The U.S. clean energy industry has entered an exciting era, fueled by policy and supercharged by the urgency of emissions reduction. Alarm bells are sounding globally with higher frequency and greater magnitude extreme weather events such as hurricanes, typhoons, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, and hail. The enactment of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has provided unprecedented support for the build-out of the infrastructure needed to create jobs to advance new, clean energy technologies. Yet even with policy support and motivations to mitigate climate change, clean energy projects must be deployed successfully, operate efficiently, and the businesses must thrive on their own—well past the incentives of the IRA—to make a lasting change to the U.S. energy industry. The technical experts of our industry must come together to share best practices and practical solutions to optimize project performance, strengthen reliability, and increase resilience of projects through extreme weather events. Contribute to the growth and sustainability of clean energy businesses by joining us at ACP’s Resource & Technology Conference.

At this conference, you will join the top techno-commercial minds in the world doing their part to advance clean energy in the United States by developing effective and efficient clean energy projects. This conference offers multiple topics including:

• Combined Technologies: Extreme Conditions & Events, Measurement Systems, Time Series Analysis, Green Hydrogen
• Performance & Reliability: AI & Performance Analytics, Life Extension & Loads Modeling
• Solar & Energy Storage: P50 Bias Update, Advancements in Modeling, Optimization & Dispatch Modeling, Performance Modeling for Asset Management
• Transmission & Basis: Congestion & Basis Modeling, Mitigation Strategies & Off-take Structures
• Wind: Offshore & Metocean, Wakes & Losses, Asset Management & Repowering, Operational Assessment

In addition to presentations and posters on these topics, the conference offers fantastic opportunities for networking and sponsored exhibition space for like-minded folks to brainstorm and resolve some of the bottlenecks in accurate, reliable energy modeling and performance.

I am personally excited to be the co-chair and attend this conference as it offers a unique symbiosis of technical content which is extremely commercially relevant. This place offers subject matter experts’ opinions on topics that really matter. Please join us at ACP’s Resource and Technology Conference in Austin, TX on November 14-15. We look forward to hosting you!

Rethink Your Path to Decarbonization
A wise academic once claimed “complexity is the key to simplicity” and that by “embracing the intricacies of a problem, we uncover the hidden path to its resolution.” We face a similar challenge when we’re looking at ways to make real progress against decarbonizations goals. To “see” opportunities, we need to expand the resolution of our data sets, capturing a more complete (some might say, complex) view of energy usage across the enterprise.

Today, organizations with multiple sites and asset types, disparate data sources and utility bills can find it difficult to generate a comprehensive view of energy and emissions. And all too often, projects to monitor progress against energy or decarbonization goals result in expansive, time consuming and high budget IT implementations. But if we take a step back for a moment, and consider the larger opportunity at hand, three key principles emerge that can guide us to a more effective approach to decarbonization: increase data resolution, break current paradigms, and avoid IT pitfalls.

Unleashing the Power of High-Resolution Data
As the world’s largest producer of energy from the wind and sun, NextEra Energy recognizes that increasing data resolution was a precursor to many major breakthroughs in human history, and the twenty-first century’s decarbonization efforts will be no exception. To achieve the necessary scale of data resolution, paradigms of thought-influencing technology advancement and business practice must be reimagined.

Shifting Paradigms, Shaping the Future
As sets of rules that help us filter information to make quick decisions and keep society running, paradigms are frequently helpful. However, paradigms can pose challenges when strategizing for lofty, out-sized goals. Doubt in the viability of decarbonization solutions and disbelief that they could be economical, reflect these paradigms and the need to leave them behind.

Streamlining to Avoid IT Pitfalls
One of the most common IT pitfalls is related to overcomplication. We must streamline implementations by keeping the goal in mind and avoiding work that does not serve the ultimate purpose of the business initiative. Leaving messy IT projects behind will help launch us into an efficient and sustainable future – and help us more effectively tackle the initiatives that support our decarbonization goals.

Embracing Data-Driven Strategies
In our pursuit of a more sustainable future, data-driven strategies play a crucial role. Tools such as NextEra 360 Connect can be instrumental in helping to maximize data resolution and identify opportunities for energy generation and usage with the aid of AI. This highlights the broader potential of how strategic, data-driven interventions can lead to improved performance and significant savings.

At NextEra Energy Resources, we have been proactive in managing our renewable energy assets and tracking emissions and energy trading strategies. This has not only helped in optimizing our own operations but has also enabled us to assist our clients in efficiently managing their energy needs.

