Load Management, Efficiency & Demand Response
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ERCOT considers demand response, dynamic line ratings to address South Texas transmission constraints
Grid officials say a request for proposals for demand resources would lean on “lessons learned” from a canceled October RFP for 3 GW of winter capacity.
By Robert Walton • April 26, 2024 -
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DOE launches $8.8B program to lower home energy costs amid mixed data on electricity inflation
New York is the first state to receive funds through the Inflation Reduction Act’s home energy rebates program; 11 others have applications pending, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
By Robert Walton • April 23, 2024 -
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TrendlineEnergy Efficiency
Energy efficiency continues to be the ‘low-hanging fruit’ for reducing emissions. While the Biden administration is working to advance efficiency on multiple fronts, state and utility progress can be uneven.
By Utility Dive staff -
Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group.
DOE cites cost, reliability concerns for new gas plants as it details how to meet surging power demand
Rising electricity demand will require a portfolio of resources, including energy storage, hydropower, nuclear, grid-enhancing technologies and demand-side management, DOE said.
By Robert Walton • April 18, 2024 -
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DOE finalizes 4 appliance efficiency rules expected to save consumers almost $1.9B a year
DOE is catching up on its reviews of appliance energy efficiency rules, “and it needs to keep up that momentum,” said Andrew deLaski, executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project.
By Robert Walton • April 18, 2024 -
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DOE finalizes new light bulb standard expected to save consumers $27B on utility bills over 30 years
The new rule requires the most common types of light bulbs to produce more than 120 lumens/watt, up from the current standard of 45 lumens/watt.
By Robert Walton • April 15, 2024 -
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OpinionThe Future of AI will require an energy breakthrough. The answer is a fusion moonshot.
Skeptics contend that fusion has long promised much but failed to deliver. Historically, that has been true. But there is reason to believe this moment is different.
By Ylli Bajraktari • April 12, 2024 -
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Green Mountain Power, RMP offer strong virtual power plant blueprint: RMI webinar
VPP policy should promote widespread distributed energy resource adoption while enabling retail and wholesale market participation and preserving customer choice, webinar participants said.
By Brian Martucci • April 11, 2024 -
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OpinionRegulators: Don’t panic and rush to gas amid cries we’re out of power
Proposing new gas plants to serve growing demand does not occur in isolation. It is a decision that implicitly rejects alternatives as either infeasible, expensive or unconsidered.
By Mike O’Boyle and Eric Gimon • April 11, 2024 -
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As DOE updates how it sets energy efficiency standards, advocates, legislators push it to act faster
The U.S. Department of Energy has made progress reviewing a backlog of appliance efficiency standards, but advocates and lawmakers say the administration must redouble those efforts as the election looms.
By Robert Walton • April 11, 2024 -
More incentives for moderate-income home retrofits needed to combat climate change: ACEEE
No-interest loans with no money upfront “significantly increased” homeowners’ willingness to invest in comprehensive upgrades, according to a new report on home energy efficiency.
By Robert Walton • April 10, 2024 -
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Building decarbonization goes beyond energy efficiency, US Green Building Council says
Other pathways like electrification, clean power and building grid integration can help owners and operators reduce building emissions, according to the U.S. Green Building Council.
By Nish Amarnath • April 8, 2024 -
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Sponsored by OverstoryMitigating risk systemically: How data-driven vegetation management supports regulatory compliance
The word “regulation” may not trigger images of trees and vegetation for utility leaders — but perhaps it should.
April 8, 2024 -
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DOE final distribution transformer rule adds 2 years for compliance
The agency sought a middle ground with its final rule, extending compliance timelines and adjusting efficiency targets to require less amorphous electrical steel.
By Robert Walton • April 4, 2024 -
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National blueprint for building-sector decarbonization released by Biden administration
The plan, which sets specific targets for reducing on-site energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, also recommends state and local building performance standards.
By Ysabelle Kempe • April 4, 2024 -
Appliance efficiency standards save lives, making DOE’s updates all the more urgent: report
Appliance standards prevented between 1,900 and 4,400 pollution-related deaths in 2017, according to research from CLASP, a nonprofit focused on how energy efficiency can address climate change.
By Robert Walton • April 1, 2024 -
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Deep DiveA new era of price-based demand response emerges, but utilities and regulators need proof of its potential
New load flexibility from price-based demand response programs could be invaluable if reliability and cost-effectiveness is confirmed in real-world operating conditions, stakeholders agree.
By Herman K. Trabish • March 27, 2024 -
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Sonnen CEO aims to repeat company’s Utah virtual power plant success
The company has been helped by Utah regulators and Rocky Mountain Power seeing the value in a distributed, dispatchable portfolio that could potentially scale faster than new fixed generation, Blake Richetta said.
By Brian Martucci • March 26, 2024 -
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ICC’s decision on 2024 energy conservation code draws criticism, debate
The International Code Council, after receiving nine appeals, has voted to move provisions aimed at slashing greenhouse gas emissions from the main code to appendices.
By Nish Amarnath • March 22, 2024 -
Courtesy of Veolia
Bidirectional charging could unlock new potential for waste fleet electrification
A recent pilot by Veolia in the UK could lead to a future where electric trucks can feed energy back into the grid rather than just paying for it. But the U.S. market is still in the early stages of incorporating EV technology.
By David Richardson • March 18, 2024 -
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Utilities, others lobby senators to block DOE’s distribution transformer efficiency rule
The U.S. Department of Energy plans to finalize new efficiency rules for distribution transformers in April, but a broad coalition of utilities is supporting legislation to block the effort.
By Robert Walton • Updated March 19, 2024 -
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Lenders can spur building decarbonization with a focus on energy efficiency, renewables: RMI
A new RMI report recommends that lenders conduct, as part of their underwriting process, a cost-benefit analysis of efficiency upgrades and the replacement of fossil fuel technologies with renewable ones.
By Nish Amarnath • March 13, 2024 -
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ASHRAE introduces renewable energy in latest building energy standard
The Department of Energy has affirmed ASHRAE’s updated Standard 90.1, estimating that it will drive energy savings nationwide. States now have two years to certify that they have reviewed and, if needed, updated their codes.
By Nish Amarnath • March 11, 2024 -
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Sponsored by Uplight and GridX4 strategies to boost customer engagement with time-varying rates
Empower customers to be active participants in the clean energy transition with proven principles for crafting a successful Time-Varying Rates (TVR) customer experience.
By Alex Lopez, Senior Product Marketing Manager of Uplight and Brad Langley, VP of Marketing of GridX • March 11, 2024 -
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Building energy code revamps can get another $90M from DOE
More energy-efficient homes can remain habitable longer during extreme heat and cold events, which could save lives, a Department of Energy-commissioned study finds.
By Ysabelle Kempe • March 6, 2024 -
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Top 3 US energy efficiency policy opportunities in 2024: ACEEE
The United States achieved a 4% reduction in energy intensity last year, and experts say federal policy changes will be needed to maintain that pace.
By Robert Walton • March 6, 2024
