WAPA Approves Interconnection Of 504-MW Wyoming Wind Project
July 29, 2022
by Peter Maloney
APPA News
July 29, 2022
The Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) recently approved interconnection requests for a proposed 504-megawatt (MW) wind power project in eastern Wyoming.
The proposed Rail Tie Wind Project is being developed by ConnectGen, based in Houston, and calls for up to 149 wind turbines sited on approximately 26,000-acre site that includes both private and state land roughly centered on the town of Tie Siding close to the Colorado border. The project would also include access roads, collection lines, substations, control buildings, meteorological towers and other related infrastructure.
The Rail Tie project was approved by the Albany County Board of County Commissioners in July 2021, the Wyoming State Board of Land Commissioners in January 2021, and the Wyoming Industrial Siting Council in November 2021.
Over the past three years, WAPA has been evaluating two interconnection requests submitted by ConnectGen Albany County to connect the Rail Tie Wind Project to the existing Ault-Craig 345-kilovolt line in Albany County, Wyoming, owned by WAPA, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, and Platte River Power Authority.
When ConnectGen completes all other local, state and federal permitting requirements, it would finance and build and WAPA would own, operate and maintain a switchyard to control power flow onto the existing transmission line.
ConnectGen filed two interconnection requests with WAPA, each 252 MW, to accommodate build-out of its proposed project in two stages, if necessary. However, there would be only one interconnection point on the Ault-Craig transmission line.
Under federal regulations, interconnection requests are generally approved if there is sufficient capacity is available, operation of the power system would not be negatively affected, the applicant funds any necessary system upgrades, and existing power customers are not affected.
In the case of Rail Tie project, WAPA determined that while its federal action to approve or deny ConnectGen’s interconnection requests was a minor action environmentally, the proposed project had the potential for significant environmental impacts and should be analyzed as a “connected action.” WAPA, therefore, determined that the proposed project constituted a major federal action requiring the preparation of an environment impact statement (EIS). Preparing the EIS helped ensure that WAPA could make an informed decision on the interconnection requests, the agency said.
WAPA determined that interconnecting the ConnectGen project would not negatively affect the reliability of the transmission system or degrade service to existing customers and that no system upgrades would be required to support the interconnection.
WAPA also found that ConnectGen “adopted all practicable means to avoid or minimize environmental harm from its proposed Project, which includes WAPA’s interconnection switchyard.”
At the same time, WAPA noted that it is “cognizant that ConnectGen’s Project will have significant impacts on visual resources in the Project viewshed, potentially significant impacts on eagles through collisions with operating turbines, and significant adverse effects on certain” National Register of Historic Places cultural resources, such as the Ames Monument.
WAPA noted that ConnectGen has taken steps to alleviate those concerns but also noted that final assessment of those concerns lies with other agencies, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which will be analyzing the impact of the wind project on eagles and other raptors.
“Connecting more renewable energy projects to the grid is a critical step in modernizing America’s energy infrastructure and meeting our nation’s growing energy needs,” Tracey LeBeau, WAPA administrator and CEO, said in a statement. “Our technical analyses found available capacity on WAPA’s system and the comprehensive analysis in the EIS provided environmental impact information, both of which informed the interconnection record of decision.”
MMWEC Uses DEED Grant To Develop Model To Undergrounding Cost-Benefits
July 28, 2022
by APPA News
July 28, 2022
The Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company (MMWEC) has completed an in-depth study of the costs and benefits of the combined undergrounding electric and broadband internet lines in metropolitan areas with a grant from American Public Power Association’s Demonstration of Energy & Efficiency Developments (DEED) program.
MMWEC’s research team used the grant to build a model that optimizes construction of new utility corridors based on estimated cost and projected benefits, including enhanced reliability of electric service and access to broadband.
MMWEC’s researchers conducted a literature review to collect background information on electricity and broadband cost elements. They also collected data on undergrounding from public and commercial sources, including member utilities such as Shrewsbury Electric and Cable Operations and Concord’s public power utility, as well as the 2020 Underground Distribution Systems Reference Book (Bronze Book) from the Electric Power Research Institute and real estate data from Zillow that was used to assess aesthetic benefits from undergrounding in the form of increased property values.
The researchers analyzed the co-deployment of electric and broadband lines to develop data-driven cost and benefit models. “Our synthetic and disaggregated approach is readily deployable to other similar study areas and provides effective decision-making capabilities with limited amounts of data,” the MMWEC researchers said in their report.
