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SoCal Gas showcased a new solar-powered hydrogen generation system May 17. It uses sunlight to convert natural gas and water into hydrogen and capture the carbon dioxide to prevent carbon emissions. The project is a partnership between SoCal Gas, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the STARS Corp. The solar advanced reactor system “produces hydrogen through a thermochemical process where the sun provides thermal energy to break down natural gas and water into hydrogen and carbon dioxide in a process called steam methane reforming,” SoCal Gas stated. Hydrogen can be used to power vehicles as well as homes. NRG’s Ellwood plant in Goleta and a unit at its Ormond Beach plant in Oxnard will need to keep operating through at least 2019 to meet local capacity needs in areas of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. The California Independent System Operator reached that conclusion in its 2019 local capacity requirement analysis released May 15. The need in Ventura will persist at least until 2020 when a transmission upgrade project on lines running into the area is expected to be completed by Southern California Edison. In Santa Barbara County the need will continue until preferred resources are on line. Meanwhile, the grid operator noted that NRG already has filed a 90-day notice of its intent to close down the facilities, raising the prospect that the grid operator will have to arrange for stopgap procurement from the two plants until needed replacement power sources are arranged. The grid operator’s finding comes after local activists and elected officials last year blocked the California Energy Commission from approving a new gas-fired power plant proposed by NRG in the area. Pacific Gas & Electric signed on its first community solar project late last week. Located in Fresno, the 1.66 MW solar project will provide either 100 or 25 percent solar energy to renters and other PG&E customers who cannot install their own solar systems. Participating customers will sign a contract directly with ForeFront Power, the project developer, to subscribe to a portion of the energy produced by the solar facility. Customers will receive a credit from PG&E on their monthly energy statement based on the kWh output of their subscription with the developer. The project is scheduled to begin service by the middle of 2019. Southern California Edison teamed up with the Orange County Fire Authority to detect wildfires as early as possible by installing six cameras and a weather station on a utility telecommunications tower on Santiago Peak, the highest point in the county. The cameras are being monitored by fire authority volunteers and Edison. Brian Norton, the fire authority’s division chief, says the technology allows them to investigate potential wildfire activity before firefighters are even dispatched to the scene. “Two of the cameras are capable of panning, zooming and tilting which gives us the ability of validating smoke reports,” he said. “We can also put our fire watch patrols in front of a bank of monitors here in Orange County to spot where fires are occurring and respond to the right place.” The installation is part of a stepped up effort by the state’s utilities to prevent wildfires. Donald Daigler, Edison director of business resiliency, said the utility is also looking at other funding opportunities to enhance fire prevention and safety efforts.

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