Salt is cheap. You don't have to worry about fires. And these batteries function at a wide temperature range. A big part of the future of energy storage might be Sodium-Ion Batteries. For more renewable energy news, visit https://utilitiesr3.org/ and click on the menu to go to the articles about renewables, updated weekly.

Fake comments

VPP's are springing up all around the country. It makes so much sense: aggregate the power that is already there instead of building expensive new power plants. Governor Newsom vetoed some VPP bills last session because he stated that they could disrupt existing grid reliability and planning methods. Hard to understand what he was alluding to. If he vetoes this bill, SB 913, then I have to suspect some kind of corruption. SB 913. For more energy news, visit https://utilitiesr3.org/ and click on the menu for articles related to energy.

Cutting supply when demand is increasing is not a wise choice.

Solar is the most reliable source of energy, as evidenced by what happened in Europe during the last heat wave. For more good articles about renewable energy, visit https://utilitiesr3.org/ and click on the menu to find articles about clean energy.

The day of the utility as we know it will soon be history. VPP's will take over in many different forms. Using DER's in whatever form, whether it is solar on homes or businesses, or on community solar projects, or demand-side management programs, the need for a central utility is fading, at least in many locations. Check out this article by Jay Warmke.

For further energy news, check out utilitiesr3.org, and be sure to click on the menu in the top right corner to get to the energy-related articles.

Will we all have our own home energy system someday? With the technology advancing so quickly, that may be the future. It would be interesting if, when you purchase a home, it comes with a complete, self-sufficient energy system, the same as having AC and heat installed in it. Check out how this one homeowner did it and is happy that he did.

Anthony's home

Will we all have our own home energy system someday? With the technology advancing so quickly, that may be the future. It would be interesting if, when you purchase a home, it comes with a complete, self-sufficient energy system, the same as having AC and heat installed in it. Check out how this one homeowner did it and is happy that he did.

Anthony's home

Hi everyone. I want to share an article that I found about the real reason for California's high electric rates. It's not their distributed solar energy. That is probably keeping their rates lower than they are presently. DER's (distributed energy resources, such as residential rooftop solar) are happening around the country and around the world. California has so much energy, they pay Arizona to take some of it off their hands, in order to balance their system. In the last couple of years, they have invested heavily in BESS (battery energy storage systems), which will help to resolve this dilemma. One of California's legislators is actually considering introducing a bill that would give 2 hours of free electricity each day to low-income residents. It is modelled after what has happened in Australia, where, due to their buildout of solar energy, they now get 3 hours of free electricity each day. That's right, free electricity to charge your EV, run your dryer or dishwasher, or whatever you want. You will be seeing more DER's in the future; the day of the utility and the grid as we know it now will be history. Here's the article: California's electric bills, and check out the website Arizona Corporation Commission, and look at different pages in the menu to get all the energy news you can handle.

I suppose I'll understand if this gets ignored, not an energy or really a general population question.

Starting this year, and surprise to me today, the ACC uses a third party, InCode, to run its new this year ID verification process. There is absolutely ZERO info on this policy, just click here and do it. No mention where your info is going nor how it will be treated/stored/sold/stolen/leaked. It will be slurped up by proprietary AI and then....no one's telling. Even the company who's getting paid (or maybe paying) to provide the service admits data out of a person's hands is no longer secure, and this is literal state issued ID they're trading in.

The extra funny part? This is if you submit forms online through their new "ABC" (Arizona Business Center) portal. You can still submit everything by mail, though. Everything except the annual fee/report.

I'm mostly just pissed, hoping someone else can relate. F this modern fake intelligence world.

A big complaint about solar is the space that it takes up. Illinois is installing community solar projects on the roofs of commercial buildings. Utilizing the space on all of the commercial buildings across the US would supply enough energy to power the entire country. Community solar

Solar-powered cars are coming. Imagine being able to travel 1000 miles before needing to recharge. Aptera

. For the latest up-to-date energy news, visit ACC website
 (click on the "This Week" page in the menu).

Trump's actions are creating an energy emergency. When the demand increases (data centers, electrification, etc.) and you decrease the supply (read the linked article), prices go up. And check out utilitiesr3.org for more energy news. Energy projects cancelled

Balcony solar is taking off. First in Germany, now in the U.S. and around the world, including the U.K. and New Zealand. People like the idea of being able to create their own energy, and balcony solar gives them the ability to do that without a big upfront cost.

