Ric O'Connell
@ricoconnell.bsky.social
ED of GridLab dot org. Clean=reliable. Earnest cyclist.
If only we had something that could transfer power between regions...? Although the map is looking pretty red everywhere - maybe ERCOT could be exporting?
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June 24, 2025 at 11:07 PM
If only we had something that could transfer power between regions...? Although the map is looking pretty red everywhere - maybe ERCOT could be exporting?
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Gonna be a long hot night on the east coast. @gridstatus.io
Check out the prices in NYISO - almost $1,500/MWh.
Check out the prices in NYISO - almost $1,500/MWh.
June 24, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Gonna be a long hot night on the east coast. @gridstatus.io
Check out the prices in NYISO - almost $1,500/MWh.
Check out the prices in NYISO - almost $1,500/MWh.
China just surpasses 1 TW of solar - installed nearly 100 GW just last *month*
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@jmijin.bsky.social War is evil.
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@jmijin.bsky.social War is evil.
June 24, 2025 at 4:50 PM
China just surpasses 1 TW of solar - installed nearly 100 GW just last *month*
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@jmijin.bsky.social War is evil.
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@jmijin.bsky.social War is evil.
@gridstatus.io - great shot of the heat wave driving up prices across the Eastern Interconnect. But Texas? Doing just fine thanks to solar, wind and storage - prices are muted even at 6:00 Central.
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Also, war sucks.
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Also, war sucks.
June 23, 2025 at 11:20 PM
@gridstatus.io - great shot of the heat wave driving up prices across the Eastern Interconnect. But Texas? Doing just fine thanks to solar, wind and storage - prices are muted even at 6:00 Central.
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Also, war sucks.
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Also, war sucks.
Check out the ERCOT Large Load queue. F*ing wild. 156GW on an 80 GW system, more than *doubled* since December. 20 GW under study (pretty firm!).
June 18, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Check out the ERCOT Large Load queue. F*ing wild. 156GW on an 80 GW system, more than *doubled* since December. 20 GW under study (pretty firm!).
The Spanish authorities circulated a report yesterday that brings some conclusion to the Spanish blackout story. Turns out it was a voltage problem, not a frequency problem.
urldefense.com/v3/__https:/...
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urldefense.com/v3/__https:/...
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Se presenta el informe del Comité de análisis de la crisis eléctrica del 28 de abril
Se presenta el informe del Comité de análisis de la crisis eléctrica del 28 de abril
urldefense.com
June 18, 2025 at 5:20 PM
The Spanish authorities circulated a report yesterday that brings some conclusion to the Spanish blackout story. Turns out it was a voltage problem, not a frequency problem.
urldefense.com/v3/__https:/...
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urldefense.com/v3/__https:/...
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Now that we know the Spanish grid instability was a voltage control issue, will Bjorn Lomborg retract his terrible OpEd in the WSJ where he blamed solar and wind and a lack of inertia?
I doubt it.
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www.wsj.com/opinion/the-...
I doubt it.
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www.wsj.com/opinion/the-...
Opinion | The Physics Behind the Spanish Blackout
Madrid knew solar and wind power were unreliable but pressed ahead anyway.
www.wsj.com
June 17, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Now that we know the Spanish grid instability was a voltage control issue, will Bjorn Lomborg retract his terrible OpEd in the WSJ where he blamed solar and wind and a lack of inertia?
I doubt it.
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www.wsj.com/opinion/the-...
I doubt it.
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www.wsj.com/opinion/the-...
Here's Adam Keech, VP at PJM, stating that inter-regional transmission won't help PJM "because other regions don't have excess capacity" - has he not hear of coincident peak?
This is from the FERC conference on Resource Adequacy last week.
This is from the FERC conference on Resource Adequacy last week.
June 16, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Here's Adam Keech, VP at PJM, stating that inter-regional transmission won't help PJM "because other regions don't have excess capacity" - has he not hear of coincident peak?
This is from the FERC conference on Resource Adequacy last week.
This is from the FERC conference on Resource Adequacy last week.
Here's a great visual from EIA on Natural Gas prices in the short term. Check out the upper bound!
June 9, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Here's a great visual from EIA on Natural Gas prices in the short term. Check out the upper bound!
Darn. Doesn't seem like an energy emergency? US produced more energy than it ever had in 2024..yet we have an "energy emergency" Executive Order?
www.eia.gov/todayinenerg...
www.eia.gov/todayinenerg...
In 2024, the United States produced more energy than ever before - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
www.eia.gov
June 9, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Darn. Doesn't seem like an energy emergency? US produced more energy than it ever had in 2024..yet we have an "energy emergency" Executive Order?
www.eia.gov/todayinenerg...
www.eia.gov/todayinenerg...