MMWEC also took into consideration costs beyond the plainly financial, such as environmental damage caused by undergrounding from soil erosion and the disruption of ecologically sensitive habitats, as well as safety hazard for crews attempting to locate and repair failed equipment that has been undergrounded.
In their preliminary analysis, the MMWEC researchers found that the per-mile cost of underground installation is a major cost driver. The lifespan expected from underground cable is also a key cost factor, and they found that commonly assumed lifespan values may be significantly underestimated.
“Undergrounding electric and broadband cables is a viable approach for improving resilience,” MMWEC said in its final DEED report, noting, however, that there are many variables that have to be taken into consideration. “The massive investment costs [of undergrounding] require frameworks to analyze costs and benefits of competing strategies. Prior efforts have been too generalized and not accounted for broadband.
Thus, we present a framework that demonstrates a localized approach, using Shrewsbury, MA, as a case study.”
The researchers also found that aggressive conversion strategies, that is, those that convert to underground from overheard well before the lifespan of the overhead cable is reached, lead to greater aesthetic benefits, yield higher avoided economic losses, and, in the Shrewsbury case study, netted benefits totaling over half $500 million.
On the other hand, the researchers said, moderate conversion strategies exhibited benefits toward the end of the simulation. Optimal potential benefits can be achieved by undergrounding after the complete lifespan of the overhead lines has been reached, they said.
Looking forward, MMWEC said it plans to publish a paper with the detailed models and results of its research and another paper that will use a Monte Carlo simulation to analyze competing strategies. “This will also allow us to improve the generalizability of the model by incorporating additional factors critical to the estimation process,” such as segment length and type and the effect of a variety of conditions on the network’s sustainability and resilience, MMWEC said.
Lawmakers Ask EPA, DOE To Require Cryptocurrency Miners To Report Emissions, Energy Use
July 28, 2022
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
July 28, 2022
The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Agency (EPA) should require cryptocurrency miners to report their emissions and energy use, a group of U.S. Senators and Representatives said in a recent letter to the two federal agencies.
The July 15 letter, which was sent by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Representatives Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), also highlighted findings from an investigation into the environmental impacts of cryptocurrency mining.
They noted that the cryptocurrency market has grown exponentially since first introduced over a decade ago. “Mining operations for Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency by market cap, are increasingly moving onshore, with the United States’ share of global mining increasing from 4 percent in August 2019 to nearly 38 percent in January 2022,” the letter said.
The lawmakers wrote to seven of the largest cryptomining operations in the U.S. seeking information about the locations of their facilities, their energy sources and consumption, and the climate impacts associated with this production.
“The results of our investigation, which gathered data from just seven companies, are disturbing, with this limited data alone revealing that cryptominers are large energy users that account for a significant – and rapidly growing – amount of carbon emissions,” the lawmakers said in their letter.
“Our investigation suggests that the overall U.S. cryptomining industry is likely to be problematic for energy and emissions,” they asserted. “But little is known about the full scope of cryptomining activity.”
The lawmakers said that “it is imperative that your agencies work together to address the lack of information about cryptomining’s energy use and environmental impacts, and use all available authorities at your disposal” to require reporting of energy use and emissions from cryptominers.
APPA Grant Helps Rock Hill, S.C., Integrate SCADA Fault Data
July 28, 2022
by Peter Maloney
APPA News
July 28, 2022
The City of Rock Hill in South Carolina has used a grant from American Public Power Association’s Demonstration of Energy & Efficiency Developments (DEED) program to help make fault detection more visible to repair crews and thereby improve reliability and reduce the duration of electrical outages for customers.
The project aimed to improve outage restoration times using smart overhead and underground fault indicators to communicate and integrate with the utility’s Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Outage Management (OMS) systems.
Fault data was already being sent to the SCADA system, but Rock Hill’s dispatchers and field technicians did not have a visual representation of the faults. The City applied for and was awarded a DEED grant to develop an OMS integration module.
The module allows the SCADA integration of the fault indicators to be displayed on the OMS map viewer whenever the server has indicated a fault has been detected by a device in the power network.
The project was designed to address two problems. First, service personnel would spend the first part of a call trying to pinpoint the location of a fault, draining financial resources and dragging out restoration times.
The second problem was a lack of real-time mapping of system strengths and weaknesses that could be used to identify areas where there are repeated outages and faults. That information can be used to target resources for improvement. Without real-time data, the utility said it is not able to make as many preventative decisions that benefit the long-term success of its electrical system.
