North America News

Latest news and developments from North America region

• New Mexico regulators approve 345 kV power line

  October 14, 2020
  The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission approved the construction of a 42-mile (68-km), 345 kV transmission line project in the southeastern region of the state; as deemed necessary for reliability by the Southwest Power Pool (SPP).

• Canada considers development of Atlantic Loop transmission project [free access]

  October 14, 2020
  The Canadian federal government is considering the development of a new transmission project—Atlantic Loop—linking the power grids of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Quebec; in an effort to ease emissions from coal and oil-fired power plants in the region.

• California Energy Commission awards USD1.2 million for energy storage solution

  October 13, 2020
  The California Energy Commission (CEC) has recently awarded USD1.2 million to Indian Energy LLC—a utility-scale and microgrid development and systems integration firm—to demonstrate a non-lithium, long-duration, ion energy storage solution.

• Offshore wind to test New York’s electric grid

  October 12, 2020
  In a technical conference organised by New York’s Department of Public Service (DPS) and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) highlighted the issue of transmission congestion around the city, which could increase post interconnection of 6,000 MW of offshore wind, without coordinated planning.

• FERC approves SPP-AECI competitive project

  October 8, 2020
  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has recently approved the cost and usage agreement between the regional transmission operator (RTO) Southwest Power Pool (SPP), and Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. (AECI).

• CAISO approves three tariff revisions for storage, DERs [free access]

  October 7, 2020
  The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) Board of Governors recently approved three tariff revisions related to energy storage and distributed energy resources (DER), directing staff to file the changes with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

• ATC adopts MISO cost allocation model for transmission upgrades

  October 6, 2020
  American Transmission Company (ATC) has recently announced that it will make a transition from its own generator interconnection, cost allocation method to Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s (MISO) cost allocation model, for transmission upgrades.

• Ormat Technologies expand energy storage footprint in California

  October 6, 2020
  US-based Ormat Technologies Inc. recently announced that it has signed two Resource Adequacy Agreements, for its 5 MW/20 MWh Tierra Buena battery energy storage project currently under development in Sutter County, northern California.

• California Energy Commission funds energy storage, microgrid firms

  October 5, 2020
  The California Energy Commission (CEC) has recently selected the UK-based battery storage manufacturing company, Invinity Energy Systems (formed by the merger of flow battery providers—redT energy and Avalon Battery) for funding, as part of an initiative for long-duration, non-lithium energy storage by making use of Invinity’s vanadium flow batteries (VFBs) technology.

• Washington DC-based Stantec completes acquisition of Teshmont

  October 5, 2020
  The Washington DC-based global engineering and design firm, Stantec, recently announced the acquisition of Teshmont—a Canadian-based electrical engineering consulting company, specialising in high voltage (HV) power transmission and distribution engineering.

• NextEra Energy Transmission announces acquisition of GridLiance

  September 30, 2020
  NextEra Energy Transmission (NEET), LLC—a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Inc., has recently announced that it has entered into definitive agreements with affiliates of Blackstone Energy Partners to acquire GridLiance Holdco, LP and GridLiance GP, LLC (together, GridLiance) for approximately USD660 million, including the assumption of debt.

• Environmentalists oppose New England transmission project

  September 29, 2020
  Environmentalists in New England are opposing the proposed ±320 kV high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line between Québec and the New England grid, though they are not unanimous in voicing this opposition.

• I&M to invest USD51 million in transmission rebuild project

  September 29, 2020
  Indiana Michigan Power (I&M), a subsidiary of American Electric Power (AEP), has planned to invest USD51 million in the South Marion–North Frankton Transmission Line Rebuild Project to upgrade the power transmission network serving customers in the Grant and Madison counties in Indiana.

• FERC allows use of battery storage as demand response [free access]

  September 28, 2020
  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recently sided with the North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency (NCEMPA), allowing the joint action agency to use energy storage as a demand response, under a contract between NCEMPA and Duke Energy Progress LLC — a subsidiary of Duke Energy.

• Xcel Energy invests USD7.1 million in Carlsbad power grid

  September 28, 2020
  The investor-owned energy utility, Xcel Energy, recently announced that the company has invested about USD7.1 million in the Carlsbad-area power grid near San Diego, California in response to the ongoing growth in local power demand.

• Eversource notifies increased cost of Greater Boston Project

  September 25, 2020
  Eversource Energy apprised the New England Power Pool (NEPOOL) Committee that the cost of the Greater Boston Project is expected to increase by USD191 million (33 per cent), primarily because of the underground power lines – Wakefield–Woburn, Mystic–Woburn and Sudbury–Hudson.

• TVA to install first grid-scale BESS

  September 24, 2020
  The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) recently announced that it plans to build its first owned and operated grid-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) near an industrial complex in Vonore, Tennessee state.

• FERC issues landmark rule, opening wholesale markets to distributed energy

  September 23, 2020
  Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recently issued the draft Order 2222 that paves the way for aggregated distributed energy resources (DERs), like small-scale solar arrays and battery installations, to participate in wholesale power markets.

• US government allocates USD9.6 billion to rebuild Puerto Rico power grid

  September 22, 2020
  The US government has recently announced an aid of USD9.6 billion to rebuild Puerto Rico’s electricity grid.

• New 138 kV power line to come up from Rio Rico to Patagonia Mountains

  September 22, 2020
  UNS Electric Inc. (UNSE) is developing a plan to run a new 138 kV power line from Rio Rico (in Santa Cruz County, Arizona) to Patagonia Mountains, to provide Hermosa South32’s mine development project with sufficient power supply.