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NRG’s Solar Thermal Power Project at Ivanpah Achieves Commercial Operation

Submitted by aburr on Tue, 2014-02-18 13:02

NRG Solar’s Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System is now operational and delivering solar electricity to California customers. At full capacity, the facility produces a gross total of 392 MW. Ivanpah is a joint effort between NRG, Google, and BrightSource Energy and Bechtel is the EPC contractor on the project. The project received a $1.6 billion loan guarantee from the US Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office. The facility achieved commercial operation on December 31, 2013.

Washington Gas Energy Systems Completes Solar Arrays at California Schools

Submitted by aburr on Tue, 2014-02-18 13:00

Washington Gas Energy Systems completed two solar projects: one for Western University of Health Sciences and one for Corcoran Unified School District, both located in California. Both facilities will be owned and operated by Washington Gas Energy Systems under 20-year PPAs. The solar array at Western University is a 672-kW project with a roof-mounted system composed of 2,688 solar panels. Green Energy Partners developed the project; Conergy managed EPC activities. The 1,269-kW solar array at Corcoran Unified School District consists of 4,422 solar panels.

Putting a Price on Carbon

How EPA can establish a U.S. GHG Program for the Electricity Sector.

With the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards expected in June 2014, many states are considering their own approaches to provide flexibility in meeting compliance requirements. Experience in North America to date provides policy guidance.
Byline: 

David P. Littell

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Modernizing with Trackers

Time-tested cost recovery mechanisms provide stable funding for infrastructure replacement.

Automatic tracker surcharges provide timely cost recovery for multi-year utility system improvement programs.
Byline: 

Mark J. Kropilak and Wendell F. Holland

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Catching Fire

Climate policy heats up after the Great Recession.

GHG rules are coming soon. What happens next will depend on how states react.
Byline: 

Michael T. Burr, Editor-in-Chief

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Quanta Services Selected by Southern California Edison for Completion of Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project Segments 7 & 8

Submitted by aburr on Wed, 2014-01-22 13:03

PAR Electrical Contractors, a Quanta Services company, was selected by Southern California Edison to complete construction of segment seven and portions of segment eight of its Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project (TRTP) in California. PAR's scope of work under the contract includes the installation of double circuit 500-kV overhead transmission line, environmental mitigation and compliance, foundation installation, tower erection and conductor installation.

Appendix: Opening the Black Box

 

 

Appendix:

Mathematical Structure of the Methodology

In this appendix to “Opening the Black Box,” (Fortnightly, January 2014), we briefly describe the basic components of the models for managing aging assets: how to represent the condition of such assets and the outcome of replacement, maintenance, and testing decisions.  

The model structure is one of optimal control with dynamic state variables and uncertainty. Let 

Byline: 

Charles D. Feinstein and Jonathan A. Lesser

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Digest

Danish utility orders 582 MW of Siemens offshore wind turbines; Maui Electric contracts Greenlots and ABB for electric vehicle fast-charging system; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contracts Eaton for alternative energy and conservation projects at army facilities; Southern Company and Turner Renewable Energy acquire SunEdison project in California; FERC approves Columbia Gas and Williams Partners pipeline expansion projects; plus contracts and announcements from Entergy, ITC Holdings, California ISO, PG&E, MidAmerican Transmission, Citizens Energy, CPS Energy, and others.
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Opening the Black Box

A new approach to utility asset management.

Creating a dynamic statistical approach to designing an overall strategy for utility asset management.
Byline: 

Charles D. Feinstein and Jonathan A. Lesser

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Digest

Siemens and Accenture joint venture on smart grid management systems; CenterPoint picks Itron for RF meter rollout; Memphis picks Elster electric, gas, and water AMI system; TransAlta acquires Wyoming wind farm from NextEra; NRG acquires Edison Mission Energy assets; Google to invest in Imperial Valley solar project; Sempra acquires Nebraska wind project; plus contracts and announcements from Babcock & Wilcox, Echelon, PJM, California ISO, and others.
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