[Japan] Japan’s Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy Released its Interim Report on Building Sustainable Power Systems

On December 26, 2019, Japan’s Strategic Policy Committee of the Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy released its interim report on Building Sustainable Power Systems. The interim report includes the Committee’s recommendations to rebuild Japan’s power systems and improve resilience.

Japan’s energy landscape is rapidly changing due: increasing resiliency needs; growing demand for decarbonization in response to the Paris Agreement; decentralization of networks through the introduction of renewable energy; and emerging new energy businesses that utilize Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). The Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE) has established the Building Sustainable Power Systems Subcommittee under the Strategic Policy Committee to develop policies and measures to adapt to these changes.

The subcommittee held four meetings in 2019 from November to December to discuss these issues and released its findings in the interim report. The report highlights the following: [1]

     I.        Strengthening stakeholder collaboration for faster disaster recovery: the subcommittee discussed the need for a disaster coordination plan to improve disaster response collaboration among utility companies to shorten the recovery period. The subcommittee also proposed the establishment of a cost sharing mechanism for disaster recovery.

   II.        Creating a resilient power network: Typhoon No. 15 (Faxai) caused serious damage to the power network. In order to mitigate power outages during large-scale disasters, the subcommittee discussed the need to replace aging equipment and improve the inter-regional interconnection of the distribution network for a robust and sustainable power system.

     III.            Promoting decentralized power system: Typhoon No. 15 highlighted the need to place distributed energy resources for remote and hard-to-reach areas in advance, in order to quickly recover from a disaster. The subcommittee emphasized the importance of promoting and investing in distributed energy resources in these areas to improve resiliency including microgrids, renewable energy, storage batteries, and electric vehicles.

[1] https://www.enecho.meti.go.jp/committee/council/basic_policy_subcommittee/#system_kouchiku

［USA］Dominion Energy announces 2050 net-zero emissions commitment

Dominion Energy announced its commitment to reaching net-zero emissions in its power generation and natural gas operations by 2050 on February 11, 2020.[1] Dominion has previously committed to cut methane emissions from its natural gas operations by 50% between 2010 and 2030 and carbon emissions from its power generating facilities by 80% between 2005 and 2050. So far, Dominion has cut carbon emissions approximately 50% since 2005 and reduced methane emissions by nearly 25% since 2010.

Under the new net zero goal, Dominion will decrease methane emissions by 65% by 2030 and 80% by 2040, from 2010 levels. To achieve these reductions, Dominion will extend licenses for its nuclear generation fleet, promote customer energy efficiency programs, and invest in wind and solar power. Additionally, Dominion plans to invest in carbon-beneficial renewable natural gas (RNG) projects that will capture an amount of methane from U.S. farms at least equivalent to any remaining methane and carbon dioxide emissions from the company's natural gas operations. The utility did acknowledge that achieving this goal will also require supportive policies and technology advancements.

[1] https://news.dominionenergy.com/2020-02-11-Dominion-Energy-Sets-New-Goal-of-Net-Zero-Emissions-by-2050

［USA］Vineyard Wind rethinks offshore wind project timeline following BOEM permitting update

On February 11, 2020 Vineyard Wind, an offshore wind developer, announced that its offshore wind project off the coast of Massachusetts will not be in commercial operation in 2022 as previously expected following an updated permitting timeline from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on February 7, 2020.[1][2] BOEM is aiming to issue the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the project on November 13, 2020, and a final decision on December 18, 2020. The previous permitting timeline would have led to a final EIS by June 7, 2019.[3] The BOEM stated that the delay is due to comments from stakeholders and cooperating agencies that requested a more robust analysis. BOEM has also decided to supplement the draft EIS and solicit comments on its revised cumulative impacts analysis. Vineyard Wind needs the EIS before it can begin construction on its offshore wind project. However, to qualify for the federal production tax credit, Vineyard Wind would have needed to begin construction by the end of 2020.

