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Large Energy Storage Project Would Create New Reservoir Above Isabella Lake

/in , /by /Bakersfield.comby John Cox

A $3 billion pumped-water energy storage project has been proposed along Isabella Lake that would help even out power delivery from California solar and wind farms at a volume and longevity dwarfing the large battery installations envisioned for eastern Kern.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is reviewing a Walnut engineering company’s plan to create a new reservoir above the lake then use pumps and underground pipes to turn it into a rechargeable dam and hydroelectric generator putting out a whopping 2,000 megawatts of power for up to 12 hours at a time.

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Biden Is Eyeing Renewable Energy. So Are Hackers

/in , /by /E&E Newsby Christian Vasquez

President-elect Joe Biden’s rush to renewable energy may open up a host of cybersecurity dangers if more isn’t done to secure the technology from hackers.

Fast-evolving solar and wind technologies pose new risks to power grid security, especially as smaller renewable energy companies often lack resources to fight against hackers, experts warn. And a recently discovered hacking campaign targeting federal agencies and potentially hundreds of energy companies only underscores the scale of the challenge.

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MWD Approves Battery Storage System at Skinner Treatment Plant

/in , , /by /The Valley Newsby Joe Naiman

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California approved a battery energy storage system at the Robert A. Skinner Water Treatment Plant.

The Oct. 13 MWD board vote amended MWD’s capital investment plan to include battery storage systems at three treatment plants and one pumping plant, authorized an agreement with Stantec Inc., for the design of the battery energy storage facilities and found the study portion of the project to be categorically exempt from California Environmental Quality Act review.

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UCSD Gets $39 Million Grant for Renewable Energy Testbed

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby City News Service

UC San Diego will receive a $39 million grant to build a testbed to allow universities, utilities and industry leaders to gain a better understanding of how to integrate renewable energy resources into the power grid, it was announced Monday.

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Opinion: Can We Have a Power Grid That is Both Renewable and Reliable?

/in , , /by /CalMattersby Julia Levin

With more than 4 million acres burned this year – shattering a state record – California’s wildfire season came with a wicked ferocity, along with the climate-induced crises of crippling heatwaves and forced power outages.

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To Batteries and Beyond: In a High-Renewables World, Pumped Hydro Storage Could Be “the Heavy Artillery”

/in , , /by /Utility Diveby Kavya Balaraman

Around three or four years ago, Jim Day, CEO of Daybreak Power, came across a Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) study that listed dozens of locations around the country that could be viable for pumped hydro storage projects.

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Opinion: California’s Energy System Should Be Resilient, Flexible and Affordable

/in , , /by /CalMattersby Kevin Sagara and Chris Cramer

As essential service providers, utilities are responsible for helping to ensure the health and well-being of our communities. The weight of that responsibility has gotten heavier as climate change and the pandemic take its toll on our beautiful state and the people who live here.

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Environmentalists and Dam Operators, at War for Years, Start Making Peace

/in , , /by /The New York Timesby Brad Plumer

The industry that operates America’s hydroelectric dams and several environmental groups announced an unusual agreement Tuesday to work together to get more clean energy from hydropower while reducing the environmental harm from dams, in a sign that the threat of climate change is spurring both sides to rethink their decades-long battle over a large but contentious source of renewable power.

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Solar Project Saves Energy, Costs for Vallecitos Water District

/in , , /by /Water News Network

The Vallecitos Water District is pursuing greater use of renewable resources, increasing capacity to the electrical grid, and reducing long term operational costs with an innovative solar power project.

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California’s Salton Sea Offers Chance for US Battery Supply Chain, Despite Financial, Policy Challenges

/in , , /by /Utility Diveby Kavya Balaraman

Developing a lithium industry in California’s Salton Sea, an area that experts think could supply more than a third of lithium demand in the world today, could help set up a multi-billion dollar domestic supply chain for electric vehicle batteries, according to a new report from New Energy Nexus.

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