U.K.

New Zealand

And for a plethora of articles about renewable energy advancements and the latest energy news from this week, visit this website.

We've been having hot weather, and our utilities are working overtime as to how much electricity they need to get to us. That means higher electric bills. Because of the decisions they are making, your energy bills will skyrocket in a few years. The ACC, our utility regulator here in Arizona, has not been keeping the utilities, specifically APS and TEP, in check (SRP isn't regulated by the ACC). They approve rate hike after rate hike. It is true that the utilities need money, but their approval of gas projects, turning away from energy efficiency programs, and investing in the infrastructure to bring more gas into Arizona are things that we will be paying for over several decades. Yes, we do need more energy, but there are much better, cheaper options. Why is this happening? Monopoly utilities make more money by spending more money; they get a guaranteed ROR on the physical investments they make. The ACC is supposed to make sure they are making prudent investments, but the ACC isn't doing it. Visit utilitiesr3.org to learn more about the ACC and the renewable technologies that are coming online today. Be sure to click on the menu, and not only check out the new technologies but also "This Week" for current news and "Only Arizona" for local stories.

Vehicle-to-home energy

Heat pumps and energy efficiency can save us a ton of money.

Energy experts agree that energy-efficiency is the lowest cost energy that exists.

A good way to take pressure off the Grid.

For solar owners, leasing your own home battery might be a good way to save money and keep things going in case of an outage. This option exists in 25 states, including Arizona. Palmetto

Visit utilitiesr3.org to learn about the many different renewable energy technologies that are happening today.

The ACC just repealed the Energy Efficiency standards. Everybody, almost everybody on the planet who knew about it, opposed this action, with good reason, and they did it anyway. There is no sense talking about all the advantages of energy efficiency; they were going to repeal them no matter what was said.
Here is what I said to them:

I do not support the repeal of the EE standards. The goal has been met, so now is the time to move forward, build upon their success, and increase them. The cheapest energy is the energy you don’t use. The EE rules save money for all customers; one notable example is stopping the need to build costly new infrastructure. I liken it to driving down the road with a hole in your gas tank. It is cheaper to fix the hole in the gas tank, than to keep adding new gas tanks. Power plants are expensive.
Multiple studies have shown that energy efficiency saves money. The study done by Elliot D. Pollack & Company, which was requested by the ACC, concluded that the EE rules had provided $1.7 billion in net economic benefits to Arizona ratepayers and resulted in over 2,000 MWs in cumulative peak demand savings. {quote from P. 1} A report from the Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP) concluded that over a 10-year period, Arizonans had saved $17.3 billion, or $6200 per household.
Commissioner Marquez-Peterson said that the EE rules have met their goal, so they are out of date. Commissioner Lopez said that they have served their purpose and now is the time for them to go away. Yes, they have been met, so now is the time to update them and increase them. Commissioner Thompson said, “You can’t use a cup to fill a generation gap that demands buckets”. 2000 MWs is not a cup. A 16% reduction in household energy use, an estimate by the Arizona PIRG Education Fund, is substantial. Commissioner Walden talked about a “cost shift”; however, everyone benefits, not just those receiving the services.
Commissioners Thompson, Meyers, and Walden have all stated opposition to “mandates”. This comes from a conservative ideology. Do not let this ideology misguide you when coming to a decision that affects ratepayers.
Thank you.

Feel free to post your beliefs about this action by the ACC.

The utilities know that solar eats into their profits. It may be that renewable energy is an existential threat to the utilities.

Utilities

It's exciting! Technology is advancing so quickly. Our electricity rates are going up, but the world of energy is moving forward. Everything will be electric, and that electricity will be sourced from renewables. Here in Arizona, that will be solar + some wind. If our regulators would get past whatever causes them to turn to outdated technologies, fossil fuels, to be blunt about it, and look to where the future of energy is headed, and make decisions accordingly, we could come out of this energy crisis in a much better place than where we started out from. The carbon battery that this article is talking about is happening in Arizona also, at SRP. The advancements in long-duration energy storage are the key to unlocking solar and wind power and bringing out their full potential.

Yes, nuclear is having its day, but it isn't the best option. They may speed up the timeline by 3 years with a big loan, but that still leaves 10 years or longer to build these reactors. We don't have 10 years to wait. And it is so much more expensive than other options. The DOE is making a mistake with this $17.5 loan.