Under the Fault & Load Indicator Technology Integration Project, Rock Hill was able to develop a software module through dataVoice, its OMS vendor, to integrate the information provided from smart fault indicators on the V3 outage map.
System status indicators was delivered from the SCADA to the OMS system with location and unique identifiers imported via GIS Publisher and is made available in the dataVoice’s mobile application.
The original termination date of the grant award was July 1, 2021, but the original fault indicators failed to perform to expectations, delaying progress for one year.
New technologies were explored, tested, and one was selected for implementation during the last two quarters of 2021. The equipment was installed during the first quarter of 2022.
A contract was signed with dataVoice in January 2022 and a kick-off meeting was held in March 2022 to initiate the software integration. During software testing, Rock Hill discovered malfunctions that dataVoice corrected, and the project was implemented and completed in June.
The completed project enables data from field sensors to communicate with a SCADA system which relays the information to an OMS system in a way that provides users with a visual representation of faults and outages.
The completed application reduces the complexity of information from the OMS by giving a direct visual representation of what kind of fault is occurring and the approximate location on the line based on the locations of the sensors. Rock Hill said.
The overall cost of the project was $154,401 of which the City of Rock Hill contributed about $129,066 and the DEED grant provided $25,335.
The project is applicable to all utilities as we share the same goal, to improve customer satisfaction by reducing the duration of outages by adapting the latest technology, Rock Hill said in its final DEED report.
As a next step, the City of Rock Hill said it plans to train its dispatchers and field technicians to use of the software. The utility also intends to budget a reoccurring $40,000 each year for the purchase of additional sets of smart overhead and underground smart fault sensors.
The City of Rock Hill offers electric, water, and wastewater utilities to its customers. It distributes electric power to approximately 32,000 residential and 8,000 commercial and industrial customers in the greater Rock Hill area.
CPUC Seeks Comment On Study About Adding Hydrogen To Natural Gas Stream
July 28, 2022
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
July 28, 2022
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is seeking comment on a study about the feasibility and safety of injecting hydrogen into the natural gas system as a means of helping the state meet its decarbonization goals.
The CPUC commissioned the Hydrogen Blending Impacts Study in compliance with Senate Bill 1369 and as part of its ongoing Renewable Gas Rulemaking.
The Rulemaking examines expanding renewable hydrogen by establishing standards and interconnection protocols for injecting renewable hydrogen into natural gas pipelines.
The study was done by the University of California at Riverside.
The study found that hydrogen blends of up to 5 percent in the natural gas stream are generally safe but going beyond 5 percent results in a greater chance of pipeline leaks and the embrittlement of steel pipelines. In addition, hydrogen blended into the natural gas stream at levels above 5 percent could require modifications of appliances such as stoves and water heaters to avoid leaks and equipment malfunction.
Hydrogen blended at levels above 20 percent present a higher likelihood of permeating plastic pipes, which can increase the risk of gas ignition outside the pipeline. And because hydrogen has a lower energy content than natural gas, more hydrogen-blended gas would be needed to deliver the same amount of energy to users.
The researchers concluded that more study on the effects of blending hydrogen into the gas system is needed to ensure the safety of the practice. The researchers also said it is critical to conduct real world demonstrations of hydrogen blending under safe and controlled conditions to determine “the appropriate blend percentage suitable to mitigate operational risks such as ignition.”
In March 2020, the Northern California Power Agency said it was preparing to install equipment at a 304-megawatt (MW) power plant so it could burn hydrogen mixed with natural gas.
In December 2019, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said it planned to phase out the 1,800-MW, coal-fired Intermountain Power Project (IPP), which it participates in with electric power cooperatives and other public power utilities in California, Nevada and Utah, and replace it with natural gas-fueled generation that would eventually be fueled entirely by hydrogen.
“This Study provides additional insight into the possibilities and limits of California’s pipeline infrastructure as we explore options for supplying zero-carbon energy to hard to decarbonize applications,” Clifford Rechtschaffen, the CPUC commissioner assigned to the Renewable Gas Rulemaking, said in a statement. “I look forward to party comments on hydrogen-methane blending and its role in decarbonization strategies.”
The ruling seeking comments is available on the CPUC website, and members of the public can comment on the study and access related documents here.
Midwest Grid Operator’s Board Approves $10.3 Billion In Transmission Projects
July 27, 2022
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
July 27, 2022
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s (MISO) Board of Directors on July 25 unanimously approved a portfolio of long-range transmission projects, which represent a $10.3 billion investment.
