David Kolata

Today @EPRINews released an open letter @CERAWeek signed by more than 30 members of the power and digital infrastructure industries -- including hyperscalers, utilities, ISO/RTOs, and others -- calling for industry-wide collaboration on a standardized approach for integrating large flexible loads. "Today’s interconnection and planning processes rely heavily on worst case assumptions about load behavior," the letter states. "While prudent from a reliability perspective, these assumptions could change when planning with flexibility in mind." The letter continues: "We call on: ● Utilities and system operators to engage with shared flexibility framework as a tool to unlock capacity and reduce interconnection friction. ● Load developers and operators to design for flexibility and adopt common performance definitions. ● Regulators and policymakers to enable pathways that recognize flexibility as a legitimate, reliability enhancing resource. ● Industry consortia and standards bodies to align efforts and avoid fragmentation." Signatories include NERC, @Google @Meta @nvidia @CompassDCs @SouthernCompany @Entergy @Exelon @DTE_Energy APS @ConstellationEG MISO @SPPorg CAISO and others. To address this bottleneck, today EPRI is launching Flex MOSAIC, a uniform flexibility classification framework for large electric loads, developed through its DCFlex initiative in collaboration with more than 65 utilities, system operators, regulators, hyperscalers, and technology providers.

Increasingly convinced that the electricity industry, which is obsessed with rubber stamped forward curves, is massively under estimating the inference demand that is coming.

Settle to the meter!

The data center buildout has allowed Loudoun County to lower property tax rates by 38% since 2010, translating to average savings of about $3,400 per year for homeowners.

@cornoisseur Does that include the ptc tax credit benefit? If not the benefits from the cmcs are even greater

In 2021, environmentalists decried a provision in CEJA that saved nuclear plants in Illinois as a “bailout”. Turns out, it is *ratepayers* who have been bailed out to the tune of $1.3 Billion. When the contract for difference expires in 2027, people will revolt. ipa.illinois.gov/carbon-mitigat…

CEBA salutes @Google on an exciting clean energy milestone in the Midwest! Today, @Google and @xcelenergy announced a groundbreaking partnership to power a new data center in Pine Island, Minnesota. @Google has agreed to pay all costs for its electric service, which will add 1,900 MW of clean energy to the grid, create new jobs, diversify revenue streams, and align with Minnesota’s 2040 carbon-free electricity goals — all without raising costs for local customers. CEBA members continue to demonstrate how large energy buyers can unlock market-ready, scalable clean energy solutions. We look forward to celebrating more announcements from across the country. Read more: blog.google/innovation-and…

Google is coming to Minnesota and advancing clean energy goals @google blog.google/innovation-and…

.@Google taps @XcelEnergyMN to supply data center with 1200 MW wind, 200 MW solar and 300 MW / 30 GWh @FormEnergyInc iron-air batteries, through new BYONCE (bring your own new clean electricity) tariff construct. blog.google/innovation-and… Google will also pay for all grid needed upgrades.

@TKavulla @wkenworthy And in ameren we would be! I'm just bummed I missed the negative 31-ish cents a kwh hour for charging the ev

@wkenworthy I am glad you aren't paying the ComEd Day Ahead prices!

My hourly electricity price (yes, I'm on ComEd's hourly pricing program) have been <0 for the last 26 hours! Meanwhile, on the eastern end of PJM, prices are in the $600/MWh range. I haven't seen anything like this before.

We also charged last night. Great moments in rate design!

@mattyglesias @curious_founder In comed there's a great run of negative prices ongoing. It's like the anti-griddy. Never has charging an ev been so profitable! Only mention this because, actually, the risks of real time pricing outside of an energy only market isn't anywhere near as great as often assumed

What could go wrong?

Just returned from my first trip to China, mostly looking at the energy and robotics industries. Fascinating. Random observations, both business and general, below... 1/x

@TKavulla That's awesome. Congrats!

I will have more to say about this, but for now: Newsflash!

@JigarShahDC Authority likely wasn't there without new law.

@JesseJenkins Got it.

Yes, for a load larger than say 100 megawatts, unless they're fine with increasing rates for everyone else in their region, they should bilaterally contract with new supply to cover their load (capacity and energy). And if they care about emissions impacts, this is a must. If they don't care about their social license, they can do what they want. (Or policy makers can decide if they're okay with allowing this)

.@Meta's big nuclear power purchase today containts laudible elements plus a DEEPLY PROBLEMATIC one: the purchase of 2.1 gigawatts of power — enough to meet ~10% of Ohio's entire electricity usage! — from two EXISTING nuclear power plants, which will do nothing but increase emissions AND electricity rates for PJM customers already grappling with huge bill increases, all while establishing a very dangerous precedent for the whole industry. Let me explain why...

@JesseJenkins Is it your position that all new large loads should offset their power demand with new generation? So , for example, a new manufacturing plant shouldn't be built if the plant doesn't also build new gen. More curious than anything else.

When hyperscalars contract with new clean, hourly-matched, deliverable supply, we should laud their efforts. When they try to side-step those responsibilities and take the easy way out by signing up for existing generation, we should all be deeply concerned—about the future of our power bills, grid reilability, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Devastating data for Germany.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signs historic legislation to overturn the state's ban on nuclear energy. It takes a lot to get a popular elected official to backtrack on a previous veto like this. Awesome to see his mind change on the topic!