Energy Consulting Services

In California there is a recognised danger of powerlines sparking wildfires when it is extremely windy. Given this state of affairs, utilities in the state are responding with proactive, if drastic, measures – shutting off the power . Last week, the residents of the area controlled by Southern California Edison spent around 33 hours without electricity because of the high winds. This was a measure that was supposed to prevent the outbreak of a wildfire. The same thing happened to people living in a mountainous area of southeast San Diego. This occurred while huge portions of Southern California was under red flag alert – meaning that there was a high risk of wildfires because of the adverse weather. A spokesperson from San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) explained the importance of de-energising as a tool to protect communities at risk from being affected by wildfires. This dramatic step has come into play as a result of one of the worst wildfire seasons in California’...

Global energy markets are increasingly included renewables and are accommodating the surplus clean energy by making power grid operations more regional. Renewable energy integration is a challenge that many countries are tackling head-on. Tactics for dealing with the situation include creating a slow but steady campaign, which will redesign their markets. One of the best examples of this regionalisation of energy markets can be seen in the US on the West Coast and in the Pacific North and Southwest. In the United States, the power grid that connects a wide area called the Western Interconnection is divided into independent balancing authorities (BA). Each of these BAs can assist with integrating renewable energy and matching supply and demand. Of the 38 BAs that operate in the Western Interconnection the largest is the California Independent System Operator (CAISO). In light of California’s declaration that by 2030 they will be running off 50% renewables, CAISO is facing so...

When Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia announced his $300 billion privatisation plan there was much excitement for what was then being termed the ‘sale of the century’. Now, 19 months down the line, very little seems to have actually happened. Among the myriad of problems that seem to be plaguing this transition are substantial bureaucracy, poor legal structures and lacklustre investors. This has affected many of the country’s sectors – most noticeably grains, the postal service and healthcare. A Saudi banker explained that the transformation is going to take much longer than anticipated due in part to the constantly shifting priorities of the government. They are also encountering problems on a lower level with institutions which have little by way of book-keeping. They will need a full make over before they will be at an adequate standard for privatisation. This sell-off of Saudi Arabia forms an important part of the Prince’s Vision 2030 plan. The overarching pu...

Costa Rica is known for its natural beauty, but what many people don’t yet know is that this small Central American country is also one of the leading producers of green energy in the world. Costa Rica has set itself ambitious renewable energy goals, and it is well on target to achieving near 100% renewable energy production. On November 22, 2017 Costa Rica’s electricity generation statistics hit the records again when the country was able to produce all of its energy using renewable sources for the 300 th day in 2017. To provide context, that means that on that date, only 26 days saw electricity production by non-renewable sources. A staggering 201 consecutive days of uninterrupted 100% renewable energy production was also recorded. This breaks a previous record of 299 days which was set in 2015. Costa Rica is able to produce its renewable energy thanks to abundant natural resources that favour energy production. Its terrain and the geology allow for significant hydropower ...