We believe that embracing complexity can lead to innovative simplicity. By increasing resolution and changing paradigms, big problems become manageable, yielding improved financials and sustainability. Our customers are turning data into action to realize real savings:

• One of the world’s largest banks implemented energy trading strategies supporting their 17% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions and reducing their costs by $1.25 / MWh
• A leading US university optimized a hybrid solar and battery storage site to achieve their 100% renewable energy goal and generate over $5 million in savings in six months
• A regional bank implemented smart HVAC set points and achieved
  • 8% savings in the first 3 months of operation
  • 10-15% forecasted savings during the summer months
  • 8% or 10,000 pounds of carbon emission reduction

Ultimately, our journey towards clean energy relies on our willingness to chart a new course, break free from constraining paradigms, and harness the transformative power of data. To explore how NextEra 360 Connect can guide your organization along this journey, please reach out to us at nextera-360@info.nexteraenergy.com.

Check out more of ACP’s blogs, including member company news, events, and research and reports analysis.

Sources

1. – United Nations Global Compact
2. – Science Based Targets
3. – Boston Consulting Group
4. – Venture Beat
5. – McKinsey Digital

In 2021 the COVID-19 pandemic threw global supply chains into disarray, making clear the need to build more resilient supply chains.

America has the innovation, engineering expertise, and natural resources to revive our supply chain. But our industry needs to be able to perform no matter what the world throws at us, whether it’s some unseen supply chain crisis, a meltdown in global logistics, or commodity price shocks.

Fortunately, since the IRA’s passage in August of 2022, �����Ƶ Association (ACP) has documented over 47 new clean energy manufacturing facilities that created 18,000 jobs. That’s on top of the four new U.S. factories Nextracker opened or expanded with its supply partners in 2021-2022.

The clean energy transition faces another serious challenge: rural communities rejecting job-creating renewable energy projects. Even permitted projects face opposition, with disgruntled neighbors harassing landowners. More than have passed in recent years that block or restrict clean energy projects.

We need to engage and think differently about how we connect with our customers and consumers of electricity. If we don’t get our conversation with rural Americans right, we risk billions of development dollars and our best chance at a sustainable long-term national energy supply.

What if the work we’ve already done on reshoring could help? What if bringing factory work and energy security back to America is something we could meaningfully share with rural Americans as they consider whether to host renewable energy production in their communities?

Polling is instructive: In December 2021, 90% of voters think it’s important that the U.S. “produce its own renewable energy equipment here in America.” As Americans, we want things made in America because we identify with the experience of people like Michelle Barszcz, a Lead Line Operator at our partner, BCI Steel’s, new tube mill near Pittsburgh. Michelle is supporting her three children in the very same factory her grandfather worked at when she was a kid. That factory was shuttered, but it now produces critical utility-scale solar tracker components for clean energy projects in the heart of our country. Michelle is someone many Americans can relate to, and she has a perspective to share with them. You can hear her story in this video

We firmly believe that renewables’ ability to cut our foreign energy dependence is one of the most compelling points we can make to rural Americans. Through military service, many have seen firsthand the risk of relying on other countries for our energy. They also know that foreign dictators can’t stop the wind from blowing in Wyoming or the sun from shining in Virginia.

We agree with ACP that new projects, especially domestic manufacturing facilities, are a winning argument because they help Americans connect renewable energy with new jobs and local economic growth. Investments such as the newly dedicated tube mill in Memphis with our partners MSS Steel Tubes will create 130 good-paying manufacturing jobs. With this new factory we’re both boosting our speed and reliability in supplying customers, and we’re investing in American communities. If we communicate what we’re doing, we stand a good chance of increasing the popularity of clean energy among neighboring residents.

Because of these efforts, in central Illinois will be equipped with American-made solar panels on Pittsburgh-made steel; and along with our partner Swift Current Energy, we’re letting everyone know it. As an industry, we’ve in conveying the benefits of our projects to host communities. We can’t afford to do that anymore.

We’ve seen incredible progress and tremendous growth the past 10 years. Our technology works. It’s cost-effective. And it provides energy security and high-quality jobs. We’ve graduated from megawatts to gigawatts, and now we’re on a trajectory for decisions that will have profound consequences for America and the world economy.

McCarthy Building Companies solar installer at the Swift Current Double Black Diamond solar project building the Nextracker “golden row” exemplary row for training and quality purposes. Photo: Swift Current Energy

We need to have focus and discipline not just in how we operate, but also in how we communicate. Our industry has the opportunity to showcase the economic and environmental benefits of solar energy to an expanding American landscape — whether that is farmers, ranchers, rural neighborhoods, or desert communities. The good news is that good business practices are equipping us with strong communications assets. Let’s get out there and use them.

