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This week’s Resource Intelligence Report features some mixed news for offshore wind. James Downing covered the Bureau of Energy Management’s announcement of a lease auction for eight sites in the Gulf of Maine. The gulf is off much of Massachusetts’ coast, along with the coasts of New Hampshire and Maine. Its deep waters mean any winning projects will have to use floating wind turbines.
Before John Cropley left for a vacation, he covered another difficulty cropping up for New York state’s efforts to build offshore wind, as Equinor withdrew a request to install a cable connecting a plant to shore because of local opposition. The line ran into steep opposition in the town of Long Beach, on the southern side of Long Island, with legislation that could have helped push it through vetoed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is generally a supporter of offshore wind.
NetZero Insider’s K Kaufmann wrote about the Department of Energy and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Inclusive Transmission Planning project, which encourages developers to reach out to impacted communities and focus on minimizing negative impacts.
K also covered an Advanced Energy United webinar looking into virtual power plants, which can be quickly deployed to help to meet rising demand. The U.S. is home to 30 to 60 GW of VPPs already, but DOE estimates an additional 80 to 160 GW will be needed to reliably and affordably meet demand by the end of the decade.
In news from other sources, E&E News by POLITICO examined the future of President Joe Biden’s pause on new LNG export approvals. A court tossed out the policy this summer, and a new application has already been approved, but another is one is not expected until the next president takes office.
The Salt Lake Tribune looked into the tension between a federal policy that wants to open 31 million acres across 11 Western states — with 5 million in Utah alone — to solar development, and those who want to limit development on federal land. The federal policy is aimed at using federal lands that have been impacted by other development, but the scale has led to some qualms.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is working on a new way to store electricity for up to 100 hours using sand. SolarPACES has the details.
We have other stories for you in this week’s Intelligence Report:
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Virginia
Data Center Ridge is the first phase in a state-endorsed plan to advance test sites for solar, wind, pumped hydro, small nuclear and other clean energy innovations. Canary Media
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California
Ford makes it easy for its electric car owners to sign up for Edison's emergency DR program, which is focused on charge management now (bidirectional flows later) Utility Dive
U.S.
Start-up firm Parity works with big buildings to drive efficiency and DR from their air conditioning systems. Canary Media
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International
As climate change continues unabated, the goal is to examine technologies that could artificially cool the Earth "responsibly and ethically." The New York Times
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International
Huawei Digital Power has built a solar-storage microgrid project in Saudi Arabia's Red Sea New City. It said that the plant has been operating smoothly for a year, delivering more than 1 TWh of green electricity. pv magazine
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Pennsylvania
Amid public scrutiny over worker safety, Eureka Resources, a fracking wastewater treatment company, idled a facility, canceled plans to build another and intends to sell or close two more. Inside Climate News
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U.S.
AI related demand is leading to an uptick in power firms planning new natural gas power plants, showing the fuel's staying power. Bloomberg
Pennsylvania
The big issue in Pennsylvania energy industry is cheap gas caught behind congested pipelines, not fracking debate in the Presidential Election. Cheap prices mean fewer jobs in the industry. The New York Times
U.S.
Federal judge pauses Biden Admin rule that limited flaring of natural gas produced as byproduct at oil wells. MSN
U.S.
Despite previous opposition, executives at GasTech conference say that VP/Candidate Harris now supports fracking and the cheap gas it produces. Reuters
Pennsylvania
Based on data from EDF's methane emissions detecing satellite, report finds that major basins of gas are releasing 7.5 million tons per year (equal to half annual residential demand). NPR
U.S.
AGA study argues that natural gas appliances are cleaner and cheaper than alternatives. Daily Energy Insider
U.S.
Biden Admin and energy executives clash at GasTech in Houston over the impact of the former's policies Reuters
International
Column argues new gas pipeline from Permian Basin in Texas could upset OPEC's plans to cut production. Bloomberg
U.S.
Local NBC affiliate does a deep dive on the lack of natural gas safety standards after explosion in Youngtown, Ohio. WFMJ
International
Electrifying oil and gas drilling and other upstream activities has the potential to cut emissions from the sector significantly Yahoo Finance
West Virginia
Deep dive into the failed promise of economic boom times for areas of West Virginia that opened up to natural gas drilling. Mountain State Spotlight
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U.S.
Biden's LNG pause and its fate amid litigation is examined. Admin approved one new application, but is not expected to do more before it leaves office. E&E News by POLITICO
International
While electrification is often thought of as replacing natural gas, experts at GasTech argue it will raise demand for the fuel globally Hart Energy
Texas
Massive fire in LNG-related pipeline owned by Energy Transfer leads to power outages, evacuations. Reuters
U.S.
Neil Chatterjee criticizes recent DC Circuit decisions for throwing a wrench into infrastructure approvals Natural Gas Intelligence
U.S.
U.S. natural gas prices are bearish now, but with a floor under Europe's and increased LNG ties - will that change with peak demand this winter? TradingView
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Colorado
Tri-State received the largest Inflation Reduction Act award and says $679 million will help it exceed Colorado greenhouse gas reduction goals. The Colorado Sun
U.S.
Texas, the biggest oil-producing state, has turned to solar power and battery storage to see it through extreme weather. But with demand rising, much more power will be needed. The New York Times
New York
New York must support the development and deployment of dispatchable, carbon-free energy resources while continuing to build out the state's renewable energy grid, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, D, said at the conclusion of a state clean energy conference. Utility Dive
U.S.
