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North Carolina Releases Study On Energy Storage

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Thanks to an aggressive utility (Duke Energy) and favorable laws, North Carolina has shot up the list of solar states in terms of overall capacity, at least according to the Solar Energy Industries Association’s calculations. Other states have taken notice and are starting to emulate some of North Carolina’s policies in an effort to catch up.

Well now, the Tar Heel state is trying to lead again, this time on the subject of energy storage. And to that end, a group of experts just released a report for the state’s General Assembly to use as it tries to regulate this new energy-related market segment. To wit:

A team of experts from NC State University and N.C. Central University has released a report detailing energy storage options that the North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA) can use to inform energy policy. The report has short- and long-term implications for both power grid and renewable energy development in North Carolina.

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According to a press release from North Carolina State University, the report had been mandated by House Bill 589, which called for a report that would discuss how energy storage technologies would benefit the state as it moved into a more distributed energy future. The legislature demanded the study take into account factors ranging from immediate feasibility to potential job creation.

At the end of the process, the team of 12 experts received input from a variety of stakeholders and recommended a menu of policy choices that fall into one of three categories: prepare, facilitate or accelerate energy storage adoption within the state. As one expert said in the release:

“Options within these three categories are not necessarily mutually exclusive,” says Christopher Galik, a member of the team and associate professor at NC State. “In fact, they could complement each other. Much would depend on the particular set of policies chosen, not to mention the details of how policies are designed and implemented.”

What’s critical about this study is that it is one of the first outside of California to deal with energy storage head-on, and creates a framework for policymakers before the technology becomes widespread. An orderly deployment of energy storage should follow this report and lead to North Carolina being on the cutting edge of energy storage policymaking as the state moves forward in its own renewable revolution.

More:

Experts Lay Out Options For Future of Energy Storage in North Carolina

Rutgers Will Research New Jersey Energy Storage Path

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

With just six days left until SolarWakeup Live! New Jersey, the topics are set – but attendees might be forgiven if they have a few off-topic questions that they might decide need to be addressed.

Take, for example, the announcement by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities that Rutgers University will be studying the state’s energy-storage needs as the regulatory board prepares to shepherd through Governor Phil Murphy’s aggressive plans to have 2 GW of energy storage by 2030.

The contract with Rutgers, announced yesterday and covered by the Press of Atlantic City, will last six months and cost $300,000.

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“The ability to store energy is critical for our future,” NJBPU President Joseph L. Fiordaliso told The Press. “Energy storage systems will provide emergency back-up power for essential services, offsetting peak loads, and stabilizing the electric distribution system, which ultimately will benefit the ratepayer.”

Under the contract, Rutgers will study whether renewable energy storage will promote EV use in the state and what effect it will have on renewable energy production in the state, as well as doing a full cost/benefit analysis of the expansion of storage options.

Governor Murphy made expanding renewable energy in the state – and solar in particular – a centerpiece of his campaign. Earlier this year, he signed two bills into law that, combined, established the state’s community solar program (later bolstered with provisions to encourage the development of community solar in low-income neighborhoods), reformed the state’s important (but flawed) solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC) program and established a new renewable portfolio standard of 50% by 2030.

Murphy succeeded former Governor Chris Christie, who had vetoed the RPS expansion on his way out the door and had created a difficult market for the solar industry under his leadership. During his tenure, the state dropped from being the No. 2 solar state in the country to much lower in the Top 10. Murphy hopes to return New Jersey to its place of prominence within the solar community.

While New Jersey has fallen, other New England states like New York and Massachusetts have grabbed the majority of the headlines – but with its strong renewable energy and storage provisions, New Jersey

More:

N.J. regulator contracts with Rutgers for energy storage analysis

In Other ‘Water Is Wet’ News, Stronger RPS’s Encourage Investment In Renewable Energy, Study Says

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

There are days when you read about academic studies and wonder out loud, “Did we really have to study THAT?”

As I read the excellent story on KSL’s (NBC, Channel 5, Salt Lake City) website about a study concerning renewable portfolio standards (RPS), I had just that sort of revelation.

