California – Page 2 – Global Power Law & Policy

California To Reduce Power Demand Through New Demand Response Program

Oct 21 2014

In late August 2014, the California Assembly and Senate unanimously voted in favor of Senate Bill 1414 (“SB 1414”), which was introduced by Senator Lois Wolk and co-authored by Assembly Members, Kevin Mullin and Das Williams[1]. On September 29, 2014, California Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 1414 into law. SB 1414 requires utilities to adjust their resource adequacy[2] plans and utilize cost-effective demand response (“DR”) programs to change their demand for electricity during key times. In exchange for adjusting their electricity consumption, participating DR customers will receive incentives for providing a clean resource to the grid. The reduced demand for electricity will require less generation, which in turn will reduce the need for new power plants and help integrate renewable sources of energy. Read More

Phase I of CA 2030 Low Carbon Grid Study Completed: 50% GHG Reduction Feasible; Energy Storage to Play a Key Role

Sep 04 2014

Last week, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) began releasing the results of Phase I of the California 2030 Low-Carbon Grid Study, which is designed to show how the electric sector can most cost-effectively support California’s ambitious GHG emissions goals. The study is generally referred to as the “Low Carbon Grid Study” or “LCGS” by NREL and the approximately 30 companies, foundations and trade associations that participated in the study. Read More

SCPPA Amends “Rolling RFP” to Encourage Energy Storage Submissions by April 1

Mar 19 2014

The Southern California Public Power Authority (“SCPPA”) recently amended its “rolling RFP” for renewable energy and energy storage projects–the original RFP was described on this Blog in an earlier post).

California’s AB 2514 requires publicly-owned utilities to submit to the California Energy Commission by October 1, 2014 appropriate targets for the procurement of cost-effective energy storage. As a result, SCPPA’s members are now actively seeking proposals for energy storage system development. Because SCPPA expects to conduct its first in-depth analysis and review of energy storage-related proposals during April 2014, it “strongly encourages” energy storage respondents to submit proposals on or before April 1, 2014. The RFP amendment adds that energy storage-related proposals will be accepted after April 1, 2014 and throughout the term of the RFP (through December 31, 2014), but states that SCPPA’s current request is intended to encourage proposals that may be immediately evaluated for their near term cost-effectiveness and viability for SCPPA’s members.

SCPPA’s RFP, as amended, can be found here.

Important Upcoming Energy Storage Events on the US West Coast

Mar 12 2014

There’s a busy week ahead for those who are involved in energy storage on the US West Coast.

In California, the three investor owned utilities (Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric) have now applied to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for review and approval of their energy storage procurement plans. The plans explain how each IOU intends to procure by 2020 its share of the 1,325 MW energy storage target set by the CPUC in D. 13-10-040. The CPUC will be holding a workshop to provide information on the applications from 10am to 4pm on Friday, March 14, 2014, at the CPUC’s auditorium at 505 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco. There is also a call in number for the workshop: 866-830-4003, Participant passcode: 9869619.

A little to the north of California, energy storage is becoming a focus of attention in Oregon. Renewables Northwest will be holding its Second Energy Storage Meeting in K&L Gates’ Portland Office, 1 SW Columbia St, 19th Floor, from 10am to Noon on Thursday, March 13. The meeting will help interested parties prepare for an energy storage workshop organized by the Oregon Department of Energy and the Oregon Public Utility Commission, which will be held from 8am to 4:30pm on Wednesday, March 19 at the White Stag Building, 70 NW Couch St, Portland, OR 97209. You can register for the workshop here.

Still further north, K&L Gates will be sponsoring a Washington Clean Technology Alliance meeting on Progress and Promise in U.S. Grid Energy Storage, Including Washington State, featuring special presentations by Dr. Imre Gyuk, U.S. Department of Energy, and Richard Locke, Washington State Department of Commerce. This event will be held on March 20, 2014 from 4:00 to 6:30 pm at K&L Gates’ offices in Seattle, 925 4th Ave, Suite 2900. Advanced tickets are required, and they’ll be on sale through March 16. You can obtain tickets for the event here.

K&L Gates attorneys will be attending each of these events, and we look forward to seeing you there!

California Independent System Operator Corporation (CAISO) Proposes Transmission Tariff Changes

Feb 24 2014

On January 30, 2014, the California Independent System Operator Corporation (“CAISO”) submitted proposed tariff changes to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) in Docket No. ER14-1206-000 to implement policy and process enhancements to the project sponsor competitive selection process that takes place during the third stage of CAISO’s transmission planning process. The proposed tariff changes were developed by CAISO over the past several months as part of its Competitive Transmission Improvements stakeholder initiative, which began in September 2013. The proposed tariff changes address five issues:

K&L Gates is Gold Sponsor of Annual Storage Week in Santa Clara

Feb 03 2014

K&L Gates will be a Gold Sponsor at Infocast’s 7th Annual Energy Storage Week in Santa Clara from February 11-13. This event will address the projected rapid rise in energy storage project development over the next 3-5 years. Early movers in this market are poised to capture larger than average advantages. Policy makers and senior executives at the forefront of energy storage deployment will be attending the summit to share up to date information on the policies, procedures and industry best practices into business plans and to gain access to key players and decision makers across the entire supply and utilization chains of storage services to further storage projects. K&L Gates attorneys Bill Holmes, Paul Lacourciere, Dirk Michels, Charlie Schwenck and Andrew Young will be attending Infocast’s Energy Storage Week. We look forward to seeing you there!

Tag:California