Dan Shugar is the Founder and CEO of Nextracker and a Board Member of �����Ƶ Association.

The US wind and solar industries have received a boost with the introduction of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which includes numerous measures aimed at incentivizing investment in renewable energy.

The �����Ƶ Association (ACP) has described the Act as the “single largest investment in renewable power in the history of this country, and the largest investment in climate action to date.”

It is predicted that solar will represent 54% of the new US utility-scale electric-generating capacity added in 2023, equating to 29.1 GW while

How the Act will impact wind

The Act extends the production tax credit and investment tax credit for wind – and solar – until 2024 before transitioning to a technology-neutral tax credit that will remain in place until 2032 or when electric-sector emissions fall to 75% of 2022 levels, whichever is later.

From the perspective of wind, before the enactment of the Inflation Reduction Act, the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind projects was available only to facilities that began construction (or Safe-Harbored) before 1 January 2022. The IRA extends the PTC to wind projects that begin construction before the end of 2024.

In 2023, it is expected that 6.0GW will be added to the

How the Act will impact solar

The Act provided a timely boost for the US solar industry. It includes long-term solar and storage tax incentives, as well as investments in domestic solar manufacturing.

Provisions in the IRA include significantly expanding US tax credits for solar projects – the revised PTC provides a base credit of 0.5 cents per kilowatt hour (KWh) of electricity produced. For wind and solar projects that satisfy the applicable wage and apprenticeship requirements, the credit rate would be . With also hitting bonus levels for: Domestic Content, Energy and low income communities.

Following a year of disruption due to supply chain and pandemic challenges, 2022 projects are likely to come online at the same time as

According to ACP, “Including these stable policies in the IRA…will finally unleash the full economic potential of swiftly deploying wind, solar, energy storage and transmission – and our industry is ready to deliver.”

How the Act will boost battery energy storage

With such incentives, the wind and solar industries will see the number of farms increase dramatically. ACP’s preliminary assessment of the Act concluded that it would deliver an estimated 525 to 550GW of new, utility-scale clean power during the period 2022-2030.

The ACP added: “With stable policies in place, we expect annual wind, solar, and energy storage capacity installations to grow to over 90 GW by the end of the decade, more than tripling the 28 GW installed in 2021.”

Interestingly, with a 9.4 GW forecast to be added to the existing 8.8 GW of battery storage capacity.

Why and how to protect assets

Such rapid expansion will command higher focus on fire risks as operations, maintenance, and production needs increase exponentially. While fires in the renewable sector are rare, as more wind, solar farms, and battery storage units come online, the industry needs to remain diligent to prevent occurrences from rising as deployment expands.

While infrequent in the renewable energy sector, when they do happen, fires represent a real danger to site personnel and the environment, as well as being costly to the owners and operators. Additionally, public perception could quickly move from being in favor of wind and solar to being against it if fires increase in frequency.

A very effective way to mitigate risks, is to undertake a proper to ensure on-site detection and suppression technology is fitted at the time of installation. By being proactive, operators can earn the trust of investment, insurance companies, and the local community from the word go.

Fire suppression systems are not just available during manufacturing or construction, the technology can also be retrofitted to existing live units. Automatic fire suppression systems like Firetrace automatically target specific ignition sources allowing a flexible, modular approach that can be customized for different makes and models of wind turbines, solar inverters and energy storage units.

about how automatic fire suppression systems work.

This is a guest blog post from ACP Member Firetrace International.  To learn more information on how to become an ACP member, please visit our membership page.����

In 2010, the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) reported that there are 807,000 women that work in construction in the United States. Skilled job roles are becoming gender neutral and the U.S. Department of Labor is promoting and . Yet the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) reported that female wind technicians only made up 1% of their workforce in 2020. How can the fastest growing industry in the United States still be so far behind?

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) of workers in the environmental industry are women.  This is an improvement, but there’s still work to be done. Industry trade associations like ACP work very closely with hundreds of clean energy companies and their leadership daily and this collaboration among the industry gives ACP and fellow member companies the opportunity to be a part of a larger shift in the hiring, retention, and promotion of women throughout our clean power industry.