It seems that our intrepid researchers have discovered that states with stricter RPS’s encourage great investment in renewable energy. In other news, water is still wet and the Pope is still Catholic.

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I’m not diminishing the work by KSL reporter Amy Joi O’Donoghue, who does an excellent job of discussing the issues surrounding RPS’s and then bringing it back to the Utah RPS (which most solar advocates think is mighty weak), but I did scratch my head at the work of the researchers because, for reals, this outcome was as obvious as they come. The weird thing is, the researchers themselves seemed surprised by their findings. Take Lincoln Davies, a law professor at the University of Utah who participated in the research:

Strong laws work really well and weak laws don’t. The more aggressive the law, the more effective they are, which means they will also push down price over time.

I’m not arguing with Davies, of course. It makes total sense that stronger laws would encourage stronger compliance, which in turn would lead to greater investment. But I just keep coming back to the question of whether this really was a question that needed to be studied in the first place.

O’Donoghue notes:

About 30 states around the country have some sort of renewable energy standard on the books.

Hawaii has the strictest standard at 100 percent, with Vermont at 75 percent. California has a standard of 50 percent.

So let’s recap: States with strict RPS’s have utilities that invest in renewable energy. States that have weak or loophole-riddled RPS’s do not.

Well, at least that’s clear now.

More:

Study: Aggressive renewable energy standards spur solar, wind investments

Iron Mountain Joins RE100 and Commits to Setting Science Based Targets for Carbon Reductions

Iron Mountain® Incorporated (NYSE: IRM), the global leader in storage and information management services, today announced two important environmental commitments that significantly advance the company’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and increase its usage of renewable energy around the world.

Firstly, Iron Mountain is joining the RE100 initiative, a collaborative, global platform developed by The Climate Group, an independent, not-for-profit organization working internationally with government and business leaders to advance smart policies and technologies to cut global emissions and accelerate a low carbon economy. Iron Mountain joins more than 130 multinational corporations in committing to a shift to using renewable energy sources for 100 percent of its worldwide electricity. In doing so, Iron Mountain pledges to follow a rigorous standard for green power purchasing and achieving aggressive interim milestones on the way to a complete conversion by 2050.

Secondly, Iron Mountain announced its commitment to set an aggressive science-based target for carbon reduction by the end of 2019. In doing so, the company will work with the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), which helps companies determine how much they must cut emissions to do their part to address climate change, to calculate and approve a reduction in carbon from current levels. This promise puts the company on a trajectory for decarbonizing its operations in line with the global goals of the Paris Climate Accord.

“We applaud Iron Mountain for taking these important steps to address climate change,” said Mindy Lubber, CEO and president of Ceres, a sustainability nonprofit organization working with the most influential investors and companies to build leadership and drive solutions throughout the economy. “By committing to 100 percent renewable electricity and setting an ambitious science-based carbon-reduction target, Iron Mountain is joining a growing number of major companies that understand the huge economic benefits and clear competitive advantage of climate action.”

In Iron Mountain’s recently released 2017 Corporate Responsibility Report, the company reports achieving an absolute reduction of 6.6 percent in year-over-year carbon emissions – even during a period of continued business growth and service expansion. Iron Mountain is also a member of several collaborative efforts to advance the use of renewable energy including the renewable energy buyer’s alliance (REBA) a collaboration of World Wildlife Fund, World Resource Initiative, Rocky Mountain Institute and Business for Social Responsibility. The company is a signatory to the Renewable Energy Buyers Principals, a member of the EPA Green Power Partnership and recipient of the 2017 Green Power Leadership Award.

“We’re proud to be among the earliest adopters of renewable energy,” said William Meaney, president and chief executive officer of Iron Mountain. “Understanding the impact of our energy usage has led to the adoption of energy and greenhouse gas reduction strategies that are helping the company save money, reduce environmental impacts and better serve our customers. In making these commitments today, we are setting aggressive public goals with the endorsement of well-respected non-profit organizations, accelerating our efforts to foster strong economic growth while operating as a responsible, ethical and sustainable company.”