Chesapeake Utilities Corporation’s Post

This is the future of the electric grid: distributed and on-demand power! Best of all, it’s the average American earning revenue, not just the big monopoly utilities. With initiatives like the Virtual Power Plant, homeowners can now play a pivotal role in stabilizing the grid and benefit financially. Together, we’re driving towards a more resilient and sustainable energy future. Exciting times ahead! #RenewableEnergy #SustainableFuture #CleanEnergy

Tesla PR at its best! 100MW is neat. 20,000 DERs doing DR is good. But... I don't see why this is considered a special milestone? What was new that we learned from this DR event? Turning OFF devices or telling a lot of DERs to DISCHARGE at same time is really simple and not really a virtual "power plant" and more like a "virtual power relay" There is so much more to do here vis-a-vis VPPs: dynamic prices, grid-aware coordination of DERs (where is the grid?), engage C&I buildings, and carbon-aware load shaping. As more and more DERs land on the grid, these elements become important to get right. And simple, discrete DR events will not be sufficient to ensure reliable load-supply balancing. More details: https://lnkd.in/ein6ffP3 Why this Tesla PR is not news (imo): -- In 2022, Tesla managed 6,200 power walls and provided 25MW DR with same mechanism as today. 6,200 PowerWalls became 20,000 over 2 years. That's nice growth. How much did people earn for allowing Tesla to use their hardware this time? Does it lower barrier of entry to PowerWall-utopia? -- Tesla's AutoBidder platform already manages 1000s of PowerWalls to do frequency regulation (which is much harder DER coordination problem). -- Utilities and aggregators have managed the same type of (discrete) events for decades with 10,000 to 400,000 of water heaters and HVAC units (e.g., 10MW in VT and ~100MW in Florida/Duke Energy). Simple one-way comms and controls. -- MosaicPower (and others) has been around 10-15 yrs and actively manage 14,000 water heaters to provide ~14MW of **continuous** 24/7 frequency regulation (Reg-D in PJM). Again, a harder DER coordination problem.

If you didn't notice - this is what the future looks like. Distributed energy storage supporting the grid as a whole. Hats off Tesla Energy for pulling this off. 🔌 🌆 Here's what this achievement means: * The virtual power plant (VPP) is composed of thousands of PowerWalls across California communicating to discharge simultaneously, as if they were a single large power plant * Based on PowerWall 2 sizing (5kW continuous), 100 MW is the equivalent of approximately 20,000 (!) wall-mount units discharging (PowerWall 3, introduced this year, offers 11.5kW). This is roughly equivalent to the power from a small natural gas plant (3-5 acres), a 1,000 acre solar farm, or 10,000 acre wind farm. * A 100 MW battery plant costs around $120m and many years to build - this free to build since each homeowner made the investment to build their system (some of them were subsidized by state and federal incentives) * Since they are discharging all over the state, there is no substation required, simply the thousands of lines running from homes / businesses into the grid * The home and business owners get paid by Tesla, and Tesla in turn gets paid by the California grid operator (CAISO) for this service. * If you think this is cool, wait till they start doing this with EVs (Vehicle to Grid or V2G)! By the way, VPPs and V2G are covered in Ch. 11 of the BESS Book!(https://a.co/d/emdgksv) 📗 🔋

This advanced, high-efficiency power plant represents more than just innovation—it's a vital cornerstone for our future energy needs. As we transition from retiring coal-fired generation, this reliable source of dispatchable energy will be crucial in ensuring that your power remains affordable, your lights stay on, and our greenhouse gas emissions continue to decrease. This isn't just about keeping the grid running; it's about building a resilient energy infrastructure that supports a sustainable and dependable future for everyone.

🎉 A Milestone Achievement 🎉 We’re thrilled to share some incredible news – Technical Toolboxes now partners with 19 of the 20 largest midstream operators in North America! This milestone reflects the hard work and commitment of our entire team, who strive every day to provide the energy industry with cutting-edge tools that: ✔ Simplify complex calculations ✔ Enhance productivity ✔ Reduce risk At Technical Toolboxes, we believe in the power of innovation to transform how the energy sector operates. Our tools, like the Pipeline Toolbox, the Hydrotest PowerTool, and the RSTRENG+, are designed to replace outdated methods with precise, industry-standard calculations that improve decision-making and streamline operations. Our journey doesn’t stop here. We’re just getting started and are excited to continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in pipeline integrity and safety. Viper Energy Inc., we’re coming for you next! 👀 A huge thank you to everyone on the Technical Toolboxes team for making this possible. Let’s keep the momentum going! 🚀 #PipelineIntegrity #EnergySector #Innovation #TechnicalToolboxes

We are doing it! The MN Public Utilities Commission established the scope and framework for natural gas resource planning. Read this great recap by Mariko Yatsuhashi https://lnkd.in/gNsPdS2a

📅 Mark your calendars! FEMP is pleased to announce the eight utilities participating in FEMP’s newly launched Utility Open Houses for Federal Customers Initiative! This new initiative serves as a platform to bring together #utility companies and their #federal customers to foster participation in existing utility program offerings and initiate new projects focused on #sustainability, efficiency, and #resilience. We encourage all federal energy managers, site managers and other interested personnel who are customers of one of the host utilities listed below to save the date for our upcoming open houses. 🔴 Pacific Gas and Electric Company : Wednesday, April 24 🔴 San Diego Gas & Electric: Monday, April 29 🔴 Florida Power & Light: Wednesday, May 8 🔴 Georgia Power Company: Wednesday, May 22 🔴 Tennessee Valley Authority: Tuesday, July 16 🔴 Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company: Thursday, July 25 🔴 Dominion Energy Virginia: Wednesday, August 7 🔴 Duke Energy Corporation: Thursday, August 15 Learn more about these events and how you can participate: https://lnkd.in/e3BBbyCc

Natural gas. Innovation. Decarbonization. What do these words have in common? It turns out, a groundbreaking Minnesota law and, soon, some exciting utility pilot programs. 🌱 In 2021, the Minnesota Legislature passed the Natural Gas Innovation Act (NGIA). NGIA, for the first time, provides a clear regulatory opportunity for Minnesota’s natural gas utilities to invest in innovative technologies and fuels that reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of the natural gas system and end-uses. Under NGIA, natural gas utilities can submit five-year plans to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to invest in pilot programs that test and develop innovative technologies and fuels. Now, Minnesota's utility companies are beginning to do just that. Read our latest blog post from Audrey Partridge, director of policy at CEE: https://hubs.ly/Q02GC37R0

Today we achieved a defining milestone with the official legal separation of our Liquids Pipelines business – South Bow, a move that allows us to sharpen our focus on our natural gas and power generation businesses, while continuing to create enduring value for shareholders. With a disciplined growth plan and distinct strategy, we are now better positioned to meet growing energy demand and maximize asset value. Our extensive natural gas infrastructure and power generation investments positions us at the forefront of North America’s energy future, as we play a key role in helping address the increasing need for more secure, affordable and sustainable energy here in North America and globally. For over 70 years, TC Energy has been a nation-building force, delivering the energy that hundreds of millions of people rely on across North America and abroad. With a sharpened focus, we are ready to carry forward our legacy and continue to meet the world’s growing energy needs. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/g5XYPmNP

In 2024, the natural gas industry has invested $15 billion in safety so far this year. These investments in safety are critical now and for the future, so that the industry can keep safely and reliably delivering natural gas to homes and businesses across the nation. Learn more about this commitment to safety and how utilities continue to improve their systems today: https://buff.ly/3XeIpXy