Analysis: How Demand Charges Impact Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Infrastructure

July 31, 2019 in Energy Systems, Reports & Whitepapers, Transportation & Fuels Authors: Dane McFarlane, Matt Prorok

A direct current fast charger

GPI recently released a white paper analyzing the economics of direct current fast charging (DCFC) as part of our work with the Midcontinent Transportation Electrification Collaborative (MTEC). DCFC stations are critical for widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) because they provide access to much faster battery charging in public places and along major driving routes and highways. The white paper focused on a specific barrier to increased DCFC stations in the region: electric utility demand charges.  Continue reading »

How the 2019 Polar Vortex Helped Long-Term Renewable Energy Integration in the Midwest

March 1, 2019 in Energy Systems Author: Matt Prorok

Wind turbine in the winterAt the end of January, the polar vortex brought bitter cold temperatures to the Upper Midwest of the United States. Some parts of northern Minnesota hit -45°F temperatures with wind chills down to -65°F. The record-setting low temperatures and frigid wind chills posed a safety and reliability threat to the region’s people and infrastructure alike. Continue reading »

Shave, Shift, Shimmy: How Demand Response Can Unlock Value on the Electric Grid

July 23, 2018 in Carbon Management, Energy Systems Author: Matt Prorok

 

A row of electrical metersEarlier this month I attended the Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s (MISO) Board meeting “hot topic” discussion on resource adequacy representing the Environmental/Other Sector.  

My comment on the topic was quoted by RTO Insider in their coverage of the meeting, where I discussed how distributed energy sources can unlock value for the system by “shaving loads, shifting loads, and shimmying loads.” This quote, which pertains specifically to demand response (DR) as a form of distributed energy resource, generated questions about what these terms mean and why they matter for the region. It is worth spending some time talking about these values and how they can help MISO and its members.  Continue reading »

“Smart” Charging Electric Vehicles with Solar at the Greenway Building

May 25, 2018 in Transportation & Fuels Authors: Dane McFarlane, Katelyn Bocklund, Matt Prorok

A man installing an electric vehicle charger

Electricity systems are increasingly becoming interactive and dynamic, opening up opportunities for energy technologies to “talk” to each other and create numerous benefits for energy consumers (e.g., increased efficiency, lower costs, and reduced emissions). This opportunity is one that GPI and our partners are exploring through the combination of electric vehicles (EVs) and solar energy.
Continue reading »

Analysis: Cost and Emission Benefits of Increased Demand Response in the MISO Region

January 31, 2018 in Energy Systems Authors: Matt Prorok, Steve Dahlke

Energy Meter

A recently published working paper by the Great Plains Institute (GPI), titled “Consumer Savings, Price, and Emissions Impacts of Increasing Demand Response in the Midcontinent Electricity Market,” explores the effects of increasing the use of demand response (DR) assets in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s (MISO) wholesale energy market. Continue reading »

MISO’s Triennial Review of Regional Transmission Lines in the Midwest Shows Worthwhile Investment

November 29, 2017 in Energy Systems Author: Matt Prorok

In late October, 2017, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) released its third triennial review of the Multi-Value Project (MVP) electric transmission portfolio, which is an update of previous analyses performed to understand the how these 17 transmission lines, approved in 2011, continue to show benefits to the MISO region. The report describes how these projects, which cross multiple states in the Midwest, continue to deliver benefits above and beyond what was initially expected. Continue reading »