Energy Systems Archives

Road Map to Decarbonization in the Midcontinent’s Electricity Sector Released

July 24, 2018 in Carbon Management, Energy Systems, News & Press, Reports & Whitepapers Author: Gail Nosek

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 24, 2018

Stakeholders Release First-of-its-Kind Road Map to Decarbonization for Midcontinent Power Sector

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – A diverse set of stakeholders from across the U.S. Midcontinent region have released a road map to identify possible routes toward decarbonization of the region’s electricity sector by Midcentury. The Midcontinent Power Sector Collaborative (MPSC) developed the road map to help guide industry and regulators as they make decisions about how to meet the region’s electricity needs while reducing carbon emissions. The full road map as well as an interactive website outlining its findings are available at roadmap.betterenergy.org.

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

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

Earlier 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 »

Unique collaborative shares guidance on how utilities can increase EV adoption and infrastructure

May 7, 2018 in Energy Systems, Transportation & Fuels Authors: Brendan Jordan, Jill Syvrud

Electric vehicles (EVs) are expected to become an ever-increasing part of the Midcontinent region’s transportation mix. As the demand and utilization of EVs increases, so does the EV-specific demand for electricity, raising many important questions for electric utilities and state and local policymakers. Continue reading »

State and Federal Leaders to Discuss Energy and Environmental Developments in the PJM Region

April 27, 2018 in Carbon Management, Energy Systems Author: Doug Scott

Utilities and regulators face an increasingly complex task when responding to the changing power generation mix. They must consider the impact of market rules, legislation, reliability, resilience, cost and environmental issues, just to name a few.

With that in mind, it’s vital to gather the key players, stakeholders, and thought leaders in this sector to discuss issues and generate solutions. That’s the purpose of the “Energy and Environmental Developments in the PJM Region,” event taking place in Washington, D.C. on May 2, 2018. Continue reading »

White Paper: Electric Vehicles Have Potential to Transform the Grid with Previously Unrealized Benefits in the Midcontinent

April 23, 2018 in Energy Systems, News & Press, Reports & Whitepapers, Transportation & Fuels Author: Gail Nosek

The continuing surge in electric vehicle (EV) use has utilities looking to future impacts on the existing grid structure. Now, a unique consortium of stakeholders has released a white paper that shows that grid transformation can not only meet EV demand, but it can simultaneously benefit utility customers, the economy, and the environment. Continue reading »

Improving Standby Rate Design Would Help Industries Increase Efficiency, Reduce Emissions, and Save Money

March 13, 2018 in Energy Systems Authors: Anna Dirkswager, Jamie Scripps

What is Combined Heat and Power?

Combined heat and power (CHP) is a system that not only generates electricity, but also harnesses the thermal energy from power generation for heating and cooling applications (typically burning natural gas for electricity and capturing the exhaust for steam heat). By combining these two processes, some CHP systems can achieve thermal efficiencies of 60-80 percent, which is up to twice the efficiency of traditional power generation. 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

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 »

Batteries & the Grid: Three Things to Know from the Latest EIA Data

January 10, 2018 in Energy Systems Authors: Matt Prorok, Mike Gregerson

The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) recent article titled, “Today in energy: batteries perform many different functions on the power grid,” features new data on the progress of utility-scale batteries and a helpful breakdown of the roles such batteries can play on the power grid. Continue reading »

Workshop Focuses on Energy Policy Trends in America’s Heartland

December 22, 2017 in Energy Systems Authors: Doug Scott, Jill Syvrud

Important issues in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) were the focus of “Powering the Plains and Beyond: Energy Policy in America’s Heartland,” a workshop held in Austin, TX on December 11, 2017. Organized by the Great Plains Institute, this workshop gathered panels of experts to examine energy development and trends within the fourteen states in the SPP footprint and the potential expansion of SPP in the future. 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 »