[USA] Dominion and stakeholders reach agreement on potential cost overruns for offshore wind project

On October 28, 2022, Dominion Energy Virginia, the office of Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares (R), Walmart, Sierra Club, and Appalachian Voices reached an agreement on how to handle potential cost overruns or overproduction for the utility’s 2.6 GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project.[1] The CVOW project, located 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach, is expected to be completed in late 2026 and cost $9.6 billion. In the Virginia State Corporation Commission’s (SCC) August 2022 Final Order approving the development of the project, regulators included a performance guarantee, which would require the utility to pay for any power it buys elsewhere if the project generates less than the expected 42% average annual capacity factor. According to Dominion, the SCC’s mandate would jeopardize the project’s viability.

If approved by the SCC, the settlement agreement would replace the performance guarantee with a cost-sharing approach for unforeseen costs that exceed the project’s budget. Under the agreement, the utility’s shareholders would pay 50% of any costs in the $10.3 billion to $11.3 billion range and would be responsible for 100% of any prudently incurred costs from $11.3 billion to $13.7 billion. There is no voluntary cost-sharing agreement for any costs that exceed $13.7 billion. Dominion would not be required to guarantee future energy production levels or factors beyond its control as outlined in the SCC’s August order. Instead, the utility would explain the factors contributing to any shortfall in expected energy production in a future SCC proceeding.

[1] https://news.dominionenergy.com/2022-10-28-Dominion-Energy-Virginia,-Office-of-Attorney-General,-Walmart,-Sierra-Club-and-Appalachian-Voices-File-Settlement-Agreement-for-Coastal-Virginia-Offshore-Wind

[Japan] Japan asks citizens to conserve electricity this winter

On November 1, 2022, Japan requested that households and companies conserve electricity within "a reasonable range" from December 1, 2022, to March 23, 2023, to alleviate a possible power crunch.[1] During the peak winter season, users will be asked to turn off unnecessary lights, wear additional layers of clothing indoors, and turn down their thermostats. In recent years, the country’s power supply has been tight, largely due to the slow restart of nuclear power plants following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has also disrupted global fuel supplies, adding further pressure. During a press conference, Trade Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said, "The power situation remains severe though we expect to be able to secure the reserve ratio of 3% during the winter.” The trade minister also noted that other measures, such as rebooting idled power plants, making effective fuel procurement, and encouraging power conservation through a point program, were also being implemented.

[1] https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/japan-asks-households-companies-conserve-electricity-during-winter-2022-11-01/

[USA] NERC publishes strategy for adding DER to the grid

On November 1, 2022, the North American Electric Reliability Corp (NERC) published a new report titled Distributed Energy Resource Strategy, which identifies approaches, concepts, and regulatory steps necessary to ensure the reliable operation of the bulk power system into the future.[1] Distributed energy resource (DER) levels are growing across North America, altering how the bulk power system is planned, designed, and operated. According to NERC, distributed solar capacity will grow by more than 30,000 MW between 2022 and 2031. While DERs have multiple benefits, they also create challenges to grid reliability, resilience, and flexibility.

The new report serves as a roadmap, identifying milestones ahead as NERC develops its approach to growing volumes of DER connected to the bulk power system (BPS). NERC’s strategy document creates a framework to help the Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) in the process of managing risk. It includes six specific steps: risk identification; risk prioritization; mitigation identification and evaluation; deployment; measurement of success; and monitoring. The core tenets of the strategy are DER modeling capabilities, studies incorporating DERs, operational impacts of DERs, and regulatory considerations related to DERs.

[1] https://www.nerc.com/news/Pages/NERC-Publishes-Distributed-Energy-Resource-Strategy-Document.aspx

[USA] PPL and Elia Group announce partnership to propose solutions to integrate offshore wind into New England grid

According to an October 24, 2022, press release, PPL Corp. and Elia Group have agreed to propose transmission solutions to efficiently integrate future offshore wind capacity into New England’s onshore grid.[1]  The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to work together to develop, build, and operate transmission assets. The partnership combines PPL’s experience in building and operating large-scale onshore transmission through its PPL Translink subsidiary with Elia Group’s track record in building and operating offshore transmission, including high-voltage direct current (HVDC) networks, through its WindGrid subsidiary. Later in October 2022, PPL and Windgrid plan to jointly respond to a September 2022 request for information (RFI) issued by five New England states[2], which seeks input on the transmission system changes and upgrades needed to integrate future renewable energy resources into their grids.

