)'s posted materials and announcements. Important Data Points: 🔹 NERC's Milestone 2 projects for Order 901 are related to the creation of NERC PRC-028 (IBR disturbance monitoring), PRC-029 (IBR ride-through performance), and PRC-030 (IBR post-event performance validation). 🔹 All three standards have not received passing ballots up to this point. Latest ballots: 47% for PRC-028, unknown for PRC-029 in July (not yet posted) but got 25% in April, and 31% for PRC-030. ❗❗ NERC states in today's 901 summary update (see below) that the upcoming July 22-August 12 ballot "will be the last opportunity for NERC to ballot these projects through traditional mechanisms." This is the last chance for industry to vote and provide feedback through the normal ballot process. ⚠ The NERC Board "may take requisite action" in August, meaning that the proposed standards may proceed to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission after this last ballot - i.e., potentially failed balloted projects may be moved forward... (right?) Questions we're hearing include: ♦ Industry experts on the NERC Drafting Teams are working hard to try to compile a wide range of comments and feedback. Can industry get more time to align on these important standards? Or are we going to settle with a v1 draft that would need further revisions immediately? ♦ Can we consider adopting IEEE 2800-2022 at the NERC level to bring uniformity on some of these topics? Maybe we wouldn't need multiple standards and could unify workloads and speed up the process? 📣 We encourage all industry stakeholders to have a voice in this process - it's important for all sides to be at the table and part of this pivotal rulemaking. Milestone 2 Summary: https://lnkd.in/d_nKkZj2 PRC-029 Recent Ballot Comments: https://lnkd.in/d6CgR3bi

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No new gas-fired power plants are expected to come online in 2024 in PJM. The last time that happened was 1987 according to EIA data. The chart below shows the number of newly commissioned individual gas turbines and IC engines in the core PJM area (NJ, PA, OH, MD, DE, VA and WV) and includes behind-the-fence generation. EIA data for 2023 is not available yet but new capacity did come online according to S&P Global. Data from U.S. Energy Information Administration PJM Interconnection, #power #renewables #solar #naturalgas

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Our thoughts on FERC's approval of PJM's requested Capacity Auction delay, and what it could mean for energy buyers.

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This is indeed a very important topic that industry/regulator/policy makers/consumers all need to embrace while considering the resource mix solutions to achieve sustainability. I will encourage all to read the report and ponder on what are the practical options for recycling the Solar Panels.

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Agreeing on the definition of energy storage for your state is a critical first step in developing the many policies needed to create a full fledged energy storage market https://lnkd.in/eMMkECnp

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