On Jul 30, 2020, Governor Newsome issued a Proclamation of a State of Emergency. According to the Proclamation, “California currently faces an additional projected energy supply shortage of up to 3,500 megawatts during the afternoon-evening ‘net-peak’ period of high power demand on days when there are extreme weather conditions, which is even greater than projected...
Author: Michael Rochman (Michael Rochman)
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How to Protect your Organization from Ransomware Attacks
According to a recent CalMatters article, “Nearly 1,700 schools across the country were affected by ransomware attacks last year, according to New Zealand-based software company Emsisoft. In California, at least 26 schools have experienced a ransomware attack since 2019, often with harsh consequences: Sierra College had some systems shut down during finals week; Newhall School...
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Gov. Newsom Suspends Enviro Regs on Power Generation During Grid Strain Events
Twice so far in 2021, Governor Newsom has suspended *all* environmental regulations on CA electricity generators for at least three days at a time. On each of June 17 and July 9, the Governor issued State of Emergency proclamations covering separate “Extreme Heat Events” lasting several days. During each Extreme Heat Event, “[a]ny permit, regulation...
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Under Attack: California Schools Face Ransomware Threat
According to this article, “Experts interviewed by CalMatters – including researchers, cybersecurity companies, IT employees and the FBI – all agree the number of cyberattacks has increased over the pandemic. Many believe the number of attacks on the education sector has also increased, but it’s an area so new to cybercrime that there’s virtually no...
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2021 SPURR Annual Member Meeting Presentation
The slide presentation from the recent 2021 SPURR Joint Powers Authority Annual Member Meeting Presentation is linked below: SPURR Annual Member Meeting Presentation Agenda items include reports and discussion regarding SPURR’s programs and other topics: Solar Power and Energy Storage LED Lighting and Energy Conservation Natural Gas Supply Grid Power Electricity Supply Pending Legislation and...
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CA Faces Energy Resources Shortfall
California faces energy resource shortfalls amid extreme heat and drought. On June 27, 2021, the CA grid operator warned that rising temperatures and drought conditions mean there could be resource shortfalls early in the week. Electricity consumers should be prepared to reduce their consumption, the grid operator (CAISO) said. Demand response and customer conservation “are...
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Why are Solar PPA Prices Creeping Upward?
Why are solar PPA prices creeping upward? It’s complicated, experts say. Prices for solar PPAs in North America rose 2.6% during the first quarter of 2021 compared to the prior quarter, according to data from LevelTen Energy’s PPA marketplace. But the rise wasn’t part of any sudden shift — according to LevelTen, solar PPA prices...
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Who Will Pay for Legacy Natural Gas Utility Costs?
UC Berkeley economics and energy researchers studied the growing “electrify everything” movement, which aims to transition utility customers from natural gas toward electricity. As regulated monopolies, natural gas utility distribution companies recover fixed costs by spreading fees across their customer base. Researchers found that utilities that lose customers historically maintain pipeline infrastructure even as the...
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Record High Wildfire Threats Force Cal. to Pick When & Where to Fight Utilities
Record wildfire threats like winds, drought, and heat take the wildfire fight much farther that utilities, forcing California to pick when and where to fight utilities. Since 2017, California has had 13 of its 20 most destructive fires , seven of its 20 deadliest fires , average temperature is up almost 3°F and it’s eight warmest years have been since 2010,...
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Rapid ‘Energy Efficiency as a Service’ Growth Belies Financing & Difficulties
According to panelists at the US Department of Energy’s Better Buildings summit, energy service providers offering off-balance sheet efficiency products have seen rapid growth in the number of deals signed each year. A 2017 market report by Navigant estimated Energy Efficiency as a Service could become a $221 billion market by 2026, up from about...