I know there's a lot going on right now, but NYMEX natural gas futures for January are $5/MMBtu. This is going to mean price increases for electricity for Americans, and is the worst possible time to be slowing down wind and solar deployment by taking away tax credits.
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June 9, 2025 at 4:38 PM
I know there's a lot going on right now, but NYMEX natural gas futures for January are $5/MMBtu. This is going to mean price increases for electricity for Americans, and is the worst possible time to be slowing down wind and solar deployment by taking away tax credits.
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Hello Journalists! Please stop calling curtailed energy "wasted." Curtailment is a feature, not a bug, of high RE systems and a signal we need more transmission and/or batteries. This article says "3,400 GWh" which sounds big, but its only 7% of solar gen.
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www.canarymedia.com/articles/sol...
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www.canarymedia.com/articles/sol...
Chart: California is wasting more and more clean energy
The state produces more clean energy than its grid can handle, forcing it to curtail the extra wind and solar power it can’t use. There are ways to fix…
www.canarymedia.com
June 6, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Hello Journalists! Please stop calling curtailed energy "wasted." Curtailment is a feature, not a bug, of high RE systems and a signal we need more transmission and/or batteries. This article says "3,400 GWh" which sounds big, but its only 7% of solar gen.
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www.canarymedia.com/articles/sol...
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www.canarymedia.com/articles/sol...
Look at this gorgeous chart from @gridstatus.io on the energy transition in California. Those that said solar would not be able to replace gas were wrong. The drop in gas from 2023 to 2024 is real, but it also includes a change in the way @californiaiso.bsky.social tracks gas generation.
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June 5, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Look at this gorgeous chart from @gridstatus.io on the energy transition in California. Those that said solar would not be able to replace gas were wrong. The drop in gas from 2023 to 2024 is real, but it also includes a change in the way @californiaiso.bsky.social tracks gas generation.
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Does anyone care about Bjorn Lomborg anymore? It is worth pushing back against this horrible WSJ OpEd he just wrote on Spain?
I love this title - "the physics behind the Spanish Blackout" - last time I checked, Bjorn was not a physicist.
#EnergySky
governorswindenergycoalition.org/the-physics-...
I love this title - "the physics behind the Spanish Blackout" - last time I checked, Bjorn was not a physicist.
#EnergySky
governorswindenergycoalition.org/the-physics-...
The Physics Behind the Spanish Blackout - Governors' Wind Energy Coalition
governorswindenergycoalition.org
June 5, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Does anyone care about Bjorn Lomborg anymore? It is worth pushing back against this horrible WSJ OpEd he just wrote on Spain?
I love this title - "the physics behind the Spanish Blackout" - last time I checked, Bjorn was not a physicist.
#EnergySky
governorswindenergycoalition.org/the-physics-...
I love this title - "the physics behind the Spanish Blackout" - last time I checked, Bjorn was not a physicist.
#EnergySky
governorswindenergycoalition.org/the-physics-...
Five years ago we released our 2035 Report, laying out a roadmap for getting the US Power sector to 90% carbon free by 2035. It was a simple and pragmatic approach, keep existing carbon free generation like nuclear and hydro, add a lot of wind, solar and batteries,
#EnergySky
2035report.com
#EnergySky
2035report.com
H2035report.com
June 5, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Five years ago we released our 2035 Report, laying out a roadmap for getting the US Power sector to 90% carbon free by 2035. It was a simple and pragmatic approach, keep existing carbon free generation like nuclear and hydro, add a lot of wind, solar and batteries,
#EnergySky
2035report.com
#EnergySky
2035report.com
Such a great detailed look at @californiaiso.bsky.social
June 5, 2025 at 3:25 AM
Such a great detailed look at @californiaiso.bsky.social
Transmission Congestion 101. This is the snapshot of the Entergy New Orleans load shed event. Look at the negative pricing (dark blue) just ~200 miles away from the $2,000/MWh (dark red) in Southern LA
#EnergySky
@gridstatus.io
#EnergySky
@gridstatus.io
May 30, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Transmission Congestion 101. This is the snapshot of the Entergy New Orleans load shed event. Look at the negative pricing (dark blue) just ~200 miles away from the $2,000/MWh (dark red) in Southern LA
#EnergySky
@gridstatus.io
#EnergySky
@gridstatus.io
A great visualization of how the @californiaiso.bsky.social grid has changed dramatically. Here's the 2020 load shed event (Aug 15-16 - left) compared to the same days 4 years later. Look at how much solar and storage have changed the power mix - so much less imports and gas. @gridstatus.io
May 30, 2025 at 1:24 AM
A great visualization of how the @californiaiso.bsky.social grid has changed dramatically. Here's the 2020 load shed event (Aug 15-16 - left) compared to the same days 4 years later. Look at how much solar and storage have changed the power mix - so much less imports and gas. @gridstatus.io
I remember when it was 0.1%. That wasn't so long ago!
