GTTSi

SOLAR AND BESS HELPED KEEP THE LIGHTS ON IN TEXAS Last month Texas encountered a summer heat wave that in the past would have been quite a problem. In fact, the Texas power grid has broken new electricity demand records throughout this summer, but unlike previous summers, they have managed to keep grid emergencies at bay. “What’s changed?” you may ask. The answer is Texas has added massive amounts of solar and battery energy storage (BESS) to complement their baseload provided by nuclear, natural gas, and the few remaining coal-fired plants. Their solar resource base has increased from ~12,000 MWs (megawatts) in 2023 to ~20,000 MWs, and by the end of the year they expect to install an additional 4.7 GWs (gigawatts). Their BESS resource base has also increased to ~ 8 GWs from only 275 MWs in 2020, and by the end of this year they expect to reach 10 GWs of BESS. During the latest peak demand day, electricity demand set a new record for total load at 85,559 GWs. Solar generation was high which helped keep prices under control for much of the day, unlike experiences in the past.  During the setting of the sun, as solar generation tailed off, a new peak load demand record was set. This resulted in some price increases (ERCOT auctions electric power every 15 minutes), but grid operators brought on BESS to take up the slack, providing nearly 4 GWs, peaking 20% higher than the previous record set just the day before. Prices barely reached the cap and for the most part remained below the cap. Although a new peak demand record was set, ERCOT never had to issue a general call for conservation (i.e., load shedding), and the grid operators had sufficient resources to “keep the lights on” – providing confidence for the future. ERCOTs ability to respond to the new peak electricity demand provided an interesting comparison from just five years ago (August 2019) when ERCOT reached a peak electricity demand of less than 75MWs, had to ask customers to conserve energy 11 times, and prices reached the cap price for several days. This time, with a peak demand above 85 GWs, there were no emergencies declared and prices barely reached the cap.  In addition to solar and BESS resources, Texas is also looking to add more gas-fired generation. Voters in November authorized the Texas Energy Fund for new dispatchable electric generation, and the state’s legislature appropriated $5 billion for low-interest loans for new generation. Staff of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, in an August 8 memo, indicated they have received 72 applications seeking more than $24 billion in funding for projects representing over 38,000 MW of potential new generation. #energyindustry #powergeneration #nuclearenergy #nuclearpower #renewableenergy #renewables #netzero #zerocarbon #BESS image credit: mortenson.com

COULD THE BELLEFONTE NUCLEAR PLANT ONE DAY PRODUCE POWER? DID YOU KNOW FUEL CELLS WERE INVENTED IN THE 1800's? or THAT A MERCURY BOMB IS WAITING TO EXPLODE IN THE ARCTIC? Check out these stories and more at the GTTSi September Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eDfuQkVw Image Credit: TVA #energyindustry #powergeneration #nuclearenergy #nuclearpower #renewableenergy #renewables #netzero #zerocarbon #hydrogenfuel 

Meet our newest GTTSi Team Member, Mark Schaible Mark Schaible brings over 40 years of experience in the nuclear industry, beginning his career in the US Navy Nuclear Program. He joined the civil nuclear industry following his military career and has made major contributions in engineering, operations, and maintenance. He is an SRO and Training Manager, as well as a pilot and bass guitarist. Please join us in welcoming Mark to the GTTSi Team. His experience and leadership will bring on additional insight and help GTTSi continue to pay it forward to the nuclear industry.  #welcomeaboard #teamwork #growth #newemployee