Female technicians make up 2% of the workforce at Deutsche Windtechnik U.S. currently.  It’s  clear the clean energy industry has work to do to promote gender diversity, and we, as an  industry is committed to doing that important work. The �����Ƶ Association (ACP) and our industry at large is dedicated to the development of the renewable energy workforce. Michele Mihelic, Senior Director of Asset Management and Standard Development at ACP says that the industry has a dedicated workforce development committee that is focused on developing career pathways to ensure there are numerous successful opportunities for diverse and qualified candidates.

Katie Lopez is one of the women who makes up Deutsche Windtechnik USA’s wind technician workforce. Originally from Marksville, LA, Katie moved to Oklahoma in 2010 and dreamed of becoming an actress. But after driving by fields blanketed in wind turbines each day, she was intrigued by the industry.

“I was so curious how anyone could actually climb to the top of a turbine. So, I decided to research the industry and sign up to become a certified wind turbine technician.”

The transition wasn’t without its obstacles. In addition to making a major career change, Katie had to overcome her fear of heights, “The first time I climbed to the top, I could barely stand up straight,” she recalled. Now, she says that admiring the view from the top is one of her favorite parts of being a technician.

Katie as a model. The stepping stone to becoming an actress. (L); Katie working on-site with her colleagues Joe (Service Technician) and Melf (CEO). (R)

Soon after joining Deutsche Windtechnik in October 2020, Katie was  recognized for her curiosity and passion for learning. Less than six months into her role as a Service Technician, she transitioned into a new role as a Technical Trainer. Today, Katie is valued and respected for her expertise  in developing the in-house training program for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and NEG Micon. Her passion for teaching is remarkable and inspiring.

When asked about advice for women wanting to join the industry, where the percentage of women seen in technical roles are so low, Katie’s response was,

“Wind energy is growing so quickly. We need all the help we can get. Being a wind tech should be seen as a job that’s open to everyone. If you show up and work hard, that’s all that matters.”

Katie’s unique career path is just one great example of the huge opportunity that  renewable energy  holds for women looking to advance in some of the fastest growing careers in America. With the potential to expand to over 1 million jobs by 2030, the clean energy industry will provide good paying jobs for Americans across the country for years to come.

Considering becoming a certified wind turbine technician? to find a school near you. to learn more about Deutsche Windtechnik and how to join our family.

This is a guest blog post from ACP Member Deutsche Windtechnik.  To learn more information on how to become an ACP member, please visit our membership page.����

Widespread integration of renewable energy is a foundational component of the United States’ ability to address climate change, with promising growth in the renewable industry largely due to declining technology costs and ambitious renewable portfolio standards. However, wind and solar still only account for 10.7% of the country’s generation capacity. The rate at which new renewable generation is brought online will have to increase dramatically to reach net-zero electricity generation by 2050 – a deadline most climate experts agree must be met if we are to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

The current pace of integration is not due to lack of interest in building projects, but rather that so many of them get stuck near the finish line. As of 2020, there are nearly 277 GWs of solar and 107 GWs of wind trapped in generator interconnection queues throughout the country. So why aren’t more projects getting built if the need and desire are so high? The simple answer for many projects is – .

Recently, developers, utilities and system operators have begun exploring GETs to help address these constraints and reliably deploy more generation over today’s transmission grid. GETs are hardware and software solutions that increase the capacity, efficiency and/or reliability of the existing transmission grid, including .

GETs in Action 

National Grid, the national transmission owner for the United Kingdom (NGET), was facing an issue that is becoming common among utilities – transmission constraints were preventing renewable energy from reaching millions of customers, even though available capacity existed on adjacent circuits. To address this issue, NGET contracted with , the leading provider of advanced power flow control, to install Smart Wires technology across 5 critical circuits to relieve constraints.  The installation was completed in 12 months and , which enabled renewable energy to reach an additional 1 million homes within the region.

A growing number of high value GETs installations have led many Utilities and System Operators around the world to begin implementing their own GETs projects to modernize their grids and accelerate renewable energy integration.

SmartValve installation on the U.K. electricity grid to help alleviate constraints and unlock capacity for increased renewable generation.

Catching Up with Shared Savings

Sadly, the United States is currently lagging in deployment of GETs. The shared savings incentive model proposed by WATT would help to align incentives and quickly deploy GETs to maximize the use of the existing grid. The proposal enables a stakeholder that proposes a GETs project to receive a portion of the system-wide cost savings generated by their proposed project. This structure encourages creative, efficient solutions that increase system deliverability and integrate additional clean energy projects on an accelerated timeline with minimal permitting requirements and low costs.