[1] https://www.vineyardwind.com/press-releases/2020/2/11/statement-on-boem-timeline

[2] https://www.boem.gov/vineyard-wind

[3] https://www.boem.gov/sites/default/files/documents/renewable-energy/state-activities/Vineyard-Wind-SEIS-Permitting-Timetable.pdf

［USA］House Democrats Release $760 Billion Framework to Make Infrastructure Investments Across U.S.

The Chairs of three committees in the U.S. House of Representatives released a five-year, $760 billion infrastructure blueprint, the Moving Forward Framework, on January 29, 2020 that they say would address the country's maintenance backlog while also cutting emissions in the transportation sector.[1] Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ), and Ways and Means Committee Chair Richard Neal (D-MA) emphasized that a key part of their framework is the need to bring emissions down and fight against climate change.

The proposal would invest $329 billion to modernize bridges and highways, $105 billion in transit, $55 billion in rail, and $86 billion to improve broadband internet access to unserved and underserved areas.[2] It would also increase the amount of alternative fueling options like electric vehicle (EV) chargers available. A major obstacle to the proposal, though, is how to finance the proposed investments. Despite support from Americans to raise taxes to create revenue for transportation infrastructure maintenance, Congress has been unable to reach an agreement in years past due to concerns about possible political fall-out from increasing the taxes. At a press conference, Democratic leaders declined to say how they would foot the bill for the new proposal.

[1] https://transportation.house.gov/news/press-releases/chairs-defazio-pallone-neal-release-760-billion-framework-to-make-transformative-infrastructure-investments-across-us

[2] https://transportation.house.gov/imo/media/doc/Moving%20Forward%20Framework.pdf

［USA］ Department of Energy Announces $125.5 Million in New Funding for Solar Technologies

On February 5, 2020 the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $125.5 million in new funding for research to advance solar technology through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Solar Energy Technologies Office.[1] DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office Fiscal Year 2020 Funding Program (SETO 2020) will help to continue the steady decline in solar costs. In addition, projects will tackle a variety of challenges facing the solar industry, including enabling solar and storage, enhancing cybersecurity protections, manufacturing, developing solar-powered microgrids, and siting solar with agriculture. The solar funding announcement follows a series of other funding opportunities recently announced be EERE. On February 4, 2020, EERE announced up to $43.8 million to advance geothermal research and development, and on January 23, 2020 the office announced $300 million investment in sustainable transportation.[2] [3] [4] These funding opportunity announcements total more than $463 million and is the largest EERE investment made this early in the fiscal year over the past six years.

[1] https://www.energy.gov/articles/department-energy-announces-1255-million-new-funding-solar-technologies

[2] https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/energy-department-announces-188-million-hydrothermal-and-low-temperature-geothermal

[3] https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/energy-department-announces-25-million-enhanced-geothermal-systems-research

[4] https://www.energy.gov/articles/department-energy-announces-nearly-300-million-sustainable-transportation-research

[Japan] JERA and Osaka Gas Began Commercial Operation at the Freeport LNG Train #1 in Texas, USA

On December 10, 2019, JERA (Japan’s Energy for a new eRA)[1] and Osaka Gas, owned by the Daigas Group and headquartered in Osaka[2], announced that the Freeport LNG Project in Texas, U.S., has begun commercial operations for its LNG Train #1 on December 8, 2019.[3] The two companies participate in the project through FLNG Liquefaction, a joint venture of JERA, Osaka Gas and Freeport LNG Development headquartered in Houston, Texas. JERA is a joint venture between Tokyo Electric Power Fuel & Power (headquartered in Tokyo)[4] and Chubu Electric Power (headquartered in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture)[5].