Getting a GRIP on $2.2 Billion for 13 GW of Transmission Capacity The Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) program was a $10.5 billion (about $32 per person in the US) U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program to enhance grid flexibility and improve the resilience of the power system against growing threats of extreme weather and climate change. The program was established as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, passed in 2021. GRIP designated funding for three rounds or phases through 2026: ·$2.5 billion in competitive grants for Utility and Industry Grid Resilience ·$3 billion for Smart Grid grants ·$5 billion for Grid Innovation. In October 2023, the DOE unveiled 58 projects that would receive up to $3.5 billion to improve grid flexibility and resiliency. Recently, the second round of the GRIP program was announced. This time $2.2 billion will be invested in eight projects to bolster the nation’s power grid with nearly 13 gigawatts of new transmission capacity across 18 states. This investment will catalyze $10 billion in total public and private investments to support these eight projects, which will focus on building 600 miles of new transmission lines and reconductoring more than 400 miles of existing lines across 18 states. According to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, "That's roughly six and a half Hoover Dams of power. When you combine these Group 2 investments with the ones from the first round, we’ll be adding 50 GW of capacity to the nation’s grid and over 1,000 miles of transmission lines.” This second round allocates most of the investment with these three projects: ·East West Interconnector ·Advanced Conductor Technologies for California ·Infrastructure to Enable 4.8 GW of Offshore Wind Grid improvement is a growing critical need as more renewables come online and the need for reliable electricity increases. The Key Objectives of GRIP are: 1. Strengthening Grid Resilience: Improve the ability of the electric grid to withstand and recover from disruptions, including natural disasters like hurricanes, wildfires, and extreme weather events, cyber-attacks and other man-made threats. 2. Supporting Innovation: Encourage the development and deployment of innovative technologies and solutions that can enhance grid performance, including advanced grid management systems, energy storage, renewable energy integration, and smart grid technologies. 3. Promoting Public-Private Partnerships: Foster collaboration between federal, state, and local governments, utilities, technology providers, and other stakeholders to implement projects that enhance grid resilience. 4. Improving Equity and Access: Ensure that underserved communities benefit from investments in grid resilience, including addressing energy equity issues. #energyindustry #powergeneration #nuclearenergy #nuclearpower #renewableenergy #renewables #netzero #zerocarbon #gridreliability

THE STATE OF THE INDUSTRY-September 2024, by Sid Crouch, GTTSi Chief Technical Consultant CAN INTERCONNECTION WOES BE SOLVED BY FERC? In May, FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) directed the electricity grid operators to plan new transmission infrastructure that can deliver more renewable energy and defend against extreme weather. With the passage of FERC Order 1920, FERC will require grid planners and transmission owners to look 20 years ahead at expected shifts in how electricity is produced and consider a range of long-term benefits to building and upgrading power lines, pulling states deeper into the issues around regional infrastructure. In addition, FERC passed Order 1977, which gives FERC the authority to grant permits to electric transmission lines in certain instances where the states have not acted first. Sadly, politics is responsible for some of the delay associated with our interconnection woes, especially when long-distance power lines cross multiple states (red and blue). These orders seek to change federal and state approaches to regional planning that has made it harder to shift the nation to low-carbon technologies. FERC Chairman Willie Phillips called both new rules (Order 1920 & 1977) “giant steps” for transmission policy - “the transmission planning and cost allocation rule cannot come fast enough.” Combined, these two new rules make the first significant FERC action on transmission policy in more than a decade. You may have noticed that we are already seeing movement brought about by passage of these rules with several of the ISO (Independent System Operator) organizations. #energyindustry #powergeneration #nuclearenergy #nuclearpower #renewableenergy #renewables #netzero #zerocarbon #hydrogenfuel #energygrid

COST OF GREEN ENERGY TRANSITION HITS PJM CUSTOMERS If you live in Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia you may see a significant increase in your electric rates in mid-2025. At the July 30th PJM (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland Interconnection) power auction, the price of electricity went from $28.92/MW-day to $269.92/MW-day for most of the PJM footprint. That is almost a 900% increase. https://lnkd.in/dWPQf-FW

