| Independently Powered Energy News
Outage
New Laws to Reduce Heat Wave Impacts
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation creating a warning system in advance of expected intense heat and authorizing local entities to...
Legislative Update
Bills near the finish line would require corporations with more than $1 billion in revenue to reveal the carbon intensity...
Risk of “Fukushima-Type Accident” at Diablo Plant Heightened by Lifespan Extension, Analysis Warns
The Diablo Nuclear Plant on California’s Central Coast could keep the power flowing when temperatures spike beyond mid-decade but whether...
Energy Commission Proposes Removing Big Diesel Backup from State Permitting
The California Energy Commission is considering exempting diesel backup and thermal power projects with generating capacity of less than 100...
Bloom Energy Expands its Fuel Cell Factory to Enable 1GW+ of Production
Bloom Energy opened a mega fuel cell factory in the Bay Area last week in response to significant demand. The...
First Non Diesel Backup Unit and Compressed Air Project Take Big Steps
The California Energy Commission advanced the biggest advanced compressed air energy storage project in the state and the first natural...
Fire in PG&E Territory Damages Equipment
updated July 7 A rapidly spreading wildfire in Amador and Calaveras counties that began early evening on July 4th forced...
Turning Tesla Batteries into Virtual Power Plants
The output of customers’ Tesla Powerwall batteries will be aggregated and used by Pacific Gas & Electric to help lower...
Microsoft Opts for Natural Gas Backup Power
Microsoft and Enchanted Rock signed a contract for a 99 MW natural gas-fueled backup system to supply the massive company’s...
Humboldt Houses 1st Renewable Microgrid that Sells Power to the Grid
California’s first grid-connected large solar-battery microgrid went live last week after years of work by Cal Poly Humboldt’s Schatz Center,...
Pilot Projects Use Zinc Batteries to Provide at least a Full Day of Energy
Long-duration zinc air battery technology is advancing. Metal batteries using zinc are more advantageous than ones using lithium as a...
Natural Gas Fueled Backup Planned for Microsoft Data Center
The California Energy Commission routinely approves millions of dollars in grants for clean energy research and development, but also regularly...
Bills Reducing Climate Impacts Pass, East Bay to get 40 MW of geothermal energy
Two Senate bills passed May 24 that would allow the creation of local financing districts to fund projects to reduce...
Gov’s Revised Budget Adding $9.5B to Climate Programs Met with Little Enthusiasm
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed May revise of the state budget would hike state spending on clean energy, emissions reductions and...
PG&E Corp Earnings More than Triple
Pacific Gas & Electric’s parent corporation reported considerably higher earnings for the first quarter of this year of $475 million,...
Lawmakers Move to Advance Zero-Net Carbon Power, Better Public Information
Legislation driving clean energy, lowering utility bills, and better informing citizens of projects and carbon emissions cleared the Senate energy...
Bills Advancing Power Line Undergrounding and Alternative Energy and Vehicles Pass
The state Senate energy committee has approved legislation to accelerate the undergrounding of overhead power lines to reduce fire and...
Energy Agencies Strive to Advance Cost-Effective, Long-Duration Grid Storage
Significant amounts of energy storage with continuous output of eight hours and far longer will be needed to reach a...
Federal Inspections at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Found Deficient
There have been worrisome problems at the 2,200 MW Diablo Nuclear Power Plant, causing one of the two units to...
Virtual Power Plants Gain Ground
Virtual power plants are beginning to help meet peak power demand in California and across the globe at an affordable...