The two companies have participated in the project since October 2014. The Freeport LNG Project is operated by Freeport LNG Development, headquartered in Houston, Texas.[6] The LNG Train #1 has a liquefaction capacity of approximately 5 million metric tons per year, and Osaka Gas and JERA will receive about each 2.32 million metric tons of LNG per year under 20-year Liquefaction Tolling Agreements with FLNG Liquefaction.[7]

[1] https://www.jera.co.jp/english/corporate/

[2] https://www.osakagas.co.jp/en/aboutus/corporate_profile/

[3] https://www.jera.co.jp/information/20191210_439

[4] https://www7.tepco.co.jp/fp/about/index-e.html

[5] https://www.chuden.co.jp/english/corporate/ecor_company/ecom_outline/index.html

[6] http://freeportlng.com/about/corporate-history/

[7] https://www.osakagas.co.jp/company/press/pr_2019/1283872_40360.html

[Japan] Kansai Electric Power Company and Nihon Unisys Launched a Demonstration Project on Developing a Trading System for Surplus Solar Electricity Using Blockchain Technologies

Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO, Headquarters: Osaka Prefecture) and Nihon Unisys announced on December 9, 2019 the launch of a demonstration project for a system to determine the trading price of surplus solar electricity and environmental values[1] generated by prosumers[2].

The demonstration project will run until March 31, 2020. It will utilize blockchain technologies to develop a system to help consumers, prosumers, and businesses that participate in the RE 100 initiative to determine the trading price of surplus electricity. RE 100 is an initiative launched by the Climate Group of the United Kingdom (UK) and the CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project), a UK-based non-profit that is championing the use of 100% renewable energy for electricity for business operations.[3]

Nihon Unisys, headquartered in Tokyo[4], manufactures computer equipment and develops various software products.[5] In this project, Nihon Unisys will be responsible for developing and evaluating the system, while KEPCO will construct, demonstrate, and evaluate the system at the test center. The project has adopted four trading methods: Match-Price Auction, Single-Price Auction, Price Discrimination, and Dynamic Pricing.[6]

Since October 2018, KEPCO and Nihon Unisys have been working with prosumers and consumers to conduct a study to determine the price of surplus electricity generated by solar power generation, as well as to develop a new platform for direct trading. The two companies were able to simulate Peer-to-Peer (P2P) electricity trading by using blockchain technologies, and determined the transaction prices based on different trading methods.[7]

[1] Environmental value means electricity used by a prosumer itself and its surplus electricity.

[2] A prosumer is someone who both produces and consumers energy, in part, due to the rise of new connected technologies and the steady increase of more renewable energy such as solar and wind onto the electric grid.

https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/consumer-vs-prosumer-whats-difference

[3] http://there100.org/

[4] https://www.unisys.co.jp/e/about/profile.html

[5] https://www.unisys.co.jp/e/solutions_services.html

[6] https://www.kepco.co.jp/corporate/pr/2019/pdf/1209_2j_01.pdf

[7] https://www.kepco.co.jp/corporate/pr/2019/1209_2j.html

[Japan] Keidanren Launched the Challenge Zero Initiative

On December 12, 2019, Keidanren (also known as the Japan Business Federation), in cooperation with the Japanese Government, announced the launch of the Challenge Zero Initiative. The Initiative will support innovations to build a zero-carbon society; promote Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investments; and facilitate collaboration among the private sector, government, and academic institutions.

Keidanren is an economic organization that represents a membership comprised of 1,376 domestic companies, 109 nationwide industrial associations, and 47 of Japan’s regional economic organizations.[1]

The launch of the Challenge Zero Initiative was driven by the Japan's Long-term Strategy under the Paris Agreement, issued by the Japanese Cabinet in June 2019, which declared that Japan would seek to become a “decarbonized society” by 2050.[2] Keidanren has noted that since the Long-term Strategy under the Paris Agreement was issued, the Japanese business community has realized that more concrete and ambitious actions would be needed to create innovation in order to pursue a low-carbon society.

The Challenge Zero Initiative asks participating companies and organizations to commit to one or more of the goals set by the Initiative and to report their activities to achieve their commitments. The goals include promoting disruptive innovation for net-zero-carbon technologies, demonstrating and deploying those technologies; and financing companies that make low-carbon commitments. Keidanren plans to provide more detailed information on the Challenge Zero Initiative to member companies and organizations soon.[3] [4]

[1] https://www.keidanren.or.jp/profile/pro001.html

[2] https://www.env.go.jp/press/106869.html

[3] https://www.keidanren.or.jp/journal/times/2019/1212_02.html

[4] https://www.keidanren.or.jp/policy/2019/109.pdf

［USA］New Jersey outlines sweeping plans to achieve 100% clean energy by 2050

On January 27, 2020, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D) released a wide-ranging “Energy Master Plan” with details on how the state could achieve 100% clean energy by 2050.[1] [2] To reinforce the initiatives proposed in the plan, the governor also signed  Executive Order No. 100 which directs the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to make comprehensive regulatory reforms.

