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SPP Board Approves Alternative, Accelerated Generation Interconnection Process to Improve Regional Resource Adequacy

LCG, May 8, 2025--The Southwest Power Pool (SPP) Board of Directors approved SPP’s proposed Expedited Resource Adequacy Study (ERAS) at its May 6 meeting. SPP developed the new ERAS in collaboration with its stakeholders in response to the growing need to add new generating resources before the region’s generating capacity is outpaced by its electricity demands. ERAS is intended to be a one-time, expedited study process designed to significantly accelerate the addition of new power generation facilities to the grid and address concerns about the near term ability to maintain the affordable and reliable electric service that consumers expect.

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EDP Renewables Completes Scarlet II Solar and Energy Storage Project in California

LCG, May 7, 2025--EDP Renewables North America LLC (EDPR NA) announced yesterday the inauguration of its Scarlet II Solar Energy Park (Scarlet II) in Fresno County, California. This phase of the solar plus energy storage project includes 200 MW of solar capacity, plus a co-located 150 MW/600 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS). The initial phase of the project, Scarlet I, which provides 200 MW of solar and 40 MW/160 MWh of BESS, achieved commercial operations in July 2024.

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Industry News

California Power Authority Goes Green

LCG, Sept. 10, 2001--The California Consumer Power and Conservation Financing Authority, the state's new public power agency, voted on Friday to give its chairman, S. David Freeman, permission to negotiate contracts with renewable energy providers, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.

Freeman said his agency will initially fund about 1,000 megawatts in renewable energy proposals and will build on that as the Authority carries out what he sees as its mandate to build a "strategic reserve" of green power.

"It's important to recognize that by going with renewables first, this agency is willing to put its money where its mouth is," Freeman said in opening the Authority's board meeting. He did not say, however, how much money.

"Over the years the renewables have gotten the music and fossil fuels have gotten the action. We intend to provide action on both fronts, but to be sure no one feels that renewables are second-class citizens as far as the state is concerned," Freeman said.

Aside from geothermal power and hydroelectric power, which have long and successful histories in California, renewables are likely to remain second-class citizens. To date, no solar power installation has produced as much energy as its construction consumed in the first place, and the output of a wind farm is only about 20 percent of its nameplate capacity.

Power from solar and wind installations is significantly more expensive that that produced by nuclear or conventional thermal power plants and must be heavily subsidized by the taxpayer. Backers of those dubious resources are counting on the state legislature to move forward on a bill that would require utilities and other electricity retailers to generate at least 20 percent of their power from "renewable" resources.

The legislation, introduced by state Sen. Byron Sher, a Palo Alto Democrat, failed by a 7-10 vote to clear the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee Thursday, but it is up for reconsideration today.

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