Through its subsidiaries in Belgium and Germany, Elia Group has connected 14 wind farms (3,500 MW by the end of 2022) to its onshore grid. It is also currently operating three HVDC subsea cable interconnectors. In addition, the company is developing the world’s first energy islands that will link wind farms and HVDC interconnectors to multiple European countries. Overall, the company’s transmission system has a reliability rate of 99.99%. For its part, PPL has invested more than $9 billion in transmission in the United States over the past decade.

[1] https://pplweb.mediaroom.com/2022-10-24-PPL-and-Elia-Group-subsidiaries-announce-agreement-to-develop-and-propose-innovative-transmission-solutions-to-connect-future-offshore-wind-capacity-to-onshore-grid-in-New-England

[2] Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, and New Hampshire

[USA] FERC approves MISO request to keep Ameren Missouri’s Rush Island coal plant open

On October 24, 2022, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved a system support resource (SSR) agreement for Ameren Missouri’s 1,195-MW Rush Island power plant, stating that the coal plant is necessary to maintain grid reliability.[1] The SSR agreement can be renewed annually, and the contract will be paid for by load-serving entities that benefit from keeping Rush Island open. In a separate decision, FERC said the proposed monthly payments Ameren Missouri would receive for running the plant need further review through a hearing process.[2] FERC also rejected Ameren Missouri’s request for an additional 0.5% return on equity (ROE) for cost recovery for keeping the plant open longer than expected, stating that the ROE adder only applies to transmission facilities.

The Rush Island Power plant was originally set to retire on September 1, 2022. Instead, Ameren Missouri now expects to keep it running until mid-2025 to support grid reliability. According to the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), retiring the coal plant could cause severe voltage stability problems, leading to cascading power outages. In MISO’s application for an SSR agreement, the grid operator identified four transmission upgrades that are needed to maintain voltage on the grid, with the last one expected to be online by June 2025. Potential renewable energy additions or demand-response programs wouldn’t be enough.

[1] https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/filelist?accession_number=20221024-3065&optimized=false

[2] http://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/filelist?accession_number=20221024-3066&optimized=false

[USA] EPA selects winners for nearly $1 billion in funds for electric school buses

On October 26, 2022, the Biden administration announced the Fiscal Year 2022 recipients of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Program rebate competition.[1] The EPA selected 389 school districts spanning 50 states, Washington, D.C., and several Tribes and territories. 99% of the projects selected by the EPA are school districts identified as priority areas serving low-income, rural, and, or Tribal students. The agency awarded these recipients $913 million to support the purchase of 2,463 buses, 95% of which will be electric.

In May 2022, the agency announced the availability of $500 million for its Clean School Bus Program. However, given the overwhelming demand from school districts, the EPA nearly doubled the amount of funding that will be awarded to $965 million. More applications for FY2022 are under review, and the agency plans to select more to reach the full $965 million. The awards are the first $1 billion of a five-year, $5 billion program created by Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The EPA plans to launch the next rounds of program funding in the coming months.

[1] https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-announces-nearly-1-billion-epas-clean-school-bus-program

[USA] Interior announces first offshore wind lease sale on the west coast

On October 18, 2022, the Department of the Interior announced that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will hold its first offshore wind energy lease sale on the west coast.[1] The lease sale will take place on December 6, 2022, for areas on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) off central and northern California. It will be the first U.S. sale to support potential commercial-scale floating offshore wind energy development. The press release states that the sale will be critical for achieving the Biden administration’s goal of deploying 30 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and 15 GW of floating offshore wind by 2035. To date, BOEM has held ten competitive lease sales and issued 27 active commercial wind leases in the Atlantic Ocean.

BOEM will offer five OCS lease areas, which total approximately 373,268 acres and have the potential to produce over 4.5 GW of offshore wind energy. The sale will include three lease areas off central California and two lease areas off northern California. It also includes several lease stipulations designed to promote the development of a robust domestic supply chain, advance flexibility in transmission planning, and create good-paying union jobs. Stipulations include bidding credits for bidders who enter into community benefit agreements or invest in workforce training or supply chain development, requirements for winning bidders to make efforts to enter into project labor agreements, and requirements for engagement with tribes, underserved communities, ocean users, and agencies.

