Dear Readers!
Here's our Power Generation & Supply Roundup for the month of July, 2020. Enjoy, and don't forget to share your feedback with us on how we can continue to improve!
Industry Drivers and Alerts
Driver: Hope For Homes Act of 2020
Status: Proposed
Organization: U.S. Senate
Summary: On June 24, 2020, a bill, Hope for Homes Act, was introduced to the Senate. The bill allows homeowners to invest in energy efficiency improvements, authorizes $500 million in grants for home energy efficiency training, and incentivizes employees and contracting firms' rehiring and practice. The Hope for Homes Act of 2020 will provide $1,000 for every employee rehired, up to $10,000 total, and provide a $1,000 stipend to contractors who complete the HOPE Training and are prepared to improve their careers and help homeowners with home retrofits.
Click here and here for additional information.
Driver: NASEO’s Enhancing Energy Sector Cybersecurity: Pathways for State and Territory Energy Offices
Status: Effective
Organization: National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO)
Summary: On June 5, 2020, the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) published a cybersecurity report that summarizes energy sector cybersecurity roles and responsibilities. It also identifies actions that State Energy Offices can take to improve internal cybersecurity and support energy sector cybersecurity within their states. The report implements fundamental knowledge to allow State Energy Offices to develop and implement cybersecurity programs and policies in cooperation with federal and industry partners.
Click here for additional information.
Driver: The Growing Renewable Energy and Efficiency Now (GREEN) Act
Status: Proposed
Organization: U.S. House
On June 25, 2020, the GREEN Act was introduced, which promotes using tax code to expand the deployment of renewable energy by increasing the federal tax incentives. These incentives can be used to promote clean energy technologies and support the broad implementation of zero-emissions vehicles. The bill was passed as a part of the Moving Forward Act on July 1, 2020.
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Driver: Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) Bailly Generating Station - Chesterton, Indiana
Status: Proposed
Organization: Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO)
Summary: In July 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) completed a Statement of Basis document to clean up the remaining area of The Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) Bailly Generating Station (Bailly) Facility in Chesterton. Since that Final Decision, the Bailly Facility has closed and no longer uses that infrastructure to burn coal or generate electricity. Two-thirds of the site had already been cleaned under a July 2012 Final Decision document. The EPA is now proposing the remedy for the remaining part of the site and provides details on the investigation in its Statement of Basis document. NIPSCO Bailly is a 350-acre former coal-fired power plant located along the southern shoreline of Lake Michigan. The remaining area includes NIPSCO's historic coal ash disposal areas, which have impacted a portion of the nearby Indiana Dunes National Park. The ash is buried under the soil and to a depth of around 25 feet. Coal ash contains various metals, and the most concerning contaminant in the park is a metal called boron, which groundwater carries into the park. EPA is inviting the public to comment on the proposed cleanup plan from July 6 to August 19, 2020, before midnight.
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Driver: Notice of Inquiry in the Matter of the Investigation Into The Regulatory Framework of Microgrids in The District Of Columbia
Status: Proposed
Organization: Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia
Summary: On July 17, 2020, the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia issued a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) to review the regulatory framework of microgrids. The Microgrid Working Group (MWG) was tasked to review microgrids, look into microgrid development, benefits and costs of microgrids, and provide recommendations addressing microgrid ownership, operation, standards, and regulations. Submitting comments on the questions outlined in the NOI is due by August 31, 2020.
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Driver: DOE Invests $118 Million in 21st Century Technologies for Carbon-Neutral Electricity and Hydrogen Produced from Coal
Status: Proposed
Organization: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
Summary: On July 17, 2020, the Department of Energy (DOE) revealed $118 million in federal funding to support the Coal FIRST (Flexible, Innovative, Resilient, Small, Transformative) Initiative. The DOE is awarding $37 million to seven projects and issuing a new funding opportunity announcement (FOA) for $81 million. Coal FIRST power plants will change coal, biomass, and waste plastics to generate clean and affordable carbon-neutral electricity and hydrogen. Additionally, power plants will include carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies and generate carbon-neutral electricity or hydrogen.
Click here for additional information.
Alert: California’s Sunrun Announces Definitive Agreement to Acquire Vivint Solar for an Enterprise Value of $3.2 billion
Type: Transaction
Status: Proposed
Organization: Sunrun
Data source: https://tinyurl.com/ybhzvlfv
Summary: On July 6, 2020, Sunrun and Vivint Solar declared their arrangement under which Sunrun will get Vivint Solar in an all-stock transaction. Each share of Vivint Solar common stock will be exchanged for 0.55 shares of Sunrun common stock, representing a combined Enterprise Value of $9.2 billion. Vivint Solar stockholders are expected to own roughly 36%, and Sunrun stockholders are expected to hold around 64% of the combined company's fully diluted shares. The exchange ratio implies a 10% premium for Vivint Solar shares based on closing prices on July 6, 2020, and a 15% premium to the exchange ratio implied by the three-month volume-weighted average price of Vivint Son shares.