Current efforts by the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are insufficient to achieve the target of 80% reduction from 2006 levels set by the state’s Global Warming Response Act passed in summer 2019 and the plan seeks to address this gap.[3] The governor’s plan provides more specifics on how the state can reach this goal by delineating seven areas of focus: the transportation sector, renewable energy and DERs, energy efficiency, the building sector, the use of "integrated distribution plans," incentivizing clean energy in underserved communities, and attracting supply chain businesses to create clean energy "clusters." Major suggestions in the plan include ensuring 7.5 GW of offshore wind is part of the energy mix by 2035, requiring utilities to explore “non-wire solutions” (i.e. projects or investments that may defer or replace distribution or transmission upgrades by reducing load), and building up EV charging infrastructure.

[1] https://nj.gov/governor/news/news/562020/approved/20200127a.shtml

[2] http://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20200127/84/84/03/b2/2293766d081ff4a3cd8e60aa/NJBPU_EMP.pdf

[3] https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562019/approved/20190617a.shtml

［USA］Dairyland Power Cooperative plans to retire 345 MW of coal

Dairyland Power Cooperative, a Wisconsin electric utility, announced in January 2020 that it is planning to retire Genoa Station 3, a 345 MW coal plant, in 2021, five to ten years earlier than previously planned.[1] Utility officials ultimately determined cheaper, cleaner resources were preferable over keeping the coal plant open. This announcement follows a January 16, 2020 Wisconsin regulatory decision approving Dairyland’s 625 MW gas-fired Nemadji Trail Energy Center (NTEC), which will be co-owned with Minnesota Power, a Minnesota utility. The gas plant, which will serve customers in Minnesota and Wisconsin, requires permission from both Minnesota and Wisconsin regulators. Although the plant received approval from Minnesota regulators in October 2018, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ordered further analysis in December 2019 and directed Minnesota’s Public Utilities Commission to do an environmental impact assessment of the plant. Dairyland is currently reviewing the Court of Appeal’s decision to determine how it will impact the project’s timeline.

[1] https://www.dairylandpower.com/content/dairyland-announces-genoa-station-3-retirement-plans

［USA］ New Jersey proposes utilities recover lost revenues, earn bonuses for beating energy savings targets

On January 22, 2020, New Jersey’s Board of Public Utilities (BPU) released a proposal that would give utilities the opportunity to earn bonuses or incur penalties for beating or failing to meet energy efficiency savings targets.[1] In addition, the proposal would allow utilities to recover lost revenues related to their efforts. The cost recovery proposal follows a straw proposal released in December 2019 that outlined how utility efficiency programs will be managed and suggested implementation of new energy-saving pilots.[2] Both proposals would help implement the changes to New Jersey’s energy system the Governor Phil Murphy (D) signed in May of 2019 which boosted efficiency targets and set a 50% renewable goal by 2030.[3] In addition to addressing how utilities will approach efficiency measures, the cost recovery proposal will help address how utilities will pay for the changes under the Clean Energy Act of 2018. The 2018 law requires electric utilities to achieve annual energy use reductions of 2% or greater within five years of the new rules being implemented which imposes significant costs for utilities.