[1] https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/biden-harris-administration-announces-first-ever-offshore-wind-lease-sale-pacific

[USA] NYSEDRA and National Grid announce the selection of 21 community solar projects

On October 17, 2022, the New York Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), in partnership with National Grid, announced that 21 community solar projects, totaling more than 120 MW, have been selected as the first round of the Expanded Solar For All program.[1] The program, which was approved by the state’s Public Service Commission (PSC) in January 2022, will serve nearly 175,000 income-eligible customers in National Grid’s upstate service areas once fully implemented. The announcement builds on NYSERDA’s NY-Sun program, the state’s $1.8 billion initiative to advance the scale-up of solar energy while reducing costs and making solar more accessible. According to the press release, the announcement also supports New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act) mandate that at least 35% of the benefits of clean energy investments be directed to disadvantaged communities. The installed distributed solar projects combined with projects under development go beyond the current Climate Act goal to install 6 GW of distributed solar by 2025.

NYSERDA expects to select an additional round of projects in 2023. As part of the program’s first phase, National Grid will provide up to $240 million in bill credits during the 25-year lifetime of the program. The second phase, subject to approval from the PSC, would double the total anticipated bill credits to up to $480 million over the program’s lifetime.

[1] https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/About/Newsroom/2022-Announcements/2022-10-17-NYSERDA-and-National-Grid-Announce-Round-1-Results

[USA] Georgia Power begins fuel load for Vogtle Unit 3

On October 14, 2022, Georgia Power began loading nuclear fuel into its Vogtle Unit 3 reactor core.[1] The announcement marks a major milestone toward the startup and commercial operation of the first new nuclear units to be built in the U.S. in more than 30 years. The unit is one of two—Vogtle Unit 3 and Unit 4—being built at the Vogtle plant near Waynesboro, Georgia. The start of Unit 3 fuel load comes after the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) signed off on a 103(g) finding in August 2022, certifying the unit was constructed and would operate according to Combined License and NRC regulations.

Nuclear technicians and operators are scheduled to transfer 157 fuel assemblies into the Unit 3 reactor core. Once this is completed, startup testing will begin. This will demonstrate the capabilities of the primary coolant and steam supply systems at design temperature and pressure with fuel inside the reactor. Before full operation, the plant will also be taken from cold shutdown to initial criticality. Operators will also synchronize the unit to the electric grid, and power will be gradually raised to full capacity. Unit 3 is expected to enter service in the first quarter of 2023. Southern Nuclear will operate the new unit on behalf of the co-owners: Georgia Power, Oglethorpe Power, MEAG Power, and Dalton Utilities.

[1] https://www.georgiapower.com/company/news-center/press-releases.html

[USA] NextEra and PGE open first wind-solar-battery project in the U.S.

On September 28, 2022, NextEra Energy Resources and Portland General Electric (PGE) announced that they have opened the first utility-scale energy facilities in North America to co-locate wind, solar, and battery storage.[1] Wheatridge Renewable Energy Facilities, located near Lexington, Oregon, includes 300 MW of wind, 50 MW of solar, and 30 MW of battery storage. Wheatridge is capable of powering the equivalent of 100,000 homes. According to the press release, the construction of the facilities created 300 jobs, and there are now about ten full-time employees operating the facilities. Wheatridge will play a key role in helping PGE meet Oregon’s target of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from power served to retail customers by at least 80% by 2030, 90% by 2035, and 100% by 2040.

Early development of the project’s wind farm was done by Swaggart Wind Power, LLC. NextEra Energy Resources purchased the development rights and, together with PGE, expanded the project’s scope to include solar generation and battery storage. Power from the facilities will reach PGE customers via a new transmission line constructed by Umatilla Electric Cooperative that connects the facilities with the Bonneville Power Administration’s regional high-voltage grid. PGE owns 100 MW of the wind project. A subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources owns the rest of Wheatridge and built and operates the combined facility. It will sell its output to PGE under 30- and 20-year power purchase agreements.