Alert: Sam Switch-To-Hubbard Wind 345-Kv Transmission Line
Type: Transmission line
Status: Proposed
Organization: Lone Star Transmission, LLC
Scale: 345 kV
Data source: https://tinyurl.com/ydbvdrnq & https://tinyurl.com/y7ouwtwm
Summary:On July 8, 2020, Lone Star Transmission, LLC filed a request with the Public Utility Commission of Texas to assign a docket number for a transmission line certificate of convenience and necessity case. The Sam Switch to Hubbard Wind Transmission Line Project is an about 15.4-mile-long, 345 kilovolts (kV) transmission line in Hill County, Texas. The new transmission line will unite renewable energy generated at the 300 megawatts Hubbard Wind Energy Center to the Texas electric grid via Lone Star’s 345 kV Sam Switch Station, making power accessible to consumers around the state.
Alert: Mt. Olive Creek Solar, LLC's 60 MW Merchant Electric Solar Generating Facility
Type: Solar project
Status: Proposed
Organization: Mt. Olive Creek Solar, LLC
Scale: 60 MW
Data source: https://tinyurl.com/yymsuuje
Summary:On July 10, 2020, Public Service Commission of Kentucky received Mt. Olive Creek Solar, LLC notice of intent to file an application for construction certificate from Siting Board to construct an around 60 Megawatt Merchant Electric Solar Generating Facility in Russell County. Mt. Olive Creek Solar requested assigning a case number to the intended application and that its authorized representatives have registered with the Public Service Commission and are authorized to make electronic filings with the Public Service Commission.
Alert: New Market Solar I and New Market Solar II Project (100MW solar powered electric generating facility in Highland County, Ohio)
Type: Solar project
Status: Proposed
Organization: Hecate Energy Highland 4, LLC
Scale: 100MW
Data source: https://tinyurl.com/y4k44n9g
Summary: On July 16, 2020, Hecate Energy Highland 4, LLC filed with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Docketing Information System an application for a certificate of environmental compatibility and public need for a 100 megawatts (MW) solar powered electric generating facility to be known as New Market Solar and consisting of two individual projects: New Market Solar I and New Market Solar II. Hecate Energy requested an expedited ruling on the Motion on or prior to August 5, 2020, as it will allow the Company the necessary time to accomplish the publications and notices for a public information session to be conducted no later than August 27, 2020.
Alert: Joint Application of Nevada Power Company d/b/a NV Energy and Sierra Pacific Power Company d/b/a NV Energy for approval of the fourth amendment to its 2018 Joint Integrated Resource Plan to update and modify the renewable portion of the Supply-Side Action Plan and the Transmission Action Plan
Type: Transmission Line
Status: Proposed
Organization: Nevada Power Company and Sierra Pacific Power Company, d/b/a NV Energy
Data source: https://tinyurl.com/yyc6xz65
Summary: On July 20, 2020, Nevada Power Company and Sierra Pacific Power Company, both doing business as NV Energy, sought approval of the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada for approval of the fourth amendment to its 2018 Joint Integrated Resource Plan. It also sought approval of the Companies' request to amend their Supply Side Plan to enter into the following the new renewable power purchase agreement of Chuckwalla Solar for 200 MW of solar PV generation, with an additional 180 MW capacity of co-located battery storage and of Boulder Solar III for 128 MW of solar PV generation, with an additional 58 MW of co-located battery storage. The commercial operation of solar facilities is in December 2023. NV Energy also sought approval of the Companies' request to amend their Transmission Plan and approve Greenlink Nevada Phase I by expanding around $968 million for the permitting, land acquisition, and construction of various transmission lines. Commercial operation is expected by December 31, 2026.
Alert: NV Energy’s Greenlink West Transmission Line Project
Type: Transmission Line
Status: Proposed
Organization: Nevada Power Company and Sierra Pacific Power Company, d/b/a NV Energy
Scale: 525kV
Data source: https://tinyurl.com/yxc9le8g
Summary: On July 20, 2020, Nevada Power Company and Sierra Pacific Power Company, both doing business as NV Energy, filed with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada a notice of an application for approval to construct the Greenlink West Transmission Line Project. The proposed 525 kilovolt (kV) facilities location is around 10 miles of Yerington, In Lyon County, Nevada. The transmission line ranges about 352 miles and ends at the Harry Allen 525/230kV Substation, roughly 10 miles of North Las Vegas, Nevada. NV Energy proposes to construct additional electrical facilities, which facilitate access to the State of Nevada designated renewable energy zones, increasing northern Nevada transmission import capacity required to meet native electric demand.
