Load Management, Efficiency & Demand Response
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FERC approves PJM plan to omit energy efficiency resources from capacity auctions
PJM Interconnection’s current load forecasting methodology “reasonably accounts for energy efficiency measures on the demand side,” the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said Tuesday.
By Robert Walton • Nov. 8, 2024 -
Corix district energy system launches in Bellingham, Washington, waterfront neighborhood
The system, which captures waste heat for districtwide heating and cooling, is expected to help the district meet Washington state energy code requirements, the Port of Bellingham says.
By Nish Amarnath • Nov. 6, 2024 -
2024 Elections
Trump win is ‘setback’ for climate protection, but clean energy advocates say progress will continue
Trump’s victory means a Republican will be selected to lead FERC, which will likely work to reign in transmission incentives, said Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizen's Energy Program.
By Robert Walton • Nov. 6, 2024 -
Massachusetts utilities file $5B efficiency plan with focus on ‘thoughtful electrification’
The 2025-2027 Mass Save proposal includes about $1 billion more in efficiency investments than the current three-year plan, with a focus on decarbonizing residential buildings.
By Robert Walton • Nov. 4, 2024 -
Sponsored by Huron
How utilities can navigate the energy transition with near-term and long-term actions
Utilities professionals – take these steps to progress toward sustainability while managing rate increases.
By Ned Calder, Simar Grewal and Anna Veatch • Nov. 4, 2024 -
Schneider Electric’s North America growth drives Q3 revenue, led by energy management
The company’s North America revenue organically grew 15.1% year over year, to about $3.8 billion, on the back of organic 18.3% year-over-year growth in energy management, it says.
By Nish Amarnath • Updated Nov. 6, 2024 -
Grid-interactive efficient building systems need robust cybersecurity measures, DOE says
Federal facilities managers must assess the potential risks of GEB systems and understand how they can affect the physical and data security of overarching systems where they are deployed, the Department of Energy says.
By Brian Martucci • Oct. 30, 2024 -
EPRI launches data center flexibility initiative with utilities, Google, Meta, NVIDIA
The DCFlex project will establish up to 10 “flexibility hubs” to demonstrate innovative data center and power supplier strategies, the Electric Power Research Institute said.
By Robert Walton • Oct. 30, 2024 -
DOE school program helps districts decarbonize, identify best practices
Benchmarking and retrofit implementation are among the categories in which school districts can apply for recognition as part of the Efficient and Healthy Schools program, the Energy Department says.
By Joe Burns • Oct. 29, 2024 -
What does it take to electrify, decarbonize a manufactured home community?
A community-scale retrofit project in Colorado offers a path toward lowering power bills for a population that faces high levels of energy insecurity.
By Leslie Nemo • Oct. 25, 2024 -
Building retrofit data sheds light on energy efficiency: Harvard study
A two-year dataset on a residential-to-office building retrofit shows how low-energy and passive building systems can boost performance and sustainability in future projects, according to a paper published in Scientific Data.
By Nish Amarnath • Oct. 23, 2024 -
AI, data center load could drive ‘extraordinary’ rise in US electricity bills: Bain analyst
Utility revenue requirements to serve growing data center electricity demand could increase customer bills by 1% annually through 2032, according to Bain & Company.
By Robert Walton • Oct. 23, 2024 -
Nissan joins ChargeScape EV charging joint venture
The company, along with BMW, Ford and Honda, will deploy electric vehicle charging software aiming to simplify charging and return power to the grid.
By Kalena Thomhave • Oct. 22, 2024 -
Opinion
Can America keep up with AI’s energy appetite in the race with China?
Even with companies like Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft making big moves on clean energy, without an improved permitting process, their data centers might struggle to get the power they need to go online.
By Divyansh Kaushik • Oct. 21, 2024 -
California enrolls 515 MW in load management program featuring 200 MW VPP
More than a quarter of a million participants are helping to ensure a reliable electric grid during extreme demand, the California Energy Commission said.
By Robert Walton • Oct. 16, 2024 -
Sponsored by Black & Veatch
Are utilities ready for data centers’ big AI energy?
Amidst challenges of renewable integration and aging infrastructure, Black & Veatch’s new report signals data center power demands may test utilities’ capacity planning.
By Phil Fischer, Black & Veatch, Data Center Client Executive • Oct. 14, 2024 -
‘Split incentive gap’ impedes building decarbonization, SMI says, as it suggests solutions
Emission reduction targets, legislative measures and green leases can resolve the misalignment between landlords and tenants in decarbonization efforts, the Sustainable Markets Initiative says.
By Nish Amarnath • Oct. 11, 2024 -
DOE allocates $43M+ to advance industrial decarbonization technologies
The projects selected for the funding are expected to have implications for operators of industrial and commercial buildings, a U.S. Department of Energy official says.
By Nish Amarnath • Oct. 11, 2024 -
Demand flexibility programs ‘need to evolve’ as utilities shift to winter peaking: LBNL report
Today, most utilities in the U.S. operate summer-peaking electricity systems, but that could change as building electrification shifts consumption patterns.
By Robert Walton • Oct. 9, 2024 -
Skills gap looms for energy efficiency jobs tied to net-zero emission goals: IEA
Retrofitting buildings could create 1.3 million jobs by 2030 in areas such as HVAC installation and insulation, but labor shortages persist, according to the agency’s scenario for reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.
By Nish Amarnath • Oct. 7, 2024 -
For data center cooling project, Advanced Cooling Technologies gets $1.1M DOE grant
ACT is a subcontractor on two COOLERCHIPS program projects aimed at cutting total cooling energy expenditure to less than 5% of a data center’s IT load.
By Joe Burns • Oct. 7, 2024 -
Affordable multifamily housing owners would get decarbonization help in NYC proposal
Building owners purchasing “offset certificates” to help meet Local Law 97’s greenhouse gas emissions-reduction requirements would pay into the fund.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Oct. 2, 2024 -
AI will help, not hinder, grid decarbonization: NVIDIA CEO
Artificial intelligence will make computing and data centers more efficient — if they're built in regions with excess energy, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang said.
By Emma Penrod • Sept. 30, 2024 -
Sponsored by GridX & Uplight
Virtual power plants and time-varying rates: The next big power move for a smarter grid
The energy system is fundamentally changing. There is a major need for new grid management strategies to handle this transition and the challenges that come along.
By Rachel Bryant, Senior Director of Regulatory & Policy Business Development at GridX and Alex Lopez, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Uplight • Sept. 30, 2024 -
Schneider Electric’s building decarbonization tool aims to ease regulatory compliance
The new calculator allows building owners and operators to simulate energy-saving retrofits and evaluate their impact on emissions to aid compliance with laws such as New York City’s Local Law 97, the company says.
By Nish Amarnath • Sept. 26, 2024