The future of energy infrastructure

Benjamin Falber
Transmission lines keep much the same challenge and promise of the interstate highway system a century ago. The transmission system - the high voltage, long distance power lines that carry electricity from power-facilities and in communities - currently a patchwork system, lack central organization or planning. Under the assumption that not 100% clean energy reach America with distributed resources, transportation of renewable electrical energy across borders is to realize a big hurdle for a future without fossil fuels.

Transmission line siting is domination of the State. In General, the Federal Government regulates the amount of electricity that travels in the transmission and sale of electricity. Choice of location is a matter of local land use controls, and State sovereignty. Each transmission line that crosses a State line must lay in the years long and beautiful process of each individual State.

America has massive potential for renewable energy. The Great Plains the wind was referred to the Saudi Arabia. This photo has circulated was the Internet shows how little solar we would need, makes to the world. Wyoming has nowhere to sell wind energy.

How are the transmission lines built to move this energy from geographically remote locations to urban areas throughout the country? Why would any State victims to its sovereignty and carry the ecological, social, political and economic burden cover in line transmission systems, to serve from Government end users? It is a problem more complicated than those requiring more renewable energy. It requires the Federal Government, or perhaps regional Interstate is compressed federalist, land use, economic and political values regarding the environment.

First alert transmission lines of the country after a series of power cuts in the early 2000s. Addressing these reliability issues and the underlying problem of transmission line bottlenecks, the energy policy Act of 2005 under the direction of the DOE national interest electric transmission corridors ("NIETCs") establish and gave FERC some additional authority over transmission line siting within NIETCs. Here is a complete list of these regulations and the resulting legal dispute [PDF (s. 8)]. Basically eight years later, the NIETCs are not yet available and FERCs legend authority limited to knowing how a jump if a State Act a NIETC permit does not within one year of the decision on a transfer, the choice of location.

The PDF file above quoted is focused on FERCs authority and not quite what keeps the best solution may be for the transmission line issue: regional Interstate compacts. Authorized by the energy by 2005, States of three can Policy Act or more regional compacts creating legend authority somewhere acts signed as a layer of Government between the Federal Republic and the State. It offers to preserve a way of State sovereignty, and offer the ease of managing a single Forum multi state line to allow for transfer. Rules would be created for the application procedure and federal courts would judicial review for right of appeal. Importantly, could the Member States work together, use regional look at. Kansas takes the lead with House Bill 2101, which authorizes a regional compact and Senate Committee on utilities 1 now in that State after passing the House-118.

Interstate compacts can benefit the goals of the FERC order 1000 [PDF], that planning should incorporate renewable energy targets in transmission. Moreover, these Minis could push RPS State programs, in particular, that require State generation (which is unconstitutional in any case), to reconsider the amount of energy, which could be delivered and where it comes from. You can also be more tasty, if lines were underground natural gas pipelines or offshore.

Utility-scale renewable energy facilities to find a way and there are several forces promotes. The 7th Circuit upheld only MISO's plan, finance transmission lines that will carry the wind energy supply from remote areas of the Great Plains to the demand of the urban areas in the entire service area. MISO's plan is essentially all utilities, the cost of "Multi Value Projects" instead of the traditional method of transmission cost allocation for geographically on the next utilities, (transmission lines built, provide renewable energy for other purposes), require proportionally to share more put a strain on urban areas.

The idea of wedge exists yet; There are still many free energy solutions. I as a co-author short article about the viability of Microgrids for climate resilient communities and interconnection rules for small renewable generation. It was an exciting time to track the evolution of spectrum regulation and storage. These solutions and to develop more wrestling with several value systems, is the best solution. As far as transmission lines, go under current federal laws, the regional interstate compacts seem promising.

The information and opinions in this blog are solely those of the author and not necessarily the RenewableEnergyWorld.com and company, the advertising on this Web site and other publications. This blog has been posted directly by the author and has not been reviewed for accuracy, spelling or grammar.

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Obama seven fast tracks renewable energy infrastructure projects

These infrastructure projects would produce almost 5,000 MW of clean energy. As part of an executive order, issued in March 2012 the Office of management and budget pays with a government-wide effort to make, in the approval and review process for infrastructure projects of more efficient and more effective, time saving during the journey better for the environment and the local communities. Additional accelerated infrastructure projects will be announced in the coming weeks.

Thanks to a coordinated and focused review process in the last three years, the Department of the Interior, more utility-scale renewable energy projects on public land as combined in the past two decades - approved a total of 31 new projects.

Mohave wind energy (BP wind)

State: Arizona

Co-ordinating authority: Department of the Interior, Bureau of land management, Bureau of reclamation

Enable target date for the conclusion of the Federal Republic and to review decisions: January 2013

The proposed Mohave County wind farm is a wind-powered electrical generation, managed by the Bureau of reclamation in Mohave County, Arizona would managed to about 38.099 hectares of public land by the Bureau of land management and 8,960 acres of land. If adopted, it would produce up to 425 MW wind energy and help the state its objectives for renewable energies meet Arizona.

Quartzsite, Arizona solar energy (solar reserve)

Coordinating agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of land management

Enable target date for the conclusion of the Federal Republic and review of decisions: December 2012

The proposed concentrating solar power plant would land by the Bureau of land management is managed on 1.675 hectares. There is an estimated 100 MW of clean energy - enough, makes about 30,000 apartments - and help in the State of Arizona hit his targets for renewable energy.

