Navajo Energy Summit – Renewable portfolios of PNM, NTUA, APS, SRP

Greetings Relatives/Frens/Humans,
I finally connected to the wifi! I was a able to connect in my room but when I got to the conference area, I just cud not connect…

I’m still here at Navajo Nation Division of Natural Resources Energy Summit at the Twin Arrows Casino & Resort. Today is the last day. This morning I attended “The Future of Renewable Energy Generation” by the US Office of Indian Energy Tracey LeBeau. The next work session that i attended was “Energy Policy of 2013 & the Future of Energy” by Navajo Division of Natural Resources Director Fred White. The next work session that I decided to attend was “Navajo Tribal Utility Authority’s Missions, Goals & Energy Projects” by Terry Battiest of NTUA.

I’m now listening to “Meeting the Renewable Portfolio Standards” by NTUA, PNM, SRP, APS.
Jordan Prassinos, APS Renewable Energy Dept. APS RES Portfolio:
trade to be monopoly is regulated by Az State Commission. This is the pep rally for APS: APS second largest generation fleet in the western US. Energy demand will increase 55 percent in next 15 yrs. APS expects grow from 1.1 million to 1.8 milion customers by 2030. Delivery systm spans more than 33,000 miles.
Next slide complicated but provides perspective of APS overall portfolio now and next 14 yrs. in 2014, looking at bar chart left corner, Palo Verde (nuclear), belongs to three different sources – nat gas, renewable energy, customer energy efficiency so why renewables important to APS.
Next slide complicated but cool. from right to left is operations flexibility – how resources called on and off. Can’t turn on and off sun, control winter which is definiton of flexibility. Gas turbine is most flexible so expansion of generation portfolio represents balanced and mixed natural resources.
WHY USE RENEWABLE ENERGY FROM CUSTOMER PERSPECTIVE
Survey done two months ago. Concern for environment; desire to lower utility costs.
WHY APS GO RENEWABLE
our customers are asking, potential stabilization of cost, portfolio diversification; Az renewable energy standard.
WHAT IS AZ RPS
30 percent from distributed resource
15 percent from renewable resources by 2025
NTUA technically doesn’t have RPS in place. But it is in Navajo Energy Policy.

APS can meet 70 percent of overall RPS. WE use two business models to achieve 70 percent with typical purchase agreement, third owner and operates the facility and APS receives the energy (SOLana)

right now, after first 2014, APS has more than 1.1 GW of solar, wind, biomass/biogas and gothermal resources installed, enough power for 289,000 customers
35,000 customers in distributed program

APS RENEWABLE PORTFOLIO
Purchase Power Agreements
APS owned and operated, Turnkey
Customer Owned

Utility Scale REnewable Generation nationally. Biggest solar plant is in Az and called Solano, 250 MW, and when completed biggest solar plants in US and has moltant storage to heat salt for energy in middle of night.

last slide is chart of distributed energy program cuz lot of talk about APS DE program cuz we ended cash incentives for customers and there was lot of concern that wud kill solar development completely and created dramatic step down but there was rush to get into program. we are on average receiving 700 applications monthly to get into DE program so very healthy market.