[1] https://newsroom.nexteraenergy.com/news-releases?item=123874

[USA] FERC approves $500K fine for ISO-NE over allegations it paid $100 million to nonoperating gas plant

According to an agreement approved on September 30, 2022, by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), ISO New England (ISO-NE) will pay a $500,000 fine to settle allegations that it violated market rules by allowing a 674 MW natural gas-fired power plant to collect money from consumers before the facility had produced any power.[1] The settlement between ISO-NE and FERC’s Office of Enforcement was approved by FERC commissioners in a 4-0 decision. The investigation, which took place over the last five years, found that ISO-NE issued over $104 million in payments to Salem Harbor Power Development LP, a subsidiary of Footprint, in 2017 and 2018 despite knowing that the company’s gas facility was not going to meet its expected commercial operating date. The Salem Harbor Generating Station was initially expected to enter commercial operation on May 31, 2017. However, it did not reach commercial operations until June 2018. The grid operator also withheld information about the facility from its independent market monitor.

In the agreement, ISO-NE agreed to the facts presented by FERC staff but “neither admits nor denies” that any violations occurred. The fine will be paid through a reduction in compensation for ISO-NE’s 10-person senior leadership team. The grid operator also agreed to invest up to $350,000 to bolster its compliance program to prevent future incidents.

[1] https://elibrary.ferc.gov/eLibrary/filelist?accession_number=20220930-3077&optimized=false

[USA] IRS releases draft notices on IRA tax incentives

On October 5, 2022, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued six notices requesting comments on different aspects of extensions and enhancements of energy tax benefits under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).[1] The announcement is the first formal step in the process of implementing the IRA. Most of the IRA’s $369 billion for energy and climate efforts are in the form of tax credits. The value of these tax credits is estimated at $270 billion. The six notices focus on the production tax credit (PTC) and investment tax credit (ITC), credit enhancements that would boost the credit value for meeting certain prevailing wage and domestic content requirements, home and building incentives, clean vehicle credits, manufacturing credits to help build clean energy supply chains, and credit monetization.

The Treasury Department also released a fact sheet that outlined the IRS’s implementation process. The department said it will convene roundtables with industry, labor unions, and climate and environmental justice advocates over the coming weeks. The Treasury stated that it would ideally like comments from the public on the new notices within 30 days.

[1] https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-asks-for-comments-on-upcoming-energy-guidance

[USA] Entergy Louisiana, Entergy New Orleans, and Diamond Offshore announce MOU on future offshore wind development in the Gulf of Mexico

Entergy Louisiana, Entergy New Orleans, and Diamond Offshore Wind announced on September 23, 2022, that they had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding the evaluation and potential development of wind power generation in the Gulf of Mexico. [1] According to the press release, the MOU could put Entergy in a position to develop a new source of clean power for customers and also the region’s economic development. The agreement provides a legal framework for Entergy and Diamond Offshore Wind to work toward the development of potential offshore wind demonstration projects located in Louisiana waters and will focus on the evaluation of grid interconnectedness to determine the ideal size and locations for future offshore wind developments. In January 2022, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards (D) submitted the Climate Action Plan, which included a goal to achieve 5 GW of offshore wind generation by 2035. The companies said the development of wind energy in the Gulf of Mexico would accelerate the state’s role as a leader in renewable energy development and fit in with the governor’s plan.

[1] https://www.entergynewsroom.com/news/entergy-louisiana-entergy-new-orleans-diamond-offshore-wind-seek-evaluate-offshore-wind/

[USA] FHWA approves EV charging network plans for all 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico

On September 27, 2022, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced that it has approved the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plans for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program.[1] The NEVI program, which was established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) in 2021, will provide $5 billion to states over five years to build EV charging stations every 50 miles along the federal highway system. With the FHWA’s approval, states now have access to all FY 2022 and FY 2023 program funding, totaling more than $1.5 billion. This will allow the buildout of EV chargers covering 75,000 miles of highway across the U.S. “We have approved plans for all 50 States, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia to help ensure that Americans in every part of the country – from the largest cities to the most rural communities—can be positioned to unlock the savings and benefits of electric vehicles,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said.

Projects that can be funded under the program include upgrades to existing and construction of new EV charging infrastructure; operation and maintenance costs of these charging stations; installation of on-site electrical service equipment; community and stakeholder engagement; workforce development activities; EV charging station signage; data sharing activities; and related mapping analysis and activities.

