CEC Chair Touts So Cal Gas Storage & Dispenses Funds

During the California Energy Commission’s Jan. 17 meeting, its chair noted that the initial urgency driving him and the California Public Utilities Commission president to halt new natural gas hookups fed by the Aliso Canyon storage field has diminished.

December, according to CEC Chair Bob Weisenmiller, was “incredibly warm,” reducing normal heating demand by about two thirds in Southern California. “We have really good levels of storage going into January” as a result, he said Wednesday.

Last week, the CPUC postponed voting on its controversial resolution to place a moratorium on gas hookups near Porter Ranch. That community suffered from the Aliso Canyon well blow out and the resulting massive methane leak that took four months to cap.

The CPUC voting delay was in response to business protests and also its staff, along with the Energy Commission, California Independent System Operator, and Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, downgrading an earlier warning of possible gas shortages this winter.

Weisenmiller was quick to add that there was “a substantial vulnerability” at the massive natural gas storage field, which has only been partly refilled. “At this stage, it is the better part of prudence to slow down on gas increases.” He added that the storage field must be closed in 10 years.

In other news, the commission approved on a 4-0 vote a rulemaking to allow the agency to add energy efficiency standards for air compressors, commercial and industrial fans and blowers, hearth products, high color rendering index linear fluorescent lighting, portable air conditioners, and uninterruptable power supplies.

The Department of Energy was developing standards for these products then dropped the effort after considerable work. The CEC plans to capitalize on the DOE’s “extensive” energy savings research in this area to speed up the standards implementation process, noted Commissioner Andrew McAlister.

He said the CEC is not preempted by the federal government from developing efficiency rules for this set of products.

The commission also approved millions of dollars in grants and no- and low-interest loans for solar, hydrogen stations and biodiesel projects.

They include four $1.9 million grants to First Element Fuel, Inc., for four hydrogen fueling stations in Redwood City in San Mateo County, and three in Southern California, including in Beverly Hills, Studio City and Mission Hills. The stations are expected to be open in 2019.

The approved funds also include: A $4.46 million grant to Crimson Renewable Energy for a third generation project that's to convert trap grease, inedible animal fats, and soap stocks into biodiesel. A $2 million grant to Southern California Edison to autonomously identify and authenticate distributed energy resources to speed up interconnection of commercial and residential distributed energy resources to between five to 10 days. The U.S. Department of Energy will provide $4.2 million in cost-share funding. A $2.1 million zero percent interest loan to the Alpaugh Unified School District for four ground-mounted photovoltaic systems for a total of 410.4 kWdc. The project is expected to save the district 656,024 kWh and $131,205 a year. A $2.2 million zero percent interest loan to Sequoia Union High School District for canopy-mounted fixed axis PV systems for a total of 777 kWdc. The project is estimated to save the district 1.27 million kWh and $199,000 each year. A $1.14 million one percent interest loan to the City of Big Bear Lake to install a 275 kW PV system to pump water, reducing about 459,000 kWh and saving about $136,600 in annual utility bills. — Elizabeth McCarthy

Over 11K Stories!

| Independently Powered Energy News

CEC Chair Touts So Cal Gas Storage & Dispenses Funds

William J. Kelly

Related Posts

Op-Ed: Before and After Net Energy Metering 3, A Thought Experiment

Auld Lang Zine

Air Regulators 2022 Scoping Plan to Slash Emissions is a Go

Cap-&-Trade’s Effectiveness Questioned