Desert harvest solar energy (EnXco)

Coordinating agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of land management

Enable target date for the conclusion of the Federal Republic and review of decisions: December 2012

The proposed project desert harvest would use solar power on about 1,200 acres in Riverside County, California photovoltaic technology. The project would produce an estimated 150 MW solar energy, enough, makes about 45,000 apartments.

Coordinating agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of land management

Enable target date for the conclusion of the Federal Republic and to review decisions: December 2012

This proposed solar photovoltaic system would be 4,893 acres in Riverside County, California. There is an estimated 750 MW solar power – enough clean energy to 225,000 homes makes - with the help its targets for renewable energy in the State of California to achieve.

Moapa solar energy Center (RES Americas)

State: Nevada

Coordinating agency: Department of the Interior, Office of Indian Affairs

Enable target date for the conclusion of the Federal Republic and to review decisions: December 2013

This solar project is in collaboration with the Moapa band of Paiute Indians on a 2,000-acre site of the Moapa River Indian reservation, land managed by the Bureau of land management in Clark County, Nevada developed. If approved, the deal with 200 MW project would 100 MW photovoltaic technology and 100 MW concentrated solar power technology. Once has constructed, the proposed project would be the first large-scale solar projects on tribal lands in the United States one

Silver State South (first solar)
Coordinating agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of land management

Enable target date for the conclusion of the Federal Republic and to review decisions: March 2013

The silver of South solar energy project is a solar power generation plans public lands on proposed 13,043 hectares. If approved, it is an estimated 350 MW of clean energy with photovoltaic technology - enough, makes approximately 105,000 apartments - and help of Nevada meet its renewable energy targets. Construction for the 50 MW Silver State North project is complete, so that it will deliver the first solar project on public land of electricity to the grid.

Chokecherry/Sierra Madre wind energy (power company of Wyoming)

State: Wyoming

Coordinating agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of land management

Enable target date for the conclusion of the Federal Republic and to review decisions: October 2014

The proposed project is Chokecherry and County, Wyoming Sierra Madre is about 230,000 hectares in carbon, produce could be up to 3,000 MW wind power – enough to more than 1 million homes makes. The Chokecherry and Sierra Madre wind farm project is the largest proposed wind farm in North America. The project, as it is currently configured, Habitat as "Sage Grouse core areas." avoids critical Sage Grouse Chokecherry is a multi-tiered decision-making process, of a land use plan in October 2012 decision, followed by reviewing a series of right of way applications expected by 2014.

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White House accelerates the seven most important renewable energy infrastructure projects

Obama management announced on August 7 that seven major solar and wind energy projects in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Wyoming are to be speeded up. These infrastructure projects would nearly 5,000 megawatts (MW) electricity produced, enough to makes about 1.5 million apartments generate;

As a part of a presidential executive order this year issued, that pays to make a government-wide effort in the approval and review process for infrastructure projects more efficient and more effective, with the Office of management and budget. BP wind projects include proposed Mohave County wind farm, McCoy solar energy project, a solar photovoltaic array is located on approximately 47,000 acres of public land in Arizona with a capacity of up to 425 MW of electricity and the NextEra proposed would California be 4,893 acres in Riverside County, settled and would produce an estimated 750 MW solar energy. See the White House press release.

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Energy Department Investments to Advance Hydrogen Infrastructure

The Energy Department on July 18 announced a $2.4 million investment to collect and analyze performance data for hydrogen fueling stations and advanced refueling components. The five projects—located in California, Connecticut, and Illinois—will track the performance and technical progress of innovative refueling systems at planned or existing hydrogen fueling stations in order to find ways to lower costs and improve operation. These investments are part of the department's commitment to support U.S. leadership in advanced hydrogen and fuel cell research and to help related industries bring hydrogen technologies into the marketplace at lower cost.

As part of a two-year initiative, the Energy Department will make $2.4 million available in fiscal year 2012, with a 50% cost share provided by the award winners. The projects selected for negotiation of award include: California Air Resources Board, which will analyze an operating hydrogen refueling station that uses natural gas to produce hydrogen; California State University and Los Angeles Auxiliary Services, Inc., which will collect data from hydrogen refueling architecture deployed at California State University - Los Angeles; Gas Technology Institute in Des Plaines, Illinois, which will analyze data from five hydrogen fueling stations; and Proton Energy Systems in Wallingford, Connecticut, which will conduct two projects providing operational data from two existing stations that integrate hydrogen generation, compression, storage, and dispensing, as well as deploying an advanced high-pressure electrolyzer at an existing hydrogen fueling station.

These new projects will collect data and monitor the performance of hydrogen fuel stations, advanced components, and other innovative hydrogen technologies using renewable energy or natural gas. By analyzing performance in real-world environments, these projects will help hydrogen fueling equipment manufacturers improve the designs of existing systems. The aim is to achieve higher efficiencies and test new system components. This data will help focus future research and development efforts, driving American manufacturing competitiveness in the next generation of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.

In addition, the Energy Department recently released the final report from its National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) about a technology validation project that collected data from more than 180 fuel cell electric vehicles (EVs). Over six years, these vehicles made more than 500,000 trips and traveled 3.6 million miles, completing more than 33,000 fill-ups at hydrogen fueling stations across the country. The project found that these vehicles achieved more than twice the efficiency of today's gasoline vehicles with refueling times of five minutes for four kilograms of hydrogen. See the DOE Progress Alert and the NREL final report on 180 fuel cell EVs.

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