[1] https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/historic-step-all-fifty-states-plus-dc-and-puerto-rico-greenlit-move-ev-charging

[USA] 1.8 million customers in Florida without power after Hurricane Ian makes landfall

As of September 30, 2022, over 1.8 million customers were without power in Florida after Hurricane Ian made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of about 150 mph.[1] Florida Power and Light (FPL), the state’s largest electricity provider, said it has restored power to more than a half million customers, but as of the morning of September 30, about 1 million of its 5.8 million customers are still without power.[2] Initial assessments show that the company did not lose any transmission structures during the storm. According to a news release, FPL’s restoration workforce has nearly 21,000 workers. Other utilities, such as Duke Energy and Tampa Electric, have also begun mobilizing workers to help with the recovery efforts, with 10,000 and 3,000 workers, respectively.[3][4] According to the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), nearly 44,000 workers from at least 31 states have mobilized to assist in the recovery.[5] The storm made a second landfall in South Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane on the afternoon of September 30.

[1] http://www.psc.state.fl.us/Home/HurricaneReport

[2] http://newsroom.fpl.com/news-releases?item=126315

[3] https://news.duke-energy.com/releases/duke-energy-crews-to-begin-power-restoration-damage-assessment-as-ian-exits-florida?_gl=1*1t6estd*_ga*MTI4NDQ1NDM4OS4xNjY0NDg0MzAw*_ga_HB58MJRNTY*MTY2NDQ4NDI5OS4xLjEuMTY2NDQ4NDMwOC4wLjAuMA..&_ga=2.251099590.1552157911.1664484300-1284454389.1664484300

[4] https://www.tampaelectric.com/mediacenter/2022/Tampa-Electric-Begins-Restoring-Power-After-Hurricane-Ian-Update-No-1/

[5] https://www.eei.org/mutual-assistance/Ian

[USA] Hertz plans to order up to 175,000 EVs from GM over the next five years

On September 20, 2022, car rental company Hertz Corp. announced that it has agreed to order up to 175,000 Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, and BrightDrop electric vehicles (EVs) from General Motors Co. (GM) over the next five years.[1] According to the press release, the companies believe that the plan is the largest expansion of EVs among fleet customers as well as the broadest because it spans a wide range of vehicle categories and price points. The agreement will include EV deliveries through 2027. During this period, Hertz estimates that its customers could travel more than 8 billion miles in these EVs, saving about 3.5 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions compared to similar gasoline-powered vehicles.

The rental car company aims to create the largest EV rental fleet in North America, with thousands of EVs available at Hertz locations across 38 states. Currently, Hertz’s goal is for one-quarter of its fleet to be electric by the end of 2024. The company expects to begin taking Chevrolet Bolt EVs and Bolt EUVs in Q1 2023. GM’s deliveries are projected to increase as it rapidly scales its EV production between 2023 and 2025. The ramp up in EV production will largely be driven by the opening of Ultium Cells battery cell plants in Ohio, Tennessee, and Michigan. The company plans an annual production capacity of 1 million EVs in North America by 2025.

[1] https://newsroom.hertz.com/news-releases/news-release-details/hertz-and-gm-plan-major-ev-expansion

[USA] Senator Manchin releases permitting reform legislation

On September 21, 2022, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) released his long-awaited permitting reform legislation.[1] The permitting reform legislation follows a deal made between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and President Joe Biden and Senator Manchin, wherein the Democratic leaders agreed to include permitting reform legislation in the upcoming continuing resolution (CR) in exchange for Manchin’s support for the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022.

According to the bill summary, the legislation would require the president to designate 25 strategically important energy and mineral projects that would receive priority federal review. The bill also aims to speed up environmental reviews for major energy and natural resource projects under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Federal agencies would be required to finish environmental impact statements within two years and environmental assessments within a year. It would also require the issuance of all other permits within 180 days of finishing the NEPA process.

In addition, the legislation sets a 150-day statute of limitations for court challenges and requires courts to give agencies no more than 180 days to act on remanded or vacated permits. It also requires federal agencies to approve the Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline, which is set to run from West Virginia to southern Virginia. The bill would give the Department of Energy (DOE) secretary the ability to designate proposed transmission projects to be in the national interest and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to approve them if they meet certain conditions. It also clarifies that FERC has jurisdiction over hydrogen pipelines.

Manchin’s proposed permitting reform could be included in a continuing resolution to keep funding the federal government after this fiscal year ends on September 30, 2022. Unlike the IRA, which was passed through a budget reconciliation measure[2], the continuing resolution will need at least 60 votes to pass, meaning that bipartisan support will be necessary.