The FERC workshop explored intricacies of the proposal, discussed steps necessary for successful implementation, and provided insight into the many benefits a shared savings incentive for GETs could yield for consumers, developers, and transmission owners. While some questions were raised about utility and system operator readiness to model and operate GETs, the Smart Wires experience to date has been that power flow control deployments show overwhelming consumer benefit under a wide variety of operating conditions. One stark reality is that some of the modeling tools that grid operators use are outdated, and updated tools would make it much easier to quantify the full value of GETs – and both their projected and real-world savings to customers.

A comprehensive shared savings proposal implemented by FERC would incentivize development of more sophisticated GETs evaluation packages to support developers and utilities alike. Overall, stakeholders left the event optimistic about incentive implementation with With no time to waste to reach net zero emissions, advancing the WATT proposal will yield a faster, more cost-effective clean energy transition. We look forward to continue collaborating with ACP and other partner organizations to keep up the pressure to GET us to a Clean Energy Future.

This is a guest blog post from ACP Member Smart Wires.  To learn more information on how to become an ACP member, please visit our membership page.����

Nor are wind and solar niche technologies—many of the world’s biggest names in energy are rapidly adding renewables to their portfolios. The comes from bp, which just a deal to acquire 9 gigawatts (GW) of currently under development. The move comes as the company works to meet its target of developing 20 GW of net renewable generating capacity by 2025 and 50 GW by 2030.  bp now has 23 GW of renewables projects under development. The new projects span 12 states, will create thousands of well-paying jobs, and will be developed by Lightsource bp.

We’re boosting our solar business in the US, purchasing 9GW of solar assets – enough to power 1.7 mil US homes💡
🎯Significant progress towards our aim of 50GW of renewable energy by 2030
🤝Strengthening our partnership w/
👷Potential to create thousands of jobs

— bp America (@bp_America)

As noted, these projects are not only emission free, they also make financial sense, as they satisfy criteria for generating returns of at least 8 to 10 percent on low-carbon investments.

“With this purchase, we are continuing to put our strategy in action as we grow our renewables business in a deliberate and disciplined way,” said Dev Sanyal, bp executive vice president of gas and low carbon energy. “It brings us 9GW of high-quality solar projects in markets where we can create integrated renewable energy offers through our trading and customer franchises.”

The U.S. is well on its way to a majority renewable future, as businesses of all types, from independent power producers to utilities to legacy oil and has companies, build the wind and solar projects powering tomorrow.

Now, turbine manufacturer has partnered with other groups and developed a possible . The company, along with Olin, the Danish Technological Institute (DTI), and Aarhus University has created an initiative called CETEC (Circular Economy for Thermosets Epoxy Composites). Using a two-step chemical process, CETEC provides a way to break down blades into their virgin components, which can then be used to make brand new blades, forming a circular manufacturing process and eliminating the need for blades to be landfilled.

“As global commitments to a net-zero future increase, it’s absolutely crucial to ensure the wind industry can scale sustainably, which includes Vestas fulfilling our ambition to produce zero-waste turbines by 2040, , Head of Sustainability and Advanced Materials, Vestas Innovation and Concepts. “Leveraging this new technological breakthrough in chemcycling epoxy resin, the CETEC project will be a significant milestone in Vestas’ journey towards achieving this goal, and in enabling a future where landfill is no longer required in blade decommissioning.”

Wind turbines are already 85 to 90 percent recyclable, and the blades pose the final gap. The challenge of how to handle blades remains a technological question rather than an environmental one—blades constitute an infinitesimal portion of our solid waste stream, and they’re inert materials that don’t break down in harmful ways then they do end up in a landfill. Certainly, a fix is on the horizon. Because good stewardship is a core value for the U.S. wind industry, lots of attention has been focused on solving this last piece of the puzzle, and this latest development is another sign a solution is in sight.

• was named a TIME 100 Companies “Leader” for showing a possible path forward for energy companies weighing options amid a global push toward clean energy, including its efforts in offshore wind.
• made the list in the “Titan” category for its commitment to changing course and zeroing out its carbon footprint.
• , the world’s leading offshore wind operator, was named to the “Innovator” category for its efforts in pioneering the global transition away from fossil fuels to renewable-energy sources like offshore wind.
• Named as a “Disruptor,” was included for its efforts in shaping a sustainable energy future.
• , a top corporate purchaser of renewable energy, was included in the “Titan” category for the impact the company is making around the world.

These five companies seized the spotlight this time, but similar stories abound throughout ACP’s membership as we build a future powered by affordable, reliable, clean energy.