Last summer, U.S. electricity demand in the Lower 48 states was greatest at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on July 15, 2024, when it reached about 745 gigawatthours (GWh), based on data in our Hourly Electric Grid Monitor. In our analysis, we calculate each day’s peak according to the hour with … [continued]
In the US, the “duck curve” is a California phenomena. It’s a change to the legacy way of operating generation on the grid. The last time there was a signifiant change, and all of this was predicted long before it happened, there was too much solar during the middle of … [continued]
The Renewables and Wholesale Electricity Prices (ReWEP) visualization tool from Berkeley Lab has been updated with nodal electricity pricing and wind and solar generation data through the end of 2023: https://emp.lbl.gov/renewables-and-wholesale-electricity-prices-rewep. ReWEP users can explore trends in wholesale electricity prices and their relationship to wind and solar generation. ReWEP includes … [continued]
The California Independent System Operator (CAISO), the grid operator for most of the state, is increasingly curtailing solar- and wind-powered electricity generation as it balances supply and demand during the rapid growth of wind and solar power in California. Grid operators must balance supply and demand to maintain a stable electric system. … [continued]
Electricity grid operators often keep a wary eye towards the thermometer, particularly during the summertime danger season, as daily temperatures soar above 90 degree Fahrenheit and heat waves spread around the country. And for good reason: extreme heat events cause a host of reliability issues for the grid. Electricity demand … [continued]
States with decarbonization goals must plan, prepare, and test for long-duration energy storage
Average wholesale electricity prices at major trading hubs in the United States rose throughout much of 2022 and were, at times, volatile as a result of extreme weather events. The limited availability of coal to substitute for higher-priced natural gas also contributed to higher electricity prices. Prices at all electricity … [continued]
Promises of India’s Draft Ancillary Services Regulations
California is doubling down on electric vehicles (EVs). Critics say more plug-in cars will strain the power grid. Here’s why they’re wrong.
In the first two weeks of September 2020, average solar-powered electricity generation in the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), which covers 90% of utility-scale solar capacity in California, declined nearly 30% from the July 2020 average as wildfires burned across the state.
