• A utility promised to stop burning coal. Then Google and Meta came to town.

    A utility promised to stop burning coal. Then Google and Meta came to town.

    An energy crunch forces continued coal burning in a low-income area as data centers strain the regional power supply.

    By

    October 12, 2024 at 5:00 a.m. EDT

    OMAHA — Residents in the low-income, largely minority neighborhoodof North Omaha celebrated when they learned a 1950s-era power plant nearby would finally stop burning coal. The community has some of the region’s worst air pollution and high rates of asthma.

    But when the 2023 deadline to rid that plant of coal arrived, the power company that owns it balked. Eliminating toxic emissions conflicted with a competing priority: serving massive, power-hungry Meta and Google data centers the utility helped recruit to the region before it secured enough new energy to meet the extra demand.

    READ MORE AT THE WASHINGTON POST

  • America’s Oil Country Increasingly Runs on Renewables

    America’s Oil Country Increasingly Runs on Renewables

    Texas, the biggest oil-producing state, has turned to solar power and battery storage to see it through extreme weather. But with demand rising, much more power will be needed.

    By J. David Goodman / Reporting from Houston / Sept. 18, 2024, 11:16 a.m. ET

    During the scorching summer of 2023, the Texas energy grid wobbled as surging demand for electricity threatened to exceed supply. Several times, officials called on residents to conserve energy to avoid a grid failure.

    This year it turned out much better — thanks in large part to more renewable energy.

    The electrical grid in Texas has breezed through a summer in which, despite milder temperatures, the state again reached record levels of energy demand. It did so largely thanks to the substantial expansion of new solar farms.

    READ MORE AT THE NEW YORK TIMES

  • 'Football fields' of batteries have helped Texas's grid when electricity demand is highest

    'Football fields' of batteries have helped Texas's grid when electricity demand is highest

    Texas's battery storage capacity has increased about 2,500% since the 2021 winter storm. The booming industry has helped prevent Texas grid emergencies.

    Author: Matt Houston (WFAA)

    Published: 4:48 PM CDT August 20, 2024

    FORT WORTH, Texas — Curious cattle lowed at the herd of people examining rows of shipping containers about thirty yards away on an overcast May morning. A heavy-duty fence surrounds the inconspicuous gray boxes. Air conditioners cooling their precious cargo emit a gentle hum. The property borders ranchland and an asphalt maker, all about three miles south of Hicks Airfield in Fort Worth. Electricity transmission lines cast a long shadow over the industrial site. "A lot of people saw, like us, the opportunity to fill a need," Stephanie Smith said, walking the gravel path between the boxes. As she turned into the array, an engineer unlocked one container to reveal its components: dozens of metal canisters resembling old computer hard drives, with neatly organized wires protruding from their ends. A "high voltage" sign warns onlookers away from the machines. "What's happening in Texas is really exciting," Smith said. "I love what batteries can do for the grid."

    Smith is chief operating officer at Eolian, which operates the Chisholm Grid battery farm. Eolian buys power off nearby transmission infrastructure to charge its array when electricity is plentiful and its wholesale price is low. It will sell that stored electricity back to the grid when demand drives up prices. The process is similar to stock trading. "You're trying to take advantage of the times when there's extra power, and then you're putting it in the market when the market needs it," Smith said.

    READ MORE AND WATCH THE INTERVIEW WITH STEPHANIE SMITH, COO 

Eolian in the News

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IN THE NEWS Stephanie Seiferth IN THE NEWS Stephanie Seiferth

D. E. Shaw Renewable Investments (DESRI) Announces Signing of 200 MWac Arkansas Clean Power Project with Meta

NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- D. E. Shaw Renewable Investments (DESRI), a leading renewable energy producer in the U.S., today announced the signing of a long-term renewable energy off-take agreement with Meta. The Long Lake Project (Long Lake) will be a 200 megawatt (MWac) facility in Phillips County, Arkansas. DESRI has executed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Meta to provide energy and capacity for its growing energy needs in the region.

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IN THE NEWS Stephanie Seiferth IN THE NEWS Stephanie Seiferth

NextEra Energy Resources and Portland General Electric celebrate first-in-the-nation combined clean energy facilities

LEXINGTON, Ore., Sept. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, state and local leaders joined NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, and Portland General Electric (PGE) to celebrate the commissioning of the first utility-scale energy facilities in North America to co-locate wind, solar and battery storage, generating renewable power for customers.

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IN THE NEWS Stephanie Seiferth IN THE NEWS Stephanie Seiferth

Sol Systems Acquires 91 MW Indiana Solar Project from Orion Renewable Power Resources

Washington, D.C., June 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Washington, D.C.-based Sol Systems, LLC (“Sol Systems”), announced the acquisition of a 91 megawatt (MWdc) solar development project in Spencer County, Indiana from Orion Renewable Power Resources, LLC (“Orion”), a joint venture between Orion Renewable Energy Group LLC and Eolian, L.P. (“Eolian”). The project, known as Grandview, is part of Sol Systems’ Impact + Infrastructure growth strategy.

“This acquisition builds on Sol Systems’ significant footprint in the Midwest,” said Yuri Horwitz, CEO of Sol Systems. “We are eager to kick-off the construction phase of this project which will bring new clean energy and opportunities to the local community and region.”

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IN THE NEWS Stephanie Seiferth IN THE NEWS Stephanie Seiferth

Golden Hills Wind Farm in Oregon Achieves Commercial Operation

May 02, 2022 01:25 PM Eastern Daylight Time

ORANGE, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Avangrid Renewables, LLC, a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), today announced that it has achieved commercial operation at its 200 Megawatt (MW) Golden Hills wind farm in Sherman County, Oregon. The facility, which provides enough clean, renewable electricity to Puget Sound Energy (PSE) to power over 60,000 homes annually, began operations on April 29, 2022.

The project will help PSE meet its goals to reduce carbon dioxide emissions while providing additional capacity to serve customers, particularly during winter periods of high electricity demand. The project is Avangrid Renewables’ 7th wind project in Sherman County, 11th in Oregon, and 14th in the Pacific Northwest.

“Delivering on this project represents an important milestone for Avangrid Renewables as we continue to build on our robust portfolio of project in the Pacific Northwest region and advance our position as a leading renewable energy developer in the U.S.,” said Jose Antonio Miranda, Avangrid Renewables’ president and CEO, Onshore. “We are pleased to work with Puget Sound Energy to help it meet its ambitious goals to reduce emissions and provide clean, reliable power to its customers.

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