The startup has an ambitious goal of providing cheap, around-the-clock clean power to data centers. Exowatt's plan? String together a bunch of old energy technologies. Canary Media
International
MGM Resorts International has signed a power purchase agreement with Escape Solar that will more than double its access to clean solar electricity. The agreement will help propel the company closer to its goal of procuring 100% renewable electricity in North America by 2030. Hotel Management
U.S.
Supported by legislation such as the IRA and acceptance by the population in general, renewables have the potential to be one of the most prolific growth markets ever experienced both domestically and worldwide, writes Mark W. Turley, who leads solar market development for Alexandria Industries and is owner of Projected Energy. Power
International
In climate world, something that once seemed almost unthinkable may now be happening. Preliminary data shows that while global carbon emissions are continuing to rise, China's emissions may already be peaking -- the longtime climate villain turning the corner on carbon before the planet as a whole does, writes climate journalist David Wallace Wells. The New York Times
U.S.
The U.S. Department of Energy announced it is teaming up with yet another energy company as part of a mission to transform portions of government-owned property once used for the nation's nuclear weapons program into prime real estate for renewable energy endeavors. The Associated Press
International
Vistra has agreed to acquire the remaining 15% stake in its subsidiary that houses its zero-carbon nuclear, energy storage and solar generation assets, as well as its retail business, for an undiscounted purchase price of $3.248 billion. Renewables Now
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International
Lebanon has been rocked by a second wave of blasts, this time linked to handheld radios, as reports have emerged that solar energy systems have exploded in several areas as well. Sky News
California
The U.S. Department of Energy will guarantee a loan from U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance for a project pairing 15 MW of solar PV with 70 MWh of long-duration energy storage on Tribal Lands in California. Energy Storage News
Utah
The Bureau of Land Management released its Western Solar Plan, which would open 31 million acres across 11 western states for solar projects. The Salt Lake Tribune
Nevada
A solar farm in the remote Nevada desert will double MGM International's capacity to use solar energy, the company announced. Las Vegas Review-Journal
Texas
Monarch Private Capital and Invenergy announced the successful closing of nearly $170 million in tax equity financing for the Samson Solar Energy Center II project, located in Lamar County, Texas. Renewable Energy Magazine
U.S.
Prices for residential solar installations are hovering around an all-time low, said marketplace platform EnergySage in its Marketplace Report. pv magazine
U.S.
California is the best state overall for solar energy, while West Virginia is the worst. This is a roundup of the best and worst states for solar energy to give you an idea of solar energy trends across the U.S. Forbes
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Ohio
After raising doubts, Cleveland-Cliffs says it's still pursuing a federal $500M award. The flip-flop points to the challenges of cleaning up the steel industry. Canary Media
International
It's already possible to produce steel in a more climate-friendly way, but neither U.S. Steel nor Nippon Steel seems ready to adapt. Grist
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U.S.
NREL's Sand-based 100-hour long-duration thermal energy storage technology has moved to demonstration phase at 10 hours. SolarPACES
California
System integrator and project developer On.Energy has acquired nine in-development battery energy storage projects, which will play into California's CAISO market. Energy Storage News
U.S.
Winners of the Beyond the Meter Energy Storage Integration Prize could receive up to $100,000 and will be expected to showcase their technology at DISTRIBUTECH in March in Dallas. Utility Dive
Virginia
EDP Renewables North America has secured a long-term capacity tolling agreement with Dominion Energy to develop an 85-MW/340MWh battery energy storage system in Virginia. Energy Storage News
U.S.
New England residents will soon have more power at their fingertips thanks to the world's largest battery with a whopping 85-megawatt output, set to be built in Maine by energy storage startup Form Energy. The Cool Down
Texas
ERCOT has cleared a further 480 MW of battery storage capacity for commercial operations during the month of August, according to the system operator's most recent generator interconnection status report. Energy Storage News
U.S.
Firebrick heat storage technology, not batteries, will be used to store energy for industrial process heat in a 100% renewable energy system, says a study out of Stanford University. pv magazine
International
Global energy storage players Fluence and Saft spoke to ESN Premium about moves to onshore production for the U.S. market. Energy Storage News
Georgia
A battery startup's plans to build a high-tech Georgia factory have been slow-moving, but its leaders maintain the promised facility is critical to the company's future -- and North America's energy security. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Arizona
SorbiForce, a Phoenix-based startup, is graduating from Plug and Play acclerateAZ following the launch of its sustainable battery module that it expects to be a "game changer" in energy storage technology. Phoenix Business Journal
Texas
The real-time optimization of energy services in Texas, scheduled for December 2025, promises to transform the electricity market. This ERCOT initiative aims to improve grid efficiency and reliability, integrating innovative storage technologies. Energynews
International
Three-quarters of the lithium-ion battery supply chain could have exposure to forced labour, contravening U.S. and EU laws and potentially leading to products being blocked from those markets, according to a report from AI supply chain risk platform Infyos. Energy Storage News
Texas
According to a new report, battery storage in Texas is likely to soon top the nation. Houston Chronicle
U.S.
Utility-scale battery energy storage systems have been growing quickly as a source of electric power in the United States in recent years, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reports. Arkansas Business
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