duck curve
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Solar
How the Massive Growth in Solar Power Is Affecting Power Grids
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) reported in March that the U.S. solar industry installed 32.4 GWdc of capacity in 2023, a remarkable 51% increase compared to 2022. It was the industry’s
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Distributed Energy
What Texas Can Learn from Australia—How VPPs Are Saving Renewable Energy
In the face of unprecedented weather events driven by climate change, the global electrical utilities sector is grappling with disruptions, and the state of Texas in particular has been significantly impacted in recent years. From the winter storms of February 2021 to challenges posed by heat events in the summer of 2023, Texas has faced […]
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Trends
EPRI Head: Duck Curve Now Looks Like a Canyon
The “duck curve,” a concept that has become emblematic of the challenges associated with integrating variable renewables in the power system, now looks like a “canyon,” illustrating a paramount urgency for adequate flexibility, Arshad Mansoor, president and CEO of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), has warned. In a recent post on LinkedIn, Mansoor highlighted […]
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Power
Inflation Reduction Act: Increased Electrification and Resulting Utility Implications
While the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides steps in the right direction by expanding renewable energy development and electrification incentives, it may also lead to a worsening duck curve and a larger proportion of variable power sources in the generation mix—putting significant pressure on utilities’ ability to maintain reliability. U.S. utilities need to be proactive […]
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Solar
Vermont and ISO-New England Provide an Interesting Renewable Energy Transition Case Study
Vermont doesn’t get a lot of attention outside of Bernie Sanders, but the state’s power system is worth taking a look at as it has undergone a notable shift toward renewable energy. About 80% of
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Renewables
Developments in Energy Storage Could Spell the End of the Duck Curve
The duck curve is named for its resemblance to a duck, with its peaks and valleys highlighting the effect solar production has on the power demanded from thermal generators and hydropower resources throughout
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T&D
Duck Hunting at the California Independent System Operator
California’s excess of solar power challenges the statewide independent system operator’s ability to balance its system without curtailing low-carbon supplies and ramping up natural gas generation. It’s
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Gas
Are Simple Cycles or Combined Cycles Better for Renewable Power Integration?
It’s been called “filling the duck pond,” and it’s the increasingly common challenge worldwide of balancing supply and demand when variable renewables are not feeding power to the grid. Gas-fired generation is often filling the pond, but the technology mix matters. The growing portfolio of renewable power generation around the world has made the selection […]