[1] https://www.energy.senate.gov/services/files/EAB527DC-FA23-4BA9-B3C6-6AB108626F02?utm_source=DCS+Congressional+E-mail&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=https%3a%2f%2fwww.energy.senate.gov%2fservices%2ffiles%2fEAB527DC-FA23-4BA9-B3C6-6AB108626F02&utm_campaign=MANCHIN+RELEASES+COMPREHENSIVE+PERMITTING+REFORM+TEXT+TO+BE+INCLUDED+IN+CONTINUING+RESOLUTION

https://www.energy.senate.gov/services/files/92E7EAA5-E7BC-48E1-8E7F-FE688AE43252?utm_source=DCS+Congressional+E-mail&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=https%3a%2f%2fwww.energy.senate.gov%2fservices%2ffiles%2f92E7EAA5-E7BC-48E1-8E7F-FE688AE43252&utm_campaign=MANCHIN+RELEASES+COMPREHENSIVE+PERMITTING+REFORM+TEXT+TO+BE+INCLUDED+IN+CONTINUING+RESOLUTION

[2] Reconciliation is a special process used to quickly advance high-priority fiscal legislation. It can only be used for things that change spending or revenue. Reconciliation only needs a simple majority (51 votes) to pass through the Senate.

[USA] Two-thirds of Puerto Rican customers still without power five days after Hurricane Fiona hit the island

As of September 22, 2022, five days after Hurricane Fiona made landfall in Puerto Rico, roughly 958,500 customers, about two-thirds of subscribers, are without electricity. [1] Hurricane Fiona, a category 1 storm, made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 18, 2022, knocking out electricity to the entire island. Parts of southern and western Puerto Rico were hit hard by the hurricane, and recovery in those parts could take months. LUMA Energy, Puerto Rico’s private grid operator, said it is too early to estimate how long it will take to restore power to the entire island.

On September 21, 2022, President Biden issued a major disaster declaration on Wednesday for Puerto Rico, making federal funds available to the island on a cost-sharing basis for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and other services.[2] The following day, President Biden announced that the federal government will go one step further and pay 100% of the costs of Puerto Rico’s recovery from Hurricane Fiona for the next month.[3]

[1][1] https://poweroutage.us/area/state/puerto%20rico

[2] https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/09/21/president-joseph-r-biden-jr-approves-puerto-rico-disaster-declaration-2/

[3] https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/22/hurricane-fiona-biden-promises-federal-funding-for-puerto-rico-aid.html

[Japan] Pattern Energy closes financing on Japan’s largest offshore wind power+storage project, begins construction

On September 9, 2022, Pattern Energy Group and its affiliate in Japan, Green Power Investment Corporation (GPI), announced it had completed financing and begun full construction of its 112 MW Ishikari Offshore Wind project. Ishikari Offshore Wind is located about 3 km from the shore of Ishikari Bay in Hokkaido, Japan, and will feature a battery storage component with 100 MW x 180 MWh of capacity. The project and associated battery storage are expected to reach commercial operation in December 2023. The project has a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Hokkaido Electric Power Network for 100% of the power output. Ishikari Offshore Wind will utilize 14 Siemens Gamesa 8.0 MW wind turbines. The turbines are designed to meet local codes and standards regarding typhoons, seismic activities, 50 Hertz operation, and operation in high and low ambient temperatures. The turbines and associated supporting structures received ClassNK certification, which confirms that they meet the technical standards required by the Japanese government to approve construction.

Including Ishikari Offshore Wind, Pattern Energy has eight renewable energy facilities in Japan, either in operation or under construction. The other facilities include three onshore wind power facilities and two solar power facilities in operation, and three wind power facilities under construction.

[USA] BP to acquire EDF Energy Services

On September 12, 2022, BP announced that it has agreed to acquire EDF Energy Services (EDF ES), a retail power and gas provider, for an undisclosed amount. Based in Houston, Texas, EDF ES is a supplier of power, natural gas, and related services to commercial and industrial customers across the U.S. EDF ES’s customers are primarily large corporations and public entities, including retailers, universities, manufacturers and producers, municipalities, and power generators. Notably, it does not supply residential customers. BP said the deal will let it increase its capacity for lower carbon energy solutions. It is also the next step in the company’s goal to become an integrated energy company. EDF will integrate with other BP businesses that support decarbonization goals, such as BP Wind Energy, BP pulse, and BP Launchpad.