Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure’s Post

Unlocking California's Renewable Energy Future: Insights from GridSME's Subject Matter Experts 🌞🔌 We're thrilled to share that GridSME's very own Subject Matter Experts, Gary Brown, P.E. and Lowell Watros, recently contributed valuable insights to an article for Reuters. 📰 Their expertise provided crucial information and analysis on California's latest grid plan, focusing on grid improvements, renewable energy projects, and the anticipated surge in solar and storage initiatives. With their input, the article offers a comprehensive understanding of the developments shaping California's energy landscape and what it means for the renewable energy sector. Here are some key takeaways from the article: 🔆 California's latest grid plan is all about intensifying competition and streamlining renewable energy projects. 💰 The plan proposes a hefty investment of $6.1 billion in 26 grid improvements by 2035, with a strong focus on solar and battery storage installations. ☀️ With ambitious goals to support 38 GW of new solar capacity, specific zones like the Westlands area and regions in southern California, Nevada, and Arizona are in the spotlight. 🌱 Detailed zonal information provided in the plan aims to reduce speculative projects and enhance project completion rates. 🔌 Major transmission lines will be constructed to deliver power from offshore wind projects, totaling 4.7 GW, alongside additional in-state generation and out-of-state imports of wind power. 🔋 Standalone battery storage is experiencing a significant surge, supported by tax credits, with 6 GW currently operational and 21 GW in development. Discover the central insights from the article and access the full Reuters piece on our blog! Find the link to our blog below: https://lnkd.in/gVBsn9TY #RenewableEnergy #CleanEnergy #California #GridSME #EnergyFuture #Sustainability #GreenTech #Reuters #SolarPower #BatteryStorage #EnergyTransition

Why is this kind of project so easy to develop in the USA and not in Canada? There are projects in development that nobody knows about yet, but which are more advantageous than these.

Britain is introducing a funding model to encourage investment in renewable energy storage projects, such as pumped hydro, to support its goal of decarbonizing the power sector by 2030. The new "cap and floor" contracts will offer developers a guaranteed minimum income, providing financial stability in exchange for a cap on potential revenues. This approach aims to incentivize the development of long-duration energy storage technologies, which are crucial for balancing the renewable electricity supply when wind and solar power generation is low. The scheme, modeled after a similar program for interconnector power links, will be designed by Britain's energy regulator, Ofgem. It includes not only pumped hydro but also other storage technologies like liquid air energy storage, compressed air energy storage, and flow batteries. The initiative is part of a broader strategy to enhance energy security by reducing reliance on fossil fuels and integrating more homegrown renewable energy into the grid. The first round of applications for these contracts is set to open next year.

The SEC Victoria and the Victorian Government have kicked off construction on one of the world’s biggest renewable #energystorage batteries. To mark the announcement, Victorian Premier, Jacinta Allan, and Victorian Minister for the State Electricity Commission, Lily D’Ambrosio MP, visited the Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub – a 600MW big #battery that will store enough #energy to #power up to 200,000 homes during peak periods.  The Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub is the first project from the SEC’s initial $1 billion investment and is co-owned with #renewableenergy investor Equis Australia. This project will help deliver the SEC’s target of 4.5GW of new renewable energy #generation and #storage projects. 

What does being a Solar Host with Low Carbon Hub mean? Read the case study about our 44th renewable energy site, where we installed a solar PV array at the Thames Valley bus depot in Didcot and see if your business could also host solar panels at no cost to you: https://lnkd.in/eCtacq5V

It is always pleasing when a project you have invested significant time and thought into for a client reaches a key milestone. The AER’s recent approval of #Powerlink’s Designated Network Asset (#DNA) Access Policy for the MacIntyre Wind Farm is testament to the way that Powerlink’s team (including expert support from #McCafferty Legal and Consulting) engaged with #Acciona and its advisors working through a host of complex and novel commercial, risk, pricing and other matters. The pricing framework in any access policy needs to balance a range of different counterparty interests, compliance requirements and practical matters such as workability. The MacIntyre DNA Access Policy provides transparency for new access seekers and confidence to foundation proponents in how future connections will be treated, crafting an elegant pricing solution within the bounds of the avoided cost/standalone cost requirements of Schedule 5.12 of the National Electricity Rules and which ultimately supports Acciona’s development of the MacIntyre precinct - a key foundational element of Queensland's energy transition. A useful template for other TNSPs looking at crafting future DNA access arrangements to support major new renewable energy and storage connections.   https://lnkd.in/gf89MsPW

Our 500 MW target by 2026 is well within reach as we accelerate efforts to support the government’s goal of achieving 35% renewable energy capacity by 2030.

Green Transition: Renewable energy segment takes centre stage Challenges and the way forward India’s transition to renewable energy has its share of difficulties. Issues with intermittency, grid integration and land acquisition need continuous fixes. Due to the intermittent nature of solar and wind energy, the grid must be strengthened and made more robust. To fill these supply shortfalls, innovative energy storage technologies are required. Transmission projects and renewable energy projects have different construction schedules as the latter have a much shorter gestation period, which causes project delays. Grid curtailment incidents have a negative impact on the credit profile of wind and solar power projects. Land acquisition for renewable energy projects may be a difficult and long-dra­wn process. Securing the required acre­age might be difficult since large-scale solar and wind farms need a lot of space. In addition, it might be difficult, especially in remote areas, to create the necessary infrastructure to link these projects to the grid. Land acquisition for re­ne­wable energy projects has to be simplified, while taking local ecosystems and population into account. Moreover, administrative and regulatory barriers may still exist despite the government’s attempts to encourage renewable energy. Investors and project developers may be put off by frequent policy changes and ambiguity around incentives. The way policies are created at the central level and how they are actually put into practice at the state level is out of sync and needs to be streamlined.

Today, 5B announced that the 5B Maverick solar array technology has been deployed by Zenith Energy at Northern Star Resources Limited’ Jundee gold mine in Western Australia, providing 56% of the mine's power needs. This 16.9 MW project, featuring 342 Maverick units on a waste rock dump, is part of a larger wind, solar, and battery retrofit. Rob Williamson, General Manager of Northern Star Resources Jundee Operations says 5B’s Maverick technology - with its small footprint, high power density design, and low ground penetration - have enabled Northern Star Resources to make use of its existing waste rock dump and opens up underutilised land for clean energy. Learn more about this sustainable initiative: https://hubs.ly/Q02BFV0J0 #RenewableEnergy #SolarPower #CleanEnergy #PuertoRico #5B #AES #Sustainability #GreenEnergy #Innovation

🌞 Exciting News in US Renewable Energy! 🌐 The US Bureau of Land Management announces major milestones in Western US projects, propelling 1.7 GW of solar and 1.3 GW of battery storage. 🚀 Aligned with the US goal for 100% clean electricity by 2035, these initiatives include projects in Arizona, California, and Nevada. BLM highlights key projects: 🌐 700-MW Libra 🔋 400-MW Rough Hat Clark County (paired with 700 MW of storage) ☀️ 200-MW Dry Lake East (equipped with 600 MW storage) 🚧 Notice of Intent for 200-MW Dodge Flat II Solar in Nevada 🏞️ Notice to Proceed for 44-MW Camino in California Arizona celebrates the completion of 179-MW White Wing Ranch, while Harquahala Valley (HV) Sunrise gen-tie line gears up for the 150-MW HV Sun PV park in February. BLM is actively processing 67 clean energy projects, totaling an impressive 37 GW capacity. 🌐🔋 Credit: https://lnkd.in/eisnF8JU #RenewableEnergy #SolarPower #EnergyStorage #CleanEnergyFuture