DOE proposes ten “national interest” transmission corridors
Eight of the ten transmission corridors proposed by the U.S. Department of Energy would facilitate transmission between grid regions; one would expand transmission within the Mid-Atlantic’s PJM grid region; and one would expand transmission in the Northern Plains.
Colorado co-op United Power is free to pursue renewables after exiting Tri-State
To build out its renewables portfolio, United Power is the latest electric utility co-op in Colorado to exit its long-term power supply contract, while other co-ops plan to let their contracts expire.
Groups sue FEMA and HUD to focus energy funds on distributed solar and storage
Two federal agencies that provide billions of dollars for energy-related projects should fund renewable energy, a number of groups have argued in two lawsuits and two rulemaking petitions.
New green bank to support distributed solar and storage in the Appalachian region
The Green Bank for Rural America will support community lenders in Appalachian communities to finance climate-supporting projects including distributed solar and storage. The bank and four others received a total of $6 billion in federal awards.
Improve transmission planning and interconnection cost allocation, says SEIA-affiliated group
Federal regulators should consider specific reforms to improve transmission planning, lower interconnection costs and provide cost certainty, says a group affiliated with the Solar Energy Industries Association.
Reconductoring could enable 764 GW of transmission-connected solar by 2035
Replacing existing transmission lines, known as conductors, with advanced conductors could enable 764 GW of transmission-connected solar by 2035 even if transmission in new corridors was limited, found a study by UC Berkeley and GridLab researchers.
DOE aims for national collaboration to deploy advanced grid technologies
Advanced conductors and energy storage are among the technologies that have substantial potential to increase transmission capacity, says a Department of Energy “liftoff” report.
Allow solar developers to choose “connect and manage,” says DOE roadmap
To speed interconnection of utility-scale renewables and storage projects, a U.S. Department of Energy roadmap sets forth 35 solutions and proposes actions to implement the solutions. The roadmap was developed through a DOE stakeholder process known as i2X.
Puerto Rico’s solar net metering law at risk from federal oversight board
Puerto Rico led the nation in per-capita residential solar installations last year, but continued progress is threatened because a law extending solar net metering through 2031 has been challenged by a federal oversight board.
Renewables and storage interconnection backlog grew about 30% last year
The wait for transmission interconnection studies constitutes a “major bottleneck” for solar, storage and wind projects, which accounted for over 95% of all active capacity awaiting studies at the end of 2023, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has reported.
