Grid

Operating on the premise that a little here and a little there adds up to a fully functioning delivery system, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved three expansion projects Wednesday in the Southeast, Midwest and Northeast.

The Department of Defense (DOD) could potentially reduce demand on the western power grid by generating 90 MW of electricity and implementing conservation initiatives, although the use of DOD assets raises environmental and mission concerns, the General Accounting Office (GAO) recently told Congress. The GAO also said that although significant private back-up generation capacity exists in California its potential use is limited due to business and environmental risks.

The Department of Defense (DOD) could potentially reduce demand on the western power grid by generating 90 MW of electricity and implementing conservation initiatives, although the use of DOD assets raises environmental and mission concerns, the General Accounting Office (GAO) recently told Congress. Meanwhile, the GAO also said that although significant private back-up generation capacity exists in California, its potential use is limited due to business and environmental risks.

Under the fresh new provisions for two- and one-day advance notices of potential rolling blackouts, California’s transmission grid operator, Cal-ISO, issued warnings Monday for later this week of potential rolling blackouts. None were needed Monday as temperatures in the inland valleys soared statewide, driving peak demand to 37,200 MW, about 1,000 MW higher than forecast. The warnings automatically terminated, however, when no follow-up 24-hour notice was issued.

Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham announced last week that the Department of Energy (DOE) will provide partial funding for 11 government-industry collaborative projects aimed at upgrading the safety and performance of the nation’s natural gas interstate and intrastate transportation systems.

Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham announced yesterday that the Department of Energy (DOE) will provide partial funding for 11 government-industry collaborative projects aimed at upgrading the safety and performance of the nation’s natural gas interstate and intrastate transportation systems.

California power marketer/generators blasted the state transmission grid operator’s (Cal-ISO’s) federally filed market stabilization plan as potentially being “extremely detrimental” to the state’s struggling electricity markets and urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reject it. The plan promises to cause “more blackouts in the West, chase away much-needed new generation, and jack up wholesale power costs,” according to the Western Power Trading Forum, a trade and lobbying group for marketers, scheduling coordinators, power exchanges and generators. The Cal-ISO proposal includes price caps and restrictions on selling California-generated power out of state. “It is yet another attempt to heap more rules on an already overruled market,” said Gary Ackerman, executive director of the trading forum.

California’s state-chartered independent transmission gridoperator, Cal-ISO, late Wednesday asked federal regulators for helpin possible refunds of up to $550 million for December and Januarywholesale charges in the emergency real-time market. Cal-ISO toldFERC the charges exceeded federally-established benchmark levels.

State legislators debated a “cash infusion” for the financiallytroubled private-sector utilities yesterday in exchange for statetakeover of their transmission and generation assets. AndCalifornia Gov. Gray Davis on Wednesday highlighted a package ofproposed bills to provide $120 million in cash incentives and a 50%tax break to renewable energy and distributed generation developersas a means of fulfilling his promise to add 20,000 MW over the nextthree years.