ISO-NE spoiled | Varying approaches to Grid Mod | Hacked
Good Friday Afternoon.
Harvey. Irma. Jose. Katia. It’s hard to fathom how much devastation has already occurred in Texas and the Caribbean as we continue to watch and pray for the folks in Florida, Mexico and again in the Leeward Islands as the massive hurricanes continue on their paths.
Closer to home we have a story from POWER magazine digging deep into ISO-New England’s 20-year history and asking if the success of the past can be replicated in the future – or is ISO-NE spoiled by its success? With winter approaching, here is an interesting quote from the article, “According to van Welie, the ISO has largely given up on the idea of bringing more gas to the region, in the face of the inability of pipeline developers to win support for their projects. The problem now, he said, ‘is how to get efficient electricity production during winter, assuming we see no further investment in gas infrastructure.’ He added, ‘Fuel has to come from somewhere when the existing pipelines are constrained.’”
This week Utility Dive dug into the Massachusetts utilities’ grid mod proposals. The question they say is that regulators must choose whether to embrace their original grid mod goals, opt for newly-proposed performance metrics, or go back to the drawing board. Further they add that Massachusetts regulators ordered the state’s utilities to develop a grid modernization plan (GMP) in 2014 but divergent approaches have so far prevented implementation.
If the Equifax hack wasn’t bad enough, we bring you a BuzzFeed story based on reports from Symantec that hackers infiltrated and gained access to operational controls of US electric companies. Symantec, a California-based firm that provides cybersecurity services and worldwide research against online threats, says the group, which it’s nicknamed Dragonfly 2.0, may have compromised more than a dozen American companies in recent months.
Be sure to check out our events page. Have a great weekend.
Natural Gas/Pipeline
Is Big Oil Prepared For The Natural Gas Era?, OilPrice.com
Sugar Shack Alliance protests fossil fuels on I-91, The Recorder
Burrillville asks EFSB to dismiss Invenergy application because it’s incomplete, RI Future
FERC Orders Tech Conference on Algonquin No-Notice Changes, RTO Insider
Citing climate impacts, New York state blocks yet another natural gas pipeline, MassLive.com
Mother Nature Whips Natural Gas Amid Harvey And Irma, Investing.com
Natural gas pipeline projects move closer to development, Utility Dive
Renewable Energy
Public, private leaders call for renewable energy push, Worcester Business Journal
Connecticut pledging to cut greenhouse gas emissions, CT Post
Portland Airport to Get $1.3 Million for Solar Array, U.S. News & World Report
Giant Batteries Help Renewable Energy Grow In New England, WBUR
Grid strained by new solar farms, Berkshire Eagle
RGGI prices to continue languishing below $10 through 2030 despite reforms, analysts warn, Carbon Pulse
20 megawatts: Solar developer targets southern Vermont, Brattleboro Reformer
Shrewsbury town meeting OK gas line extensions, solar deal, Worcester Telegram
Resident group opposes solar proposal for Candlewood Mountain, The Greater New Milford Spectrum
VIDEO: World’s First Offshore Wind Facility Completely Dismantled, Power Engineering Magazine
Ocean Turbines Could Turn the Tide for Energy Generation, Government Technology
Wind turbine manufacturers are dipping toes into energy storage projects, Ars Technica
CleanChoice Energy opens office in Massachusetts, Clean Technology Business Review
Lynn Working to Become A Green Community, Lynn Journal
Two Energy Powerhouses Broaden Community Solar Access in Massachusetts, Energy Central
Wastewater treatment authority on path to full renewability, Penn Energy
Maine island completes conversion to ’90 percent cleaner’ energy, Bangor Daily News
Potential Tariff On Solar Panels Has Some Developers Concerned, Vermont Public Radio
Energy Efficiency
UMass, Eversource sign energy efficiency partnership, The Massachusetts Daily Collegian
Were thermal images taken of your Springfield house? Look for a postcard in the mail outlining energy-savings plan, MassLive.com
Bash the incandescent bulb and save money, The Cabinet Press
Nuclear
Entergy Seeks Approval To Accelerate Prep Work At Vermont Yankee, Vermont Public Radio
State OKs reduction in Vermont Yankee security, vtdigger.org
Report claims there’s no new pollution at VY, Commons
In advertising blitz, nuclear industry seeks reset, Axios
Markets/Grid/Policy/Prices/Etc.
Could Success Spoil ISO-NE?, Power Magazine
Massachusetts utilities take divergent approaches to grid modernization, Utility Dive
Electricity Providers Targeted In Massive Hack, Buzzfeed
LePage can’t lower energy prices by himself, but that won’t stop him from trying, Bangor Daily News
How States Will Hit 100 Percent Clean Energy, Scientific American
CMP faces questions about power line plan for western Maine, Portland Press Herald
Environmental group appeals approval of Sandwich plant expansion, Cape Cod Times
Northern Pass transmission slated to bring Quebec electricity to Massachusetts gains OK from US Forest Service, MassLive.com
31 Northern Pass Hearings Added; Delay Prompts Lively Facebook Exchange, InDepthNH.org
Northern Pass route through White Mountains clears hurdle, WMUR Manchester
Northern Pass: Residents, Eversource Offer Differing Views On Another SEC Delay, Caledonian Record
Northern Pass project decision delayed by New Hampshire siting committee, Utility Dive
United States: DOE Report Offers Extensive Insight, But Limited Policy Suggestions, Mondaq News Alerts
Towns intervene in Eversource acquisition of Aquarion, Seacoastonline.com
Proposed State Energy Strategy Draws Critics, Hartford Courant
Major energy legislation of Gov. Paul LePage’s tenure, Bangor Daily News
The simple reason most power utilities suck, Vox.com
Editorial/Opinion
Wait ’til next year: More Northern Pass delays, The Union Leader
Carbon emissions problem has more than one solution, Press Herald
ALTERNATE ENERGY: The lure of nuclear energy no longer makes ‘cents’, Finger Lakes Times
Massachusetts’ leaders should go big on clean energy (Guest viewpoint), MassLive.com
Harvey Exposed Oil Issues We Must Address, Natural Resources Defense Council
Northeast Energy News 