This Tranche 1 portfolio is the first of four planned tranches in MISO’s Long-Range Transmission Planning (LRTP) process. The projects are needed to begin to integrate new generation resources outlined in MISO member and states plans and increase resiliency in the face of severe weather events, MISO said.
Analyses conducted as part of the LRTP initiative indicate the Tranche 1 benefits are conservatively well in excess of costs, with a benefit-to-cost ratio of at least 2.2 for all resource zones in the MISO Midwest Subregion, MISO said.
Benefit metrics include congestion and fuel savings, avoided capital costs of local resource investment, avoided transmission investment, resource adequacy savings, avoided risk of load shed and decarbonization.
The cost allocation approach for this portfolio has been approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
“While Tranche 1 represents an important start, further work is needed to ensure reliability,” said Aubrey Johnson, MISO’s vice president of system planning. “Tranche 2 will focus on the MISO Midwest Subregion, Tranche 3 in MISO South, and Tranche 4 will address the limitations on power exchange between the MISO Midwest and South Subregions.”
OPPD Uses DEED Funds To Expand Low-Income Energy Efficiency Program
July 27, 2022
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
July 27, 2022
The Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) in Nebraska, with financial support from American Public Power Association’s Demonstration of Energy & Efficiency Developments (DEED) program, has completed a pilot project aimed at enhancing the utility’s ability to provide lower income customers with energy savings.
The goal of the DEED project was to help OPPD expand or modify a future program for an income-qualified energy efficiency program by making customers aware of how energy efficiency measures can reduce their energy burden and cut their costs.
The DEED pilot program is a redesign of OPPD’s Smart Steps Low-Income Energy Efficiency Program.
The redesign included a more efficient, less duplicative application process under which eligibility is determined by partner agencies, not by OPPD. The redesign also expanded the definition of low-income by opening the pilot program to households with income of up to double the federal poverty level, an increase from previous 150 percent threshold.
OPPD said a major challenge for its low-income energy-efficiency program had been reaching the different segments within the low-income population such as people living in rural areas.
By partnering with Program Partner Agencies, OPPD intends to reach segments of the low-income population, particularly rural areas, that have not been reached before.
For the pilot project, OPPD established partnerships with non-profit agencies in its service territory, which covers 13 urban and rural counties, mainly in eastern Nebraska.
The partners included Habitat for Humanity Omaha, Douglas County Housing Authority, Family Housing Advisory Services, Christian Outreach Partnership of Elkhorn, Project Houseworks, Credit Advisors Foundation, Southeast Nebraska Community Action Partnership, Northeast Nebraska Community Action Partnership, and Community Action Partnership of Lancaster and Saunders County.
Habitat for Humanity Omaha and Southeast Nebraska Community Action Partnership were selected as the contractors to perform the energy efficiency measures. Both are weatherization agencies in Nebraska leveraging Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and Department of Energy funds.
The DEED project began in January 2020 but was paused in March by measures taken to slow the advance of the COVID-19 pandemic and then resumed in June 2020.
OPPD was granted an extension to July 15, 2022 to complete work on the DEED project because of limited resources as a result of several natural disasters that occurred during the project period, including a Polar Vortex that resulted in rolling blackouts for the first time in OPPD’s history and a windstorm that caused over 50 percent of the utility’s customers to lose power.
The DEED pilot project enabled OPPD will provide eligible customers with an energy efficiency kit, a home energy audit and, depending on the audit results, up to $2,000 for energy efficiency upgrades, $1,000 from OPPD and $1,000 from DEED funding.
In its final DEED report, OPPD found the average energy savings prior to the APPA investment was $102.68. With the APPA grant funds, OPPD said it was able to double the investment, with $2,000 towards energy efficiency improvements, and the average energy savings rose to $219.71. A total of 134 households were served by the pilot program.
“The compelling data proved the benefits of investing in an in-home energy assessment along with energy efficiency upgrades for income-qualified customers,” OPPD said in its final DEED report.
As a result of the pilot project OPPD also revamped and rebranded its Smart Steps to Saving Energy program, creating the Energy Efficiency Assistance Program (EEAP).
Heartland Consumers Power District Changes Name To Heartland Energy
July 26, 2022
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
July 26, 2022
Heartland Consumers Power District unveiled a new company name and logo at its annual summer conference on July 26. It will now be known as Heartland Energy.
The change came as Heartland Energy looked to update their branding, which led to a desire to simplify its name.
