| NewsWood Mackenzie: U.S. has potential to accelerate offshore wind energy growth North American Windpower – August 4The U.S. has an opportunity to accelerate offshore wind energy growth and benefit from 28 new gigawatts of clean energy and $1.7 billion in U.S. Treasury revenue by 2022, according to a recently published report from Wood Mackenzie. Findings from this study confirm that additional lease areas are needed to meet demand, reduce energy costs, increase competition, and ultimately generate thousands of jobs and billions in investment. Commissioned by four energy industry groups, the study examines the economic impact of offshore wind activities as a result of potential Bureau of Ocean Energy Management lease auctions in 2020, 2021, and 2022.READGovernor Newsom asks Warren Buffett to back Klamath River dam removal Los Angeles Times – July 31Governor Gavin Newsom has appealed directly to investor Warren Buffett to support demolishing four hydroelectric dams on a river along the Oregon-California border to save dwindling salmon populations. Newsom sent a letter to Buffett last Wednesday urging him to back the Klamath River project, which would be the largest dam removal in U.S. history. The dams are owned by PacifiCorp, an Oregon-based utility that is part of Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. conglomerate.READ |
| Projects$4.5 million federal grant looks to upgrade Borrego Springs microgrid to 100% renewable energy The San Diego Union-Tribune – August 3California has made it a priority to develop microgrids that can allow communities or critical facilities such as fire stations to power themselves independently or in parallel to the grid. San Diego Gas & Electric operates two microgrids and its largest, located in the desert town of Borrego Springs, recently received a $4.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office. The money will go into upgrades aimed at reducing the use of the site’s diesel-powered generators so the facility can run 100 percent on renewable energy.READPG&E and Tesla break ground on behemoth energy storage system Commercial Property Executive – July 29Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) and Tesla have started construction on a massive lithium-ion battery storage system (BESS) at PG&E’s electric substation in Moss Landing in Monterey County. Once operational, the Moss Landing substation will be one of the largest utility-owned, lithium-ion energy storage systems in the world. The BESS will have the capacity to store and dispatch up to 730 megawatt-hours of energy to the electrical grid at a maximum rate of 182.5 megawatts for up to four hours during periods of high demand.READSunrun to install 20 MW of solar battery systems for CCAs Greentech Media – July 30CCAs serving three Northern California counties have partnered with Sunrun to deploy thousands of solar-battery systems to provide backup power to residents facing the threat of fire-prevention blackouts. Under the terms of the deal, Sunrun will install up to 20 megawatts of solar-battery systems for about 6,000 homes served by CCAs East Bay Community Energy, Peninsula Clean Energy, and Silicon Valley Clean Energy.READApple, Pepsi, Target, and others to procure solar energy through deal with Salt River Project Arizona Republic – August 4Salt River Project announced this Tuesday a new solar plant in Eloy, Arizona, to provide renewable energy to large customers including Apple, PepsiCo, Target, Boeing, and Dignity Health. sPower will build the new Central Line Solar plant, which should be operational by 2021. The 100-megawatt plant will generate enough power to supply about 25,000 homes at once when the sun is shining.READ |
