Best Practice Energy

09/29/2023

Rhode Island Energy has announced plans to seek proposals for a 1200 megawatt offshore wind farm in October.

Submissions for the project will most likely be due in early 2024 and will be evaluated by various state agencies.

“Rhode Island has big clean energy aspirations, and Rhode Island Energy is committed to helping achieve them,” said Rhode Island Energy President Dave Bonenberger.

This decision comes after the company terminated a purchase agreement with Orsted and Eversource in July due to rising costs and legal inconsistencies.

Despite the Ocean State’s largest utility company pulling out of another offshore wind project earlier this year, they’re still interested in developing clean energy projects of their o…

09/27/2023

Enbridge, a large Canadian energy company with fossil fuel infrastructure throughout the US, is proposing considerable upgrades on the Algonquin gas transmission line.

The Algonquin Pipeline runs from northern NJ, NY, CT, RI and into MA.

Enbridge says that by expanding natural gas capacity, the project will help displace oil use in the region on cold days as well as other benefits.

However, Massachusetts, and many other states in the region have aggressive climate goals that require reducing reliance on fossil fuels like natural gas.

Read more below

The proposal from Enbridge would involve replacing existing pipes with larger ones, adding some secondary pipes and expanding compressor stations along the Algonquin Gas Transmission line.

09/15/2023

Hurricane Lee has weakened but is expected to maintain enough strength to cause tree damage and flooding in inland and coastal Maine when it reaches the area on Saturday.

This direct landfall in Maine is a rare event, reminiscent of Hurricane Bob in 1991, which caused significant damage and power outages.

The storm has weakened since late last week, but it may be strong enough to topple trees and cause flooding when it arrives on Saturday.

09/08/2023

New Hampshire's major electric utilities - Eversource, Unitil, and Liberty Utilities, have shown support for retaining the state's existing net metering system.

The current program compensates customers for their surplus solar power by providing approximately 75% of the standard electricity rate for excess energy that flows back into the grid and benefits other customers.

This stance by the utilities comes as New Hampshire is considering whether to make changes to its net metering rules. A debate that is also occurring in many other states.

For more info on net metering in your state, send us a message or contact your Energy Advisor today.

Utilities say the state’s net metering policy is balanced and effective, and that there’s no evidence of unjustified cost-shifting.

09/07/2023

PJM (Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland Interconnection) has extended its Hot Weather Alert for its Mid-Atlantic and Southern regions through September 8th as temperatures are expected to reach above 90 degrees.

Did you know that curtailing usage on days like this can reduce your annual energy spend?

At Best Practice Energy, we offer a Peak Notification Service to inform you of these specific peak demand times for curtailment.

To learn more, send us a message or contact your Energy Advisor for the best curtailment strategy for your business.

NewsOperations Sept. 7 Update: PJM’s Hot Weather Alert Extended Through Sept. 8 for Some Areas September 7, 2023 11 FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsApp PJM has extended its Hot Weather Alert for its Mid-Atlantic and Southern regions through Sept. 8 ahead of anticipated temperatures above 90 degrees. ...

08/30/2023

Last week, we mentioned a Rhode Island offshore wind project with SouthCoast Wind being stalled.

Today, SouthCoast Wind agreed to pay more than $60 million to Massachusett’s three leading utilities to terminate power purchase agreements for wind farms off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard.

Developers say the original terms of the contracts are no longer feasible due to inflation, rising interest rates, supply chain disruptions and the war in Ukraine.

How will this affect the energy markets?

Contact your Energy Advisor or send us a message for more details.

THE DEVELOPER of SouthCoast Wind on Tuesday agreed to pay more than $60 million to the state’s three leading utilities to terminate power purchase agreements the company negotiated last year to build its wind farm south of Martha’s Vineyard. The SouthCoast proposal, if it is approved by the Depa...

08/08/2023

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has lifted the suspension on the construction of the New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC), a controversial 145-mile transmission project which will transport hydropower from Quebec to New England’s regional grid.

Central Maine Power Company owns or controls all of the property and facilities for the portion of the project in Maine, including roughly 150 miles of new high voltage transmission line from the Quebec border to a converter station in Lewiston, Maine.

The NECEC project is designed to provide up to 1,200 megawatts of Canadian hydropower to the New England power grid in an effort to achieve a more cost-effective, low-carbon energy future for the region.

This project is similar to the size of a large nuclear power plant and sufficient to power about a million households.

How will this affect energy prices in New England?

Send us a message or contact your Energy Advisor today.

A transmission project, which is is expected to bring enough hydropower to the New England grid to supply about a million homes, received the greenlight to resume construction after a vote by Maine voters put it on hold.

08/01/2023

Always great to build valuable relationships with the team outside the office environment!

Thanks again to Alpine Country Club for hosting BPE's summer golf outing. 🏌‍♂️

07/20/2023

A study by NYISO reveals that by 2025, NYC may face electric reliability issues with a deficit of up to 446 MW in its power supply.

The retirement of fossil fuel plants is outpacing the commissioning of renewable energy plants. Most of these fossil fuel retirements are due to the “peaker rule” designed to reduce nitrous oxide emissions.

Other key drivers of this deficit are building electrification and increasing electric vehicle demand in the coming years.

As always, BPE will be closely monitoring this as it develops - contact your Energy Advisor for more.

Completion of the Champlain Hudson Power Express transmission line, which will bring power to New York City from Quebec, is expected to improve reliability margins beginning in 2026.

07/14/2023

A heat wave across the southern U.S. is increasing the demand for electricity as well as the amount of natural gas used to generate the electricity.

Natural Gas storage levels remain healthy with the EIA reporting a 49 Bcf increase in natural gas storage this morning.

How is this effecting your next energy contract? Send us a message or contact your Energy Advisor today.

07/07/2023

Last week, we posted an article from ISO NE about 24 power transmission reliability projects under construction throughout New England.

This past Wednesday at around 6 p.m. New England experienced a transmission equipment failure, leading to a significant decrease in the amount of electricity available to the region. As a result, there was an insufficient supply of resources to meet the demand for electricity.

ISO NE implemented emergency procedures, including activating demand response resources, and securing additional power supplies from external sources. These actions helped stabilize the grid and ensure continued power delivery to consumers.

The incident highlights the need for continued investments and improvements in the power system to ensure reliable electricity supply.

There was sufficient generation available to meet consumer demand for electricity throughout the event.

07/04/2023

Have a great Fourth of July everyone!