Utilities see advanced distribution modernization giving them more control
Article
Let’s face it: The old days were much simpler, when the flow of power from the utility to end-user was, for the most part, a straight line. There were challenges, but there wasn’t much getting in the way between baseload power generation and the light switch.
Utility Managers are Working to Break Down Silos and Overcome Barriers
Article
Ask anyone who’s been in the utility world for a while, and they’ll assuredly tell you: most utilities have operated in silos, separate groups focused squarely on their own little corner of the business. The silo mentality thrives when members of one department don’t share information with other departments, operate with separate goals, use different tools, and follow different processes than those folks across the hall.
With generator, makes the island more resilient, defers need for new transmission
Press Release
WALTHAM, Mass., October 8, 2019 /3BL Media/ – National Grid today unveiled one of the largest battery energy storage resources in the Northeast United States. Built on the island of Nantucket, in Massachusetts, the facility will ensure electric reliability for customers during peak summer months and defer the need for construction of an additional underwater supply cable to the island.
SYRACUSE, N.Y., October 4, 2019 /3BL Media/ – To further its commitment to clean energy and electricity reliability for upstate New York customers, National Grid has opened a competitive bidding process for a minimum of 10 megawatts of energy storage in key locations across the company’s service area. The projects must be in commercial operation by Dec.
As more U.S. states offer incentives for renewable energy investment and costs for solar photovoltaic (PV) panels continue to decrease, it seems utility-scale battery energy storage is positioned to take charge of the next renewables revolution.
By Rudy Wynter, President and COO of the Wholesale Networks and U.S. Capital Delivery group, National Grid
Article
As the cost of energy storage continues to decline, more and more utilities will turn to batteries. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the levelized cost of energy for lithium-ion batteries configured to supply four hours of grid power — a standard requirement for many grid services — has fallen by 74 per cent since 2012. Costs for those batteries is projected to drop even further – by as much as 67 per cent by 2030, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found in a recent study. Such a precipitous decline will only make storage a more valuable tool for utilities and others.
Strategic Directions Report reinforces the need for the industry to evolve
Press Release
OVERLAND PARK, Kan., August 13, 2019 /3BL Media/ – Electric utilities are navigating one of the industry’s most dynamic times across diverse geographies and stakeholders, presented with a mix of opportunities as they work to meet changing customer demands along with the need to deliver reliable, resilient power, Black & Veatch’s new 2019 Strategic Directions: Electric Report finds.