[1]https://www.bpu.state.nj.us/bpu/pdf/publicnotice/NJBPU_EE_Final_Cost_Recovery_Mechanism_Proposal_1.22.20.pdf

[2]https://www.bpu.state.nj.us/bpu/pdf/publicnotice/EE_%26_Peak_Demand_Program_Administration_Straw_Proposal_122019.pdf

[3] https://nj.gov/governor/news/news/562018/approved/20180523a_cleanEnergy.shtml

［USA］APS Commits to Carbon-free Power by 2050

On January 22, 2020, Arizona Public Service (APS), Arizona’s largest electricity provider, announced a goal to deliver 100 percent clean, carbon-free electricity to customers by 2050.[1] APS also has a nearer-term 2030 target of achieving a resource mix that is 65 percent clean energy, including 45 percent from renewable energy. The utility also plans on ending all coal-fired generation by 2031 which is seven years earlier than previously planned. Currently, APS gets 22 percent of its power from coal and 26 percent from gas and oil.[2] The Palo Verde nuclear plant accounts for 25 percent of the mix, renewables deliver 12 percent, and demand-side management accounts for 16 percent. The APS commitment is notable because Arizona has not passed sweeping climate or carbon policy at the state level. The decision places APS on a list of major electric utilities committing to carbon-free energy sources. Other utilities committed to decarbonization include Xcel Energy, Duke Energy, and Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG).

[1] https://www.aps.com/en/About/Our-Company/Newsroom/Articles/APS-sets-course-for-100-percent-clean-energy-future

[2] https://www.aps.com/-/media/APS/APSCOM-PDFs/About/Our-Company/Doing-business-with-us/Resource-Planning-and-Management/2017IntegratedResourcePlan.ashx

［USA］New Bill Introduced in Georgia Legislature Would Require Companies to Treat Coal Ash Like Municipal Solid Waste

A new bill—H.B. 756— that would require disposal of coal ash or combustion residuals (CCR) to be as rigorous as municipal solid waste (MSW) was introduced by Rep. Robert Trammell (D) in the Georgia legislature on January 14, 2020.[1] In December 2019, Georgia became the second state allowed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to run its own coal ash permitting program which will allow the state flexibility in how it cleans up the toxic waste. Georgia Power's current plans for closing its ash sites includes leaving CCR in unlined ponds. By contrast, MSW in Georgia is disposed in landfills with both bottom liners and collections systems for leachate.

Recently, concerns over the risk of groundwater contamination have grown and a number of states have mandated coal ash cleanup. North Carolina, for example, ordered Duke Energy to excavate roughly 72.5 million metric tons of CCR.[2] There has been no such order in Georgia, though a 2018 report on the coal-fired power plants in the state found that groundwater was contaminated near all but one site.

[1] http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20192020/187853.pdf

[2] https://news.duke-energy.com/releases/duke-energy-north-carolina-regulators-and-environmentalists-reach-agreement-to-permanently-close-all-remaining-ash-basins-in-north-carolina

［USA］Brookings Report Finds Land Battles Jeopardize Wind and Solar Development

A new report released in January 2020 by the Brookings Institution finds that although renewable energy is popular, siting projects may become more difficult as wind and solar take up more land across the United States.[1] The report emphasizes several problems with renewable energy siting. Wind and solar generation require about 10 times as much land per unit of power produced than fossil fuel plants and unlike fossil fuels, they are located only where the resource is available. In addition, most new wind turbines being installed in the United States today are the height of a 35-story building and can often be seen for long distances. All of these factors play a role in how accepting local communities are of new renewable energy development. People often cite concerns over property values, noise, and bird deaths caused by wind turbines.

According to the Brookings report, some renewable technologies like offshore wind turbines and rooftop solar could offer workarounds for these problems. However, the report states that technological solutions are not enough and policy solutions such as regulations that declare sensitive areas off limits while streamlining development elsewhere in designated renewable zones should be considered.

[1] https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/FP_20200113_renewables_land_use_local_opposition_gross.pdf

［USA］Seattle to Transition Municipal Buildings Away from Fossil Fuels

On January 8, 2020, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan signed Executive Order 2020-01 to advance a Green New Deal for the city.[1] The executive order’s goals mirror those in the city’s climate action plan, released in April 2018, and includes substantial provisions for transitioning municipal buildings away from using fossil fuels through electrification.[2] Under the executive order, all new or substantially altered city-owned buildings will be required to use electricity rather than fossil fuels for activities such as heating, cooling, or cooking. In order for buildings to be considered completed or altered during the 2021 or 2022 budget year, strategies for using electricity over fossil fuels must be submitted by June 1, 2020. An interdepartmental team is tasked with forming a strategy to electrify buildings by January 2021.