DESIGN UPGRADES CHALLENGE THE RESTART OF PALISADES Entergy Corporation closed Palisades Nuclear Plant, located near Covert Township, Michigan, in 2022 after it generated electricity for more than 50 years. Today, Holtec International is working to restart the Palisades plant after securing a $1.52 Billion conditional loan guarantee from the Department of Energy. Holtec seeks to restart the plant in about a year.  Recently several challenges for the restart have surfaced. The plant received several exemptions on design upgrades from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) after Entergy announced plans to permanently shut down the plant. These safety standards include prevention of cooling systems being clogged by the breakdown of insulation on pipes, defense against earthquakes, and the reduction of risks due to fires.   Concerns over these safety standards were recently raised by Alan Blind, who was engineering director at the Palisades plant from 2006 to 2013. Blind said, "I'm worried that the NRC will not insist that the generic safety issues be fixed before they allow Palisades to restart.” Scott Burnell, an NRC spokesperson, said the safety review of Holtec's applications "will include examining how Holtec plans to follow through on technical issues, such as what Mr. Blind describes, that were unresolved when the plant shut down in 2022. Those plans will be public to the greatest extent possible," and the NRC will allow a restart only if Holtec meets the environmental and safety requirements. Burnell also added that the NRC will soon offer the opportunity to offer legal challenges to Holtec's request for Palisade's restart, which is standard procedure for the regulatory licensing process. Holtec believes Palisades can restart in about a year within the NRC's existing regulatory framework, said spokesperson Pat O'Brien. O’Brien went on to say, "As part of the re-powering, Palisades will undergo extensive inspections, testing, maintenance, system and equipment upgrades, and modifications to ensure the continuation of safe and reliable operation throughout the plant’s extended operational life." #energyindustry #powergeneration #nuclearenergy #nuclearpower #renewableenergy #renewables #netzero #zerocarbon photo credit: nrc.gov

Just last month, a wind turbine in the Vineyard Wind offshore wind farm off of the coast of Massachusetts suffered a catastrophic failure when a turbine blade fractured, sending foam and fiberglass debris into the water and onto the beaches. The wind turbine, produced by GE Vernova, is a part of the Vineyard Wind 1 project, consisting of GE Vernova's Haliade-X 13 megwatt turbines. GE Vernova has indicated that the cause of the failure may be due to a manufacturing deviation. Now safety officals have allowed Vineyard Wind and GE Vernova to resume limited construction at the site. https://lnkd.in/dPiCYHPd #energyindustry #powergeneration #nuclearenergy #nuclearpower #renewableenergy #renewables #netzero #zerocarbon

AMIDST SOLAR BANKRUPTCIES, DOE APPROVES LOAN FOR $1.45 BILLION FOR QCELLS FACILITY IN GEORGIA Although the solar industry has experienced exponential growth over the past decade, 2023 and 2024 have brought about over one hundred solar company bankruptcies and the loss of more than 17,000 jobs. From SolarInsure, below is a list of the larger companies that filed have filed for bankruptcy in 2023 and 2024: -SunPower – Multiple States -Pink Energy – Multiple States -MC Solar – Modern Concepts – Florida -Harness Power – California -NM Solar Group – New Mexico -ASA – American Solar Advantage – California -Kuubix Energy – California -Erus Energy – Arizona -Infinity Energy – California -Suntuity Renewables – Per Sunova – NJ, CA, TX -ADT Solar – Multiple States -Vision Solar – Multiple States -Solcius – CA, NM, AZ, NV -Sunworks, Inc. – CA -Kayo Energy – AZ, CA, TX, FL -iSun – CT -Titan Solar Power – Multiple States Now the federal government has stepped in to assure that key parts of the solar supply will be available in the U.S. The Department of Energy has granted conditional support of a $1.45 billion loan to support a $2.2 billion complex that Qcells, a unit of South Korea’s Hanwha Group, is building in Cartersville, Georgia, just northwest of Atlanta. The Qcells Cartersville plant will take polysilicon refined in Washington state and make ingots, wafers, and solar cells which are the building blocks of finished solar modules. This is all in accordance with the Inflation Reduction Act which offers an extra tax credit on American-made solar equipment, and lets the manufacturers earn incentives for every unit of polysilicon they refine and, on every wafer, cell, and module they make.  “This loan is special, because it’s one of the first facilities where we’re not just making modules, but we’re making cells and wafers as well. So, we’re bringing a lot more of the supply chain into the United States.” said Jigar Shah, director of the Energy Department's loan programs. In April, Qcells began assembling modules in part of the Cartersville complex, which will have a capacity of 3.3 gigawatts of solar panels each year. The plant in Cartersville currently has about 750 employees and is projected to have 2,000 when it is completed. Qcells says it’s on track to complete the wafer and cell portions of the plant by December 2024. Qcells also has a solar panel plant in Dalton, Georgia and together with the Cartersville plant they will be able to produce enough solar panels to power nearly 1.3 million homes per year. #energyindustry #powergeneration #nuclearenergy #nuclearpower #renewableenergy #renewables #netzero #zerocarbon #hydrogenfuel #solarpower #inflationreductionact