Kansas-based utility to receive 'smart grid' funds
The Topeka-based utility said it received notice from the U.S. Department of Energy that it was selected to receive part of $3.4 billion in stimulus funds for so-called "smart grid" projects. Those projects are aimed at bringing energy systems into the digital age.
Westar says the department hasn't determined how much it will receive but said it was eligible for more than $19 million. Westar had sought $20 million of the project's almost $40 million price tag.
The project will provide electric customers in Lawrence with programmable thermostats that they can monitor and adjust online, helping reduce their power consumption and helping Westar deal with periods of peak energy demand.
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UK must start construction of large-scale storage or fail to meet net zero targets.
LONDON - The U.K. government must kick-start the construction of large-scale hydrogen storage facilities if it is to meet its pledge that all electricity will come from low carbon sources by 2035 and reach legally binding net zero targets by 2050, according to a report by the Royal Society.
The report, "Large-scale electricity storage," published Sep. 8, examines a wide variety of ways to store surplus wind and solar generated electricity—including green hydrogen, advanced compressed air energy storage (ACAES), ammonia, and heat—which will be needed when Great Britain's supply is dominated by volatile wind and solar power.
It concludes that large scale…