By electrifying its buildings, Seattle is taking a big step towards reducing its carbon emissions. According to the Sierra Club, buildings are responsible for 35% of Seattle’s emissions.[3] Although there are some concerns that electrifying buildings does not solve issues of fossil fuel reliance—79% of national energy production comes from fossil fuels—, Seattle is a unique case.[4] According to the city’s utility, Seattle City Light, 91% of the city’s energy mix is hydroelectricity while coal and natural gas make up 1% each.[5]

[1] https://durkan.seattle.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2020/01/Final-Executive-Order-2020-01-Advancing-a-Green-New-Deal-for-Seattle_.pdf

[2] http://greenspace.seattle.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/SeaClimateAction_April2018.pdf

[3] https://www.sierraclub.org/washington/sierra-club-s-response-mayor-durkan-s-executive-order

[4] https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=41353

[5] https://www.seattle.gov/light/FuelMix/

［USA］Recent ACEE Report Finds Most Utilities Aren't Getting Full Value from Smart Meters

According to a report released by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) on January 9, 2020, most utilities are missing the opportunity to utilize advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) to help customers conserve energy.[1] AMI has grown rapidly in the past decade, now accounting for nearly half of all meters in the U.S. At the end of 2019, there were 98 million smart meters deployed by utilities and by the end of 2020, that number could reach 107 million.[2] However, ACEEE found that these smart meters are being underutilized by utilities; of the 52 utilities ACEEE surveyed, only one, Portland General Electric (PGE), was found to use smart meters to their fullest potential. PGE taps into all six use cases ACEEE identifies for applying API data: time of use rates, real-time energy use feedback for customers, behavior-based programs, data disaggregation, grid-interactive efficient buildings, and conservation voltage reduction.

These use cases leverage AMI data by pairing it with customer engagement tools, pricing strategies, and programs that support customer action. A failure to optimize AMI investments can lead to regulators denying future grid modernization efforts. In 2019, for example, Virginia regulators rejected Dominion Energy’s proposal for a smart meter deployment.

[1] https://aceee.org/sites/default/files/publications/researchreports/u2001.pdf

[2]　https://www.edisonfoundation.net/iei/publications/Documents/IEI_Smart%20Meter%20Report_2019_FINAL.pdf

［Japan］ Tohoku Electric Power Company and SRA Tohoku Have Launched an AI Application for Transmission Tower Assessment

On November 28, 2019, Tohoku Electric Power Company (Tohoku, Headquarters: Miyagi Prefecture) and SRA Tohoku (Headquarters: Sendai), an IT company that develops computer programming and AI applications[1], announced that they have launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI) application for assessing the deterioration level of transmission towers.

The AI application can instantaneously evaluate the deterioration level of transmission towers based on the images captured by drones. The AI application’s database will gather and combine the information regarding deteriorated towers, including images of the towers and their geolocation. The integrated database should help utility companies to easily identify the deterioration trends for the entire transmission power systems as well as helping them to centrally monitor and assess towers’ conditions.

By using this application, the planning of repair work that previously took about 25 hours can be carried out within about 4 hours. It can also avoid human error from visual inspection when assessing steel towers’ deterioration levels.[2]

[1] https://www.sra-tohoku.co.jp/ai-pkg/

[2] http://www.tohoku-epco.co.jp/news/normal/1204579_1049.html

[Japan] Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Announced Three Electricity Rate Plans in Hokkaido, Hokuriku, Chugoku, and Shikoku regions

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), headquartered in Tokyo, announced on November 12, 2019, that it would expand its electricity rate plans to include residential customers outside of its existing service areas in regions such as Hokkaido, Hokuriku, Chugoku, and Shikoku regions from November 13, 2019.

