Renewable Energy
Megan Gautreaux, Marketing & Brand Manager
We know the details- A proposed $3.5 trillion budget with $1 trillion for support in compliance to President Biden’s clean electricity standard. This plan requires all electric utility companies to generate their power from carbon-free resources by 2035.
While clean energy projects have been underway for decades, many factors have previously hindered expansion of the nation’s renewable energy sector. A major issue includes the lack of transmission resources; therefore, the national reform will require agencies to work together in planning and expansion to meet this deadline.
An elite player in this expansion will be the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as they announce their rulemaking plans toward complete grid reform. (FERC.gov) According to FERC Chairman Rich Glick, “This is the Commission’s first effort at major transmission reform in a decade.” Renewable energy has commanded a large share of power resources in the U.S. for years, but companies have continued to face the struggle of connecting solar and wind projects to a grid. The FERC’s step toward grid reform will open resources for these projects and thus speed up the entire process of renewable energy growth.
In support of grid reform, Biden has made a push to Congress for building high-voltage power lines. Announced during their company’s second-quarter earnings report, NextEra Energy Inc., the world’s largest renewable developer, plans to capitalize on the need for additional transmission infrastructure and expand their portfolio which currently consists of projects in solar, wind and energy storage.
With an administration in place willing to provide both funding and legislative backing, the energy sector is making major strides toward the plan for a carbon-free future.
DID
YOU
KNOW?
As a result of the Attack on Pearl Harbor, the US Army constructed the Rocky Mountain Aresenal in 1942 to develop chemical weapons. After the war, the US Army leased some of the facilities to private companies to produce agricultural chemicals. Located 8 miles NE of Downtown Denver, this nearly 16,000 acre plot was added to the EPA’s National Priorities list in 1987.
Enscicon partnered with Tetra Tech for the Environmental Cleanup of what is now the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. During this time, Enscicon employed more than 125 employees whose efforts resulted in the remediation of soil, structures, and groundwater. The refuge is managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and home to more than 330 species of wildlife that include bison, deer, coyotes, black-footed ferrets, black-tailed prairie dogs and bald eagles.
Pumped Storage Hydropower
Mike Hadro, Vice President
Most people believe that when it comes to hydroelectricity, you need a constantly moving source of water, such as a river with a dam, in order to generate electricity within a hydroelectric powerhouse. Did you know there is a source of hydroelectricity that does not require a dam or the environmental implications that come along with it?
Enter pumped storage hydropower, aka “water batteries”. Unlike traditional hydropower facilities located along a river and inside a dam, pumped storage hydropower facilities can be located almost anywhere within the vicinity of a water source, which sometimes can be even as small as a stream. Pumped storage consists of two reservoirs, an “upper” and “lower” reservoir. While letting gravity do its job, water is released from the upper reservoir and down through the powerhouse. After moving through the hydro turbines, it is then pumped back up to the upper reservoir where it can be recycled back through the process or stored for as long as is needed. This process makes it an ideal solution for on-demand energy needs which typically take place during the peak summer and winter months. The ability to store and recycle its energy source makes it an ideal battery storage alternative as part of our overall energy grid.
According to the below article, pumped storage hydropower provides 93% of U.S. energy storage. Hydropower and pumped storage facilities also provide 40% of the power needed to jumpstart a grid after a blackout.
Learn more here: https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/10-reasons-love-water-batteries
Field Employee of the Month
Carlos Olmedo
Enscicon Corporation would like to present our Field Employee of the Month, Carlos Olmedo. Carlos is a Journeyman Millwright/Welder who has been working for Enscicon as a Lead Millwright in Dallas, TX on our Amazon Conveyor project.
“Carlos knows conveyors in and out and has been a solid lead Millwright on several projects.”
Enscicon Corporation
303.980.8600
info@enscicon.com
