PCCA Journal 3rd Quarter 2014 - page 37

PCCA Journal|3
rd
Quarter 2014
37
POWER NEWS
Continued on page 38
USDA Announces Funding to
Improve Electric Systems in Rural Areas
A
griculture Secretary
Tom Vilsack on July 16
announced that USDA
is investing $236.3
million to help modern-
ize and improve the reliability of rural
electric systems in eight states.
The loans will build or improve more
than 3,700 miles of line in rural areas.
A modern, reliable electric system is
critical to attract and retain residents and
businesses to rural communities. USDA
has a long history, dating back to the
New Deal era, of working with rural util-
ities to help bring needed infrastructure
and service improvements. Through the
years, these investments have brought
new economic and social opportunities
and have enhanced the quality of life in
the nation’s rural communities.
Following are the loan recipients and
projects receiving funding under the an-
nouncement.
California
Kirkwood Meadows Public Utility District -
$8,000,000 to make transmission improve-
ments.
Florida
Sumter Electric Cooperative, Inc. -
$110,000,000 to build or improve 1,447
miles of line and make other system
improvements.
Georgia
Planter Electric Membership Corporation -
$6,323,000 to build or improve 63 miles of
line and make other system improvements.
Altamaha Electric Membership Corporation
- $23,000,000 to build or improve 580 miles
of line and make other system improve-
ments.
Kansas
DS&O Electric Cooperative, Inc. -
$8,000,000 to build a new headquarters.
Kentucky and Indiana
Owen Electric Cooperative, Inc. -
$30,000,000 to build or improve 228 miles
of line and make other system improve-
ments.
North Carolina
Carteret-Craven Electric Membership Cor-
poration - $11,000,000 to build or improve
122 miles of line and make other system
improvements.
Virginia
Southside Electric Cooperative -
$40,000,000 to build or improve 1,334
miles of line and make other system
improvements.
Study Sees Growing Investment in FACTS
T
he first flexible alternating current transmis-
sion systems (FACTS), which mitigated voltage
drops on the power grid, were deployed in the
late 1920s. Today, the rapid growth of large-
scale renewable energy projects, which often
supply intermittent power, is driving increased demand for
FACTS. According to a recent report from Navigant Research,
cumulative investments by utilities and power grid operators
in FACTS will total $42.3 billion from 2014 through 2022.
“The majority of electricity transmission systems in service
today rely on many of the same technologies that existed
at their conception more than a century ago,” said James
McCray, senior research analyst with Navigant Research.
“Sophisticated FACTS technologies demonstrate tremendous
potential to provide solutions to problems, such as localized
voltage sag, power factor fluctuations, and flicker, that are
caused by renewables intermittency, increasing industrial
loads, and power plant retirements.”
The capital costs and uncertainty associated with new
transmission grid and high-voltage substation construction
are very high, especially in an era of distributed renewable
energy resources, according to the report. As a result, trans-
mission grid operators and utilities seek to mitigate voltage
drops over long-haul transmission lines, driving the require-
ment for new, large-scale FACTS deployments.
The report, “Flexible AC Transmission Systems,” analyzed
the global market for FACTS technologies, including an
analysis of the market issues, drivers, challenges, and regula-
tory factors related to FACTS systems. Global capacity and
revenue forecasts, segmented by converter type and region,
extend through 2023, and include base, conservative, and
aggressive scenarios. The report also examined the key tech-
nologies and use cases associated with FACTS, and provides
profiles of key industry players. An executive summary of the
report is available for free download
.
com/research/flexible-ac-transmission-systems.
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