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Drought Threatens to Close California Hydropower Plant for First Time

Drought Threatens to Close California Hydropower Plant for First Time A California power plant likely will shut down for the first time ever because of low water during a prolonged drought, squeezing the state’s very tight electricity supplies, state officials said yesterday. The Edward Hyatt power plant, an underground facility next to Oroville Dam in … Continue reading Drought Threatens to Close California Hydropower Plant for First Time

‘Risky proposition.’ Can $33 billion make up for loss of Snake River dams? Tri-Cities groups leery

‘Risky proposition.’ Can $33 billion make up for loss of Snake River dams? Tri-Cities groups leery A new proposal to tear down the four Lower Snake River dams has people agreeing on one thing — the dams’ value to the Northwest region. But many of those who rely on the dams now — to produce … Continue reading ‘Risky proposition.’ Can $33 billion make up for loss of Snake River dams? Tri-Cities groups leery

#Mexico plans to alter dispatch priority to favor public hydro

Mexico plans to alter dispatch priority to favor public hydros Mexico’s government has announced a new measure aimed at favoring public utility CFE’s hydroelectric generators by arbitrarily modifying their dispatch priority. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) will issue a decree changing the normal dispatch priority, currently based on economic principles. Grid coordinator Cenace will … Continue reading #Mexico plans to alter dispatch priority to favor public hydro

#Michigan utilities upgrade pumped storage plant ahead of renewable push

Michigan utilities upgrade pumped storage plant ahead of renewable push he Ludington Pumped Storage Plant along Lake Michigan could play a bigger role on the grid as utilities use more variable renewables. Concealed under a grassy slope, water pours through a set of massive chutes, pummeling a bank of underground turbines before spilling into Lake … Continue reading #Michigan utilities upgrade pumped storage plant ahead of renewable push

Who needs batteries: pumped storage ‘lake battery’ planned for #Baja_California

Who needs batteries: pumped storage ‘lake battery’ planned for Baja California With solar and pumped storage, Mexico could become energy self-sufficient We were on our way to Huilotán, a jungly ecopark located deep in a canyon just north of Guadalajara. How the subject of lithium batteries came up, I don’t know, but we were discussing … Continue reading Who needs batteries: pumped storage ‘lake battery’ planned for #Baja_California

Combining Wind Power & Water in a Unique Facility for Energy Production & Storage

Combining Wind Power & Water in a Unique Facility for Energy Production & Storage In the small German town of Gaildorf, big things are happening. The first water battery project has had its pilot in this picturesque old town near Stuttgart, using only natural sources of energy for both production and storage purposes. This pilot … Continue reading Combining Wind Power & Water in a Unique Facility for Energy Production & Storage

Energy storage and renewables beyond wind, hydro, solar make up 4% of U.S. power capacity

Energy storage and renewables beyond wind, hydro, solar make up 4% of U.S. power capacity Beyond the main sources of electricity generation capacity in the United States that have recently been discussed in a series of Today in Energy articles, additional amounts of utility-scale capacity are provided by technologies such as hydroelectric pumped storage, batteries, … Continue reading Energy storage and renewables beyond wind, hydro, solar make up 4% of U.S. power capacity

U.S. wind generating capacity surpasses hydro capacity at the end of 2016

U.S. wind generating capacity surpasses hydro capacity at the end of 2016 Installed wind electric generating capacity in the United States surpassed conventional hydroelectric generating capacity, long the nation’s largest source of renewable electricity, after 8,727 megawatts (MW) of new wind capacity came online in 2016. However, given the hydro fleet’s higher average capacity factors … Continue reading U.S. wind generating capacity surpasses hydro capacity at the end of 2016