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Recently in Public Power Current
To find earlier stories in Public Power Current, browse by popular topics or contact us at News@PublicPower.org.
Grid Modernization
Liberty New Hampshire is using residential storage systems to create a virtual power plant. The utility has installed and owns 2,600 kilowatt hours of lithium-ion battery storage at 100 homes in its New Hampshire territory and in order to have the batteries serve as a virtual power plant, Liberty-New Hampshire contracted with Caterpillar Inc.’s Distributed Energy Resource Management team.
Generation
The U.S. Department of Energy announced the offer of a conditional commitment of up to $1.52 billion for a loan guarantee to Holtec Palisades to finance the restoration and resumption of service of an 800-megawatt electric nuclear generating station in Covert Township, Michigan. The project aims to bring back online the Palisades Nuclear Plant, which ceased operations in May 2022, and upgrade it to produce baseload power until at least 2051.
Energy Efficiency
The Middleborough Gas & Electric Department recently held a heat pump forum with the Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant. MGED and TMLP are Massachusetts public power utilities.
Electricity Markets
A bill that calls for a public utility study tied to the possible replacement of investor-owned Rochester Gas & Electric has been re-introduced in the Monroe County, N.Y., Legislature.
Community Engagement
ElectriCities of North Carolina, Inc., Arizona public power utility Salt River Project, South Carolina’s Santee Cooper and the Tennessee Valley Authority have been recognized as top utilities by Business Facilities, a leading economic development and site selection magazine.
Environment
Tenaska on March 22 officially announced the Longleaf CCS Hub, a carbon capture and storage project planned for Mobile County, Ala.
Community Engagement
Rick Dunn, General Manager of Washington State’s Benton PUD, has started publishing an energy newsletter through Substack. The newsletter offers another way in which the public power utility can engage in community education and outreach.
Transmission
Hitachi Energy and Grid United, an independent electrical transmission company, recently announced a collaboration to deliver high-voltage direct current technology for Grid United transmission projects that will interconnect the eastern and western regional power grids in the U.S.