KATHY NEWBY, ANM
NM, 509,879 customers. Texas 236,399 customers. of three units at San Juan and Tucson powers NTUA. Texas does not generate power, unlike NM.
Largest utilty in NM. many other electic providers that are coops. we are only Fortune 500 utility and company. 1,061 employees and SJGS at 350.
Recently signed agreement with Jicarilla. 345 KB lines crosses line from San Juan so have as wholesale customer.
23 percent of San Juan GEnerating sTatoin and at mine, 45 precent Navajo. 80 percent that do overall of plant are Navajo.
NM requires PNM gradually increase Renewables Portfolioi. 2011-2014 is 10 percent. 2013 is 15 percent. 2020 is 20 percent. Required diversity are wind – 30 percent; solar – 20 percent; non wind/non solar?geothermal and biomass – 5 percent; customer owner solar – 1.5 percent.
value of five member commission is that PNM has to go to them if want to do rate increase.
PNM has 8 solar centers with 3 under development. first initiative was in 2003 and started before mandated portfolios. eastern part of NM, 204 MW and online 2003. we have geothermal facility, state’s first and generate 4 MW and can move to 8 MW.
38,000 customers have customer owned solar.
PNM system capacity: Coal 40.3 percent; gas 38.2 percent; nuclear 11 percent; wind 8 percent; solar 1 percent.
PNM Prospertiy Energy Project – energy storage project that use smart grid batteries which store energy from solar panels and try to store which is biggest barrier in developing solar/capaity to store so store and release at peak times which is evenings. study project developing and storage promising but not viable. PNM has 3 solar centers under development and more in 2015 and 2016 to meet state mandated and replace power from coal generation by closing two units at San Juan Generating STaton.
Benefits – LESS OR NO EMISSIONS; LESS OR NO GREEHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS THAT ARE POTENTIALLY CAUSING CLIMATE CHANGE; LESS ORNO IMPACT ON LOCAL WATER SUPPLIES; IMPROVED PUBLIC HEALTH, increaes energy indpependence.
but also challenges are huge and most important one is renewable is intermittent so why store. sun only shines during day, it’s intermittent so continually back up wiht coal. other aras that you see, customer owned or roof top does subsidize and meters run back and customers sell back to PNM but concern is household refusing to pay their share of electric grid. those customers avoiding paying for wires, poles so one holding bill are non solar customers and they end up with higher cost and national issue. not saying anything wrong with customer owned solar but need work out policies.
US sources of carbon – 33 percent electricity; 28 percent transportation; 20 percent industry; 11 percent commercial/residential
Touch on regional haze issue cuz important to audience. Navajo Nation helped with stipulated agreement. WE are not on Navjaoland but across the river. one of main issues is EPA consultation with impacted tribes. early stages is that EPA out of Dallas and they failed to consult Navajo Nation on ruling and maybe cuz plant not on navajo land. and Navajo Nation able to slow down process to come to stipulated agreement. back 2011, EPA issued federal plan and had stuggles and went into court and opposed plan. 2013 EPA, PNM and Navajo EPA, Navajo president office, chapters to meet federal haze requirements so we agreed to install pollution controls on NOX. shut down 2 and 3. this plan save customers $720 million over 20 yeras versus original federal plan.
PNM commiteed $1 m over five years to train Navajo tribal members for fture job opoortunites, $200,000 beginning 2013 and first priority is from five chapters near San Juan GEnerating Station. We are funding students from 35 chapters, including Az.
students graduated and renewable scholarships.
Tie back into how impacts Navajo Nation.

SALT RIVER PROJECT, MEETING RENEWABLES
LARGEST water provider in south
not regulated by ACC and its RPS but SRP Board set goal to meet 20 percent of retail requirements thru sustainable resources by 2020. we are currently ahead of schedule.
we are technology agnostic, no carve outs, so no need for customer owned solar and SRP chooses porfolioi diversification is key. Small additions over tiem, follow cost curve down. Locate close to laod and utilize existing transmission – locate close to load center. Fexibility allow SRP to purseue cost effective resource mix.
Large hydro, Roosevelt 36 MW, etc.
also have small hydro, Az Falls 750 KW; Crosscut 3 MW
Wind – 2 Az projects, 18 miles northwest of Snowflake, by state route 377l located on private, state, BLM. Dry Lake Wind Phase II, 64 MW. to toal of 100 MW.
Tri-Land Fill: small 4MW for diesel engines. SR Pima Marico[pa landfill, stared operatoin 2001.
HUDSON RANCH GEOTHERMAL energy sources, 50 MW, imperial Valley, CA; 30 yr contract. notice all out state geothermal and like in Az.
Cover Fort Geothermal, Beaver, Utah, 25 MW, unique about it. Hudson Ranch is flash technology and can run steam turbine.
CalEnergy Geothermal: 87 MW.
SOLAR and not as much as APS. 20 MW and located Florence, Az., Queen Creek Solar PV, 19 MW. Snowflake Biomass Plant, 14 MW, wood burning boiler using forest thinning, White Mt, Az., contract 10.5 yrs.
Kevin Woolfolk, sr planning analyst, resource acwuisitoin and analysis, SRP, 602-236-4542.

Natural gas not renewable.

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