As the line to connect generation projects to the grid gets longer, interconnection costs are going up. We collected and analyzed data from the PJM interconnect, our second analysis in a series exploring interconnection costs. Thread… emp.lbl.gov/interconnectio… @rtoinsider @CleanEnergyGrid @FERC @ClementsFERC @CleanFERC @ACORE @gregwetstone @TKavulla @EPSAnews @SEIA PJM has the largest queue of any region. Cumulative GW grew 4x from 2017 to 2021 to 288GW. Preliminary numbers show another 40 GW for 2022, making the total in the queue 2x PJM’s highest load. 93% is renewables or storage. See queue data at emp.lbl.gov/node/3133. 2/x

The power plant of the future is a hybrid – generation plus storage. Batteries help smooth the output of solar and wind, increasing their value, but raise key questions about grid operations. In a new report we round up our body of research on hybrids. Our TOP TEN findings... 🧵 @POWERmagazine @ELECTRICPOWER @SEPAPower @APowerAlliance @Edison_Electric @publicpowerorg @NRECANews @IPPNYORG @aectnet @BerkeleyLab First, here’s a summary of the top 10 findings on our hybrid research. For the full report see emp.lbl.gov/publications/b…. 2/x

Our update on the grid interconnection queues is out, and folks, we are in new territory. Terawatt territory. THREAD! emp.lbl.gov/queues There is now a staggering 1.4 TERAWATTS of generation and storage capacity in interconnection queues in the US – more than the capacity of ALL existing power plants – though most will not be built. For full data and more, see QUEUED UP at emp.lbl.gov/queues. 2/x

The race is on! The declining COST of wind and solar power is in a race with declining MARKET VALUE: which will win? New research in Joule looks at trends by region, at emp.lbl.gov/news/declining… THREAD! While solar has high value at low penetrations, value falls as output grows – solar is 19% of generation in CAISO, with major drops in value. Wind has low value at every penetration, but has faced less value decline with market share to date. 2/x

We have new data on utility interconnection queues! THREAD! There is now over 750 GW of generation and 200 GW of storage capacity in interconnection queues in the US – a new record. For full data and more, see QUEUED UP at emp.lbl.gov/publications/q…. 1/x To put that in perspective, the US had a total of 1,117 GW of utility-scale capacity operating last year. While not all projects will get built, it shows strong commercial interest in new development. See the interactive data visualization at emp.lbl.gov/publications/q… 2/x

THREAD: In 2005, the official Annual Energy Outlook saw power sector CO2 rising from 2,400 to 3,000 MMT by 2020. But actual emissions fell to 1,450 MMT, 52% below projected levels. A new @BerkeleyLab report looks at how we got “halfway to zero.” emp.lbl.gov/publications/h… 1/11 The biggest change was drastically less demand for electricity, due in part to sectoral and economic changes, but also to greater energy efficiency driven by policies and technology advancement. Instead of rising by 24% it was dead flat. 2/11

The new @BerkeleyLab compilation of utility-scale #solar data and trends is out! A briefing slide deck, data file, maps, and data visualizations can all be found at utilityscalesolar.lbl.gov.

Here are some highlights → THREAD More than 4.5 GW of utility-scale (>5 MW) solar came online in 2019, bringing cumulative capacity to 29 GW. Projects are spread across all 10 regions that we track, though more heavily concentrated in the sunniest regions. Maps and data available at utilityscalesolar.lbl.gov. 2/x

THREAD: New research from @BerkeleyLab, published in @NatureEnergyJnl, shows that policy and business model interventions can help low- and moderate-income households enjoy the benefits of rooftop #solar. Online at rdcu.be/b993z 1/x Many states have programs to help low-income households go solar. But which create the biggest effects? Our research compares LMI incentives, leasing, and PACE finance programs. emp.lbl.gov/publications/i… 2/x

THREAD ALERT! Our annual “Tracking the Sun” report on distributed #solar is out! We have price, technology and other data from 1.6 million PV systems, representing 81% of the total installed through 2018. 1/x emp.lbl.gov/tracking-the-s… @BerkeleyLab @BerkeleyLabETA @SEIA @CALSSA_org @CalEnergy @pvmagazineusa @ASES_Solar @SEPAPower @SolarPowerWorld @SolarIndustry Median installed prices for distributed #solar were $3.70/W for residential, $3.00/W for small non-residential, and $2.40/W for large non-residential systems last year, down 5-7% from 2017. 2/x