Missouri
Municipal Electric Utilities, Governor Support Power Line Project
Earlier
this year, the Missouri
Public Service Commission (PSC) rejected a proposal for a power
line that would carry electricity generated at wind farms in Kansas to
the grid in Indiana. The
PSC’s decision was based, in part, on the fact that no Missouri
customers would use the line or the energy it carried.
Clean
Line Energy, which proposed the project, has been looking to overcome
this object. It has brokered a deal with the Missouri Joint Municipal Electric
Utility Commission (MJMEUC), which represents a pool of municipal utilities
that pool resources to by power. MJMEUC has 67 municipal utility member and 35
are expected to take part in the deal if it is approved.
In
addition, Missouri Governor Jay
Nixon has expressed his support for the transmission line. In his
statement, Nixon emphasized the energy savings and jobs that would be created
the $500 million construction project.
The
line must be approved by the Missouri PSC. It is likely to be opposed by
affected landowners who campaigned against the original proposal. Official in
Kansas, Illinois and
Indiana have already approved the project.
What Are the Advantages of
Microgrids?
This
is the second in a series of posts on microgrids. See
the previous post for a description of what is a microgrid.
Microgrids
have several potential benefits. These include
-backup
energy supply and improved reliability,
-environmental
benefits,
-exploitation
of local and alterative resources,
-increased
energy efficiency and reduced energy consumption, and
-reduced
cost.
Backup Energy Supply and
Improved Reliability
Because
microgrids can operate independently of the larger grid, they may be able to
continue to operate when there is an outage elsewhere on the main grid.
Environmental Benefits
Microgrids
are not inherently less polluting than large grids, but they may afford
opportunities to manage energy resources in manners that may reduce pollution.
Microgrids may be more easily able to exploit variable or small renewable
sources including solar and wind energy. These smaller power supplies may also
be able to address local peaks and reduce the need to ramp up production at
larger, and potentially more polluting, power plants.
Exploit Local and Alternative
Resources
Sometimes
local energy resources are available that are not suitable for use on a large
grid because they are not sufficiently powerful or reliable. Solar energy, an
alternative energy source that is variable and relative low power, is an
example of a resource that may be more easily exploited by a microgrid.
Reduced Cost
Microgrids
might be managed in a manner to reduce costs. For instance, when prices are
high during periods of peak demand, a microgrid might switch to a local power
supply that is less expensive. This will also reduce the peak on the larger
grid, meaning larger power plants do not have to ramp up production as much or
be built to address large peaks.
If
you’re interested in finding out more about microgrids, here are some resources
to get you started.
60
Years of Interstate Highways
President Dwight Eisenhower
signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 on June 29 of that year. Though
previous legislation had authorized interstate highways, it was under this act
and the Eisenhower administration that our interstate system began in earnest.
Interstates have proven to be a
safe way to travel (the fatality rate on interstates is less the rate on other
routes).
Even so, the roads are showing
signs of aging. Many sections are in poor condition and many bridges are
structurally deficient.
Keeping up with the maintenance
needs of the interstate system is an enormous task. The U.S.
Department of Transportation estimates that the backlog if needed
improvements totals $189 billion.
Relate Posts and Articles
Missouri Legislature Fails to
Act on Transportation Tax
Though a bill passed in the Missouri
Senate, the state’s General
Assembly did not act on a proposed fuel tax increase before closing
its session in May. You can read more about this issue here.
COMPLAINTS
DEPARTMENT
Blogger
Considers Career Change
That
doesn’t mean I’ll quit blogging. I’ve never made a living (or even a dime) from
blogging, and it has always taken a back seat to other things. By day, I’m an
employee of a state that pays the lowest wages of any state (even
our legislators are starting to complain about it).
Maybe I should cross the river and go back to school where I can
learn to be a brewmaster, or possibly a vintner. As I
recall, looking through the fog of a couple of decades, I did reasonably well
in my undergraduate food processing class, so maybe I can build on that.
No comments:
Post a Comment