April was the first month where solar power generated more than 10% of US electricity ☀️🇺🇸
Solar's share is growing rapidly and is accelerating further:
April 2019: 3.3%
April 2022: 6.2%
April 2025: 10.7% 🏆
from our latest @ember-energy.org data
Solar's share is growing rapidly and is accelerating further:
April 2019: 3.3%
April 2022: 6.2%
April 2025: 10.7% 🏆
from our latest @ember-energy.org data
May 30, 2025 at 1:21 AM
I remember when it was 0.1%. That wasn't so long ago!
Was camping in the Feather River last weekend. The 300 MW hydro system is called the "staircase of power" This is where PG&E lines sparked both the Camp and Dixie fires, two incredibly destructive wildfires. All the transmission facilities routed from the 5 hydro powerhouses are now all rebuilt.
May 29, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Was camping in the Feather River last weekend. The 300 MW hydro system is called the "staircase of power" This is where PG&E lines sparked both the Camp and Dixie fires, two incredibly destructive wildfires. All the transmission facilities routed from the 5 hydro powerhouses are now all rebuilt.
Jesus. Let's hope SunZia and TransWest Express meets the placed in service date to qualify for tax credits. I'm sure folks at both companies are stressed about project timelines at this point.
#EnergySky
#EnergySky
May 22, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Jesus. Let's hope SunZia and TransWest Express meets the placed in service date to qualify for tax credits. I'm sure folks at both companies are stressed about project timelines at this point.
#EnergySky
#EnergySky
Capacity accreditation is deep and nerdy and super important. What happened last PJM auction cycle was an ironic shift: gas underperformed in winter storm Elliot, so PJM assigned much lower capacity values to gas - dropping from ~90% to %60%.
Now we had less capacity, so prices shot up
#EnergySky
Now we had less capacity, so prices shot up
#EnergySky
May 22, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Capacity accreditation is deep and nerdy and super important. What happened last PJM auction cycle was an ironic shift: gas underperformed in winter storm Elliot, so PJM assigned much lower capacity values to gas - dropping from ~90% to %60%.
Now we had less capacity, so prices shot up
#EnergySky
Now we had less capacity, so prices shot up
#EnergySky
Affordability of electricity is crucial if we are going to use the grid to decarbonize other sectors. Distribution system capital deployment continues to outstrip other sectors (generation, transmission). Not clear what we are getting for all those $$.
#EnergySky
#EnergySky
May 19, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Affordability of electricity is crucial if we are going to use the grid to decarbonize other sectors. Distribution system capital deployment continues to outstrip other sectors (generation, transmission). Not clear what we are getting for all those $$.
#EnergySky
#EnergySky
@nathanielbullard.com and team at Halycon made a cool new data product - helping all of us understand what the "real" cost of a new natural gas turbine is. Super important - if you are using NREL ATB or EIA data you would be 100-150% low in your cost estimate. #EnergySky
halcyon.io/blog/gas-pow...
halcyon.io/blog/gas-pow...
Our First Data Product
Nat Bullard introduces Halcyon AI's first data product for energy professionals: a regularly updated US gas power plant cost tracker
halcyon.io
May 15, 2025 at 9:47 PM
@nathanielbullard.com and team at Halycon made a cool new data product - helping all of us understand what the "real" cost of a new natural gas turbine is. Super important - if you are using NREL ATB or EIA data you would be 100-150% low in your cost estimate. #EnergySky
halcyon.io/blog/gas-pow...
halcyon.io/blog/gas-pow...
Great takeaway from Aurora and @douglewin.bsky.social modeling what would happen should TX pass this awful bill.
Killing clean energy will drive up prices, and likely more than than this, because more gas demand will also drive gas prices us (h/t to @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social for pointing this out)
Killing clean energy will drive up prices, and likely more than than this, because more gas demand will also drive gas prices us (h/t to @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social for pointing this out)
May 15, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Great takeaway from Aurora and @douglewin.bsky.social modeling what would happen should TX pass this awful bill.
Killing clean energy will drive up prices, and likely more than than this, because more gas demand will also drive gas prices us (h/t to @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social for pointing this out)
Killing clean energy will drive up prices, and likely more than than this, because more gas demand will also drive gas prices us (h/t to @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social for pointing this out)