Project Costs for Renewable Generation Projects in the Pacific

This webinar discusses the basics of planning, financing and carrying out a solar energy project. Topics include the RFP process, using section 4217 for sole source projects, financing projects through public funding or private power purchase agreements, negotiating energy procurement contracts, changes in net energy metering and time of use on rates and the impact on cost savings.

This presentation provides an update on the current state of supply resources for the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) balancing authority area (BAA) and the expected future state of the resource mix as CAISO continues an energy transition toward 60 percent renewable and 100 percent zero carbon resources. This will include a description of an effective resource adequacy program, a review of the resource mix with respective contributions to serving a varying load profile, a summary of the future changes to the resource mix based on the interconnection queue and an overview of the drivers behind the energy transition. The resource mix discussion examines the rapidly increasing role of battery storage resources and the challenges these resources are presenting to operations. Examples of peak operating periods will show how resources perform to meet load and renewable resource variability.

Towards the end of 2017, blockchain seemed to be universally hailed as the solution for nearly every problem the energy industry ever faced. By 2018, the industry was forced to face reality and blockchain technology had to grow up fast. It led to quite some disillusionment; markets crashed, a shake-out of startups occurred and expectations got depressed.

This webinar highlighted two winning programs from CESA’s 2018 State Leadership in Clean Energy Awards: Massachusetts’ Advancing Commonwealth Energy Storage (ACES) Program, and Rhode Island’s Block Island Offshore Wind Farm.