“While we remain a consumers power district in function, the name itself doesn’t resonate with people,” said Heartland Energy CEO Russell Olson in a statement. “Energy is an all-encompassing term that better reflects who we are as a company.”
Heartland Energy engaged the services of Lawrence & Schiller (L&S) to assist with the re-branding process. L&S conducted focus groups with employees, board members and customers to collect input on the new name and brand identity. Varying name options were presented to the groups with consensus that Heartland Energy was the most forward looking and focused option.
A common theme, particularly from customers, during the focus groups, was that Heartland Energy was more than a power provider. It serves as a partner to customers to help communities grow and thrive. They go above and beyond to provide the best service possible.
“Providing reliable, affordable electricity is at the core of our operations, but we’re doing that with a greater purpose in mind,” said Heartland Energy Chief Communications Officer Ann Hyland.
The tagline Power with Purpose encompasses all the extra things Heartland Energy does for their communities, it noted.
“Re-branding was a necessary step to show as a company we are moving forward,” added Hyland. “The electric utility industry is constantly changing, and we are staying on top of those changes.”
Special guest speakers at this year’s conference included Joy Ditto, President and CEO of American Public Power Association. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem also spoke at the conference, touting Heartland Energy’s partnership with the state of South Dakota to promote development.
With the change, the company’s new website can now be found at www.heartlandenergy.com. Company email addresses will also change to a similar format.
Heartland Energy provides wholesale power to public power communities across South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska.
Based in Madison, SD, Heartland Energy also provides a suite of customer service programs including economic development, energy efficiency, cybersecurity and more.
Jim Brooks Elected To Serve As Chair Of APPA’s Policy Makers Council
July 25, 2022
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
July 25, 2022
Jim Brooks, chair of the Evansville, Wis., Municipal Services Committee and president of the City Council, was elected this month to chair the American Public Power Association’s (APPA) Policy Makers Council (PMC).
“The PMC brings together about 40 elected officials from across the country whose main task is to call on Congress and policy writers in Washington to present the concerns of public power communities with a single voice,” Brooks said in a Q&A with Public Power Current published earlier this year.
Members of the PMC meet twice a year in Washington, D.C., and at least once a month by Zoom. The group advocates on issues such as climate policy, grid security, energy infrastructure investments, and preserving local control for public power communities.
Evansville Water & Light is a public power utility and member of the APPA. The utility is also a member-owner of WPPI Energy, a not-for-profit, wholesale power supplier located in Sun Prairie, Wis.
In addition to his other duties, Brooks serves as the chair of WPPI Energy’s Policy & Communications Leadership Council, the committee responsible for counseling staff and the organization’s executive committee on the best means of increasing policy-making influence and strengthening grassroots capacity for legislative, regulatory and policy initiatives.
Brooks is the second public power leader associated with WPPI Energy to serve as chair of the APPA’s Policy Makers Council. Paul Fisk, previously the mayor of Lodi, Wis., was also active with the joint action agency and was elected to chair the Policy Makers Council in 2016.
As chair, Brooks also serves on the national APPA Board of Directors.
His chairmanship will last until July 2023.
DOE To Provide Funds To States, Local Governments For Building Energy Code Modernization
July 25, 2022
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
July 25, 2022
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on July 21 announced a Notice of Intent (NOI) to provide $225 million for states and local governments to expand the implementation of the latest building energy codes and support the development of buildings that use less energy.
Funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Building Energy Codes: Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation Program will help to expand building energy codes through state and local implementation and lower electricity costs for families and businesses by as much as $138 billion over the next 30 years, according to DOE.
The announcement supports the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Initiative to Advance Building Codes, launched in June 2022 by the National Climate Task Force to accelerate adoption of modern building codes.
Modern building energy codes “are critical for states and local governments because they allow for significant improvements in building energy performance and set the criteria for buildings and homes to become more durable, resilient, and better protected against extreme weather events. Building energy codes work in concert with other code provisions, such as fire, mechanical, and plumbing, and establish minimum acceptable energy efficiency for residential and commercial buildings,” DOE said.
The Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation Program will provide competitive grants to applicants who demonstrate through partnerships innovative approaches that allow states and local governments to further their broader energy, climate and resilience goals, expand opportunities for workforce development, ensure implementation and compliance, and advance equity, energy and environmental justice.
To prepare for the release of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), prospective applicants are encouraged to read the full Notice of Intent on EERE Exchange, which describes the intended FOA more fully, including more details about its motivation, how to prepare for its release, eligible entities and activities, and award instruments. DOE expects to issue the FOA in Fall 2022.