TEPCO provides residential customers with three electricity rate plans. The Standard S and Standard L plans are available in the Hokkaido and Hokuriku regions, and the Standard A plan is available in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions. When compared to the existing prices provided by the incumbent utility companies in each area, the TEPCO rate plans will save each customer about 3% of their electricity costs.

In Japan, the retail electricity market has been completely deregulated since April 1, 2016, and consumers—including households and businesses—are allowed to freely choose their retail electricity providers and rate plans.  Since then, TEPCO has been providing discount electricity rate plans for residential customers in the Chubu and Kansai regions, and in the Tohoku and Kyushu regions since August 2019. Currently, the company offers services nationwide except in Okinawa Prefecture.[1]

[1] http://www.tepco.co.jp/ep/notice/pressrelease/2019/1520325_8664.html

[Japan] Kansai Electric Power Company Will Conduct a Demonstration Test on the Frequency Control of a Power System Using Storage Batteries

Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO, Headquarters: Osaka Prefecture) announced on November 29, 2019, that a total of 10 companies including KEPCO will conduct a demonstration test on the frequency control of a power system using storage batteries. The test will run from December 2, 2019 to January 31, 2020. It will integrate the battery control system “K-LIBRA” with 8 different storage batteries produced separately by each battery manufacturer. “K-LIBRA” was jointly developed by KEPCO and NEC, a major Tokyo-based IT and electronics company.[1]

The demonstration test will examine the battery control system’s ability to remotely control all of the tested batteries with the fast charge-discharge capability. It also validates the performance of the system’s response capabilities for short cycle load fluctuations by analyzing the response time and the control accuracy of batteries in response to the signal emitted from “K-LIBRA.”  Furthermore, the demonstration test evaluates the effectiveness of the system’s additional functions to maximize the frequency control capabilities. Based on the test results, KEPCO aims to commercialize the battery control system in fiscal year (FY) 2020.

In early 2019, KEPCO, ELIIY Power (a Tokyo-based company that develops high capacity batteries[2]), and Sansha Electric Manufacturing Co. (an Osaka-based company machinery manufacturer[3]) completed a preliminary demonstration test to collectively and remotely control the charge-discharge performance for a total of 10,000 storage batteries in response to short cycle frequency fluctuations in the power system.[4]

The project is funded by the Agency for Natural Resources under Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), through its FY2018 Demonstration Project on Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Utilizing Demand Side Energy Resources.[5]

[1] https://jpn.nec.com/profile/corp/outline.html

[2] https://www.eliiypower.co.jp/company/index.html

[3]http://www.sansha.co.jp/user_data/company/company.php?transactionid=5642f6fe202e98ff6d6489c915b7eef78fe1a2e8

[4] https://www.kepco.co.jp/souhaiden/pr/2019/0522_1j.html

[5] https://www.kepco.co.jp/souhaiden/pr/2019/1129_1j.html

［USA］ Elizabeth Warren Unveils ‘Blue New Deal’ With Support for Offshore Wind

On December 10, 2019, Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren announced an environmental proposal that recommends a variety of ocean-related conservation and energy plans titled the “Blue New Deal.” [1] One of the primary focuses of Warren’s proposal is how the U.S. can use the ocean as a place for energy development and production. While she cites a variety of clean energy technologies, including more out-there proposals for wave energy and algae-based biofuels, Warren emphasizes offshore wind as an area for major growth. The Blue New Deal lists several benefits of offshore wind including carbon-free energy production and boosts to the economy. Warren’s campaign cites statistics that by 2030 offshore wind from Maine to Maryland could provide 36,000 full-time jobs in the U.S. Currently, only one offshore wind project—the 30-megawatt Block Island farm off the coast of Rhode Island [2]— is in operation but several developers have major offshore installations in the works. Under the Blue New Deal, federal clean energy tax credits would be extended but any incentives available to offshore wind would depend on the project benefiting nearby communities. These promises address current concerns in coastal communities that offshore wind will hurt their economies.

[1] https://elizabethwarren.com/plans/blue-new-deal

[2] https://kokosingindustrial.com/projects/block-island-wind-farm/