Notable M&A
The following M&A transactions in the Power Generation and Supply Industry stand out in the month of July:
- July 02, 2020, Distributed Solar Development has acquired a 7.9 MW community solar portfolio located in the greater Denver area from Oak Leaf Energy Partners.
Click here for more information.
- July 06, 2020, Berkshire Hathaway Energy announced it will acquire Dominion Energy’s gas assets in a deal worth $4 billion.
Click here for more information.
- July 06, 2020, Sunrun announced that it will acquire Vivint Solar for around $3.2 billion.
Click here for more information.
- July 7, 2020, Vicinity Energy announced that it has acquired Morgantown Energy Associates, the district energy system serving West Virginia University (WVU) in Morgantown, West Virginia, from an investment affiliate of Starwood Energy Group Global, L.L.C.
Click here to learn more.
- July 7, 2020, Cordelio Power announced the acquisition of two wind projects under development in central Illinois. The Glacier Sands and Moraine Sands projects are expected to achieve commercial operations in 2021 and 2022.
Click here to learn more.
- July 8, 2020, Nautilus Solar Energy, LLC announced the acquisition of a 15.1 MW community solar development portfolio from SGC Power, a full life-cycle set provider of products that help solar asset owners invest, build and operate projects which give great financial returns.
Click here to learn more.
- July 9, 2020, Longroad Energy, a US-based renewable energy developer, owner and operator, announced the financial close and sale of the Muscle Shoals Solar project, a 294 MWdc project located in Colbert County, AL.
Click here to learn more.
- July 24, 2020, NRG Energy Inc. (NYSE: NRG) announced it’s definitive agreement with Centrica PLC on acquiring Direct Energy for $3.625 billion in an all-cash transaction. The closing for the transaction is planned by the end of 2020.
Meeting Planner
In this over-digitized age, there is no place for face-to-face meetings with your prospects and customers! However due to the impact of the COVID19, the following organizations have updated their meetings approach.
Meetings in August, 2020
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(Virtual Conference) IEEE PES General Meeting, Aug. 3 to Aug. 6, 2020, http://ow.ly/jM1Z50AMAOe
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(Virtual Conference) Energy Exchange, Aug. 10 to Aug. 14, 2020, http://ow.ly/BQTq50AMAQ7
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(Virtual Conference) NESEA BuildingEnergy Boston, Aug. 12 to Aug. 14, 2020, http://ow.ly/akfQ50AMARJ
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(Virtual Conference) Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Aug. 17 to Aug. 21, 2020, http://ow.ly/3osF50AMATt
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(Virtual Conference) AFPM Summit, Aug. 25 to Aug. 27, 2020, http://ow.ly/ZmLw50AMAUB
Early Bird Registration Deadlines
- Event: Energy Storage in Canada Conference - 2020 (Virtual Conference)
- URL: http://ow.ly/Iba550AMB44
- Dates: Sep. 23 to Sep. 24, 2020
- Date Early Registration: August 3, 2020
- Event: NESEA BuildingEnergy Boston - 2020 (Virtual Conference)
- URL: http://ow.ly/TD1j50AMB6H
- Dates: Aug. 12 to Aug. 14, 2020
- Date Early Registration: August 7, 2020
- Event: AFPM Summit - 2020 (Virtual Conference)
- URL: http://ow.ly/42Qb50AMBgN
- Dates: Aug. 25 to Aug. 27, 2020
- Date Early Registration: August 9, 2020
- Event: ICMA Annual Conference - 2020 (Virtual Conference)
- URL: https://icma.org/events/2020-icma-annual-conference
- Dates: Sep. 23 to Sep. 26, 2020
- Date Early Registration: August 26, 2020
Call for Papers Deadlines
- Event: AWEA Wind Project O&M and Safety Conference - 2021
- Association: American Wind Energy Association
- URL: http://ow.ly/GI6p50AMBny
- Dates: Feb. 24 to Feb. 25, 2021
- Location: Round Rock, Texas
- Call for Papers Deadline: Aug. 1, 2020
None of the information we provide may be taken as legal advice. Please consult an attorney if you require a legal interpretation of this information.
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