Cooperative Living June 2023 - 21

CUTTING EDGE
The nation's
The Future of Electricity
Emerging technologies for generating power
by Jennah Denney, Contributing Writer
T
he ways electric cooperatives power communities
have changed over time. These changes will continue
as advantageous economic conditions and increasing
technological innovation keep moving the nation's electric
grid toward increased use of renewable energy sources.
The electric grid's efficacy and durability depend on
OFFSHORE WIND
Offshore wind farms provide
many of the same benefits as landbased
wind farms, including
renewable energy production for
domestic use and new employment
opportunities. Offshore wind also
provides environmental benefits, like
no greenhouse gas emissions. And
because the ocean provides more
than enough space to install several
turbines, offshore wind is positioned
miles out at sea, barely visible from
the land and away from sea routes
and ecologically sensitive areas.
An offshore wind farm consists
of several turbines dispersed across
a vast area of ocean. Each is solidly
attached to a foundation piece on
the seafloor and has a tower that
extends into the air, where the blades
may take advantage of greater wind
speeds.
av
nves
electric grid keeps
moving toward
increased use of
renewable energy
sources.
several sources ofpower generation, and electric co-ops
have invested in cutting-edge technologies to meet and predict
consumer-members' energy needs.
Cooperatives continuously m n
er
in cutt
develop strategies for adapting to them, and share best practices
w
with fellow co-ops to better ser
de elop stra egies for adapt
BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE
Of course, renewable energy
solutions have their challenges.
We need electricity around the
clock, yet we don't have sunlight
and wind 24 hours a day. This
means we need greater investments
in energy-storage projects to store
the electricity created through
renewable sources. Energy storage
will play an important role in
enabling the grid to be more
flexible and resilient.
Energy storage is expected to
expand significantly in 2023
following robust growth in 2022.
Developers and power plant owners
plan to increase utility-scale battery
storage capacity in the U.S. nearly
fourfold in the next three years,
reaching 30 GW by the end of
2025, according to the U.S. Energy
Information Administration.
ith fellow co-ops to better serve their consumer-members.
monitor new technology,
h
h
Several revolutionary technologies for creating electricity are reshaping the future of power generation.
Let's take a look at a few that are currently on electric cooperatives' radars.
SMALL NUCLEAR
Nuclear energy hasha been a source
en
of power generation for a long time,
constituting approximately 15% of the
fuel mix for 661 electric co-ops in the
U.S. In total, 93 commercial nuclear
reactors are operational in 28 states.
As the nation and the world work
toward new sources of always-available
electricity, many in the industry are
keeping an eye on the development of
a new wave of nuclear power plants that
may be on the horizon, known as small
modular reactors, or SMRs.
SMRs that are currently being
developed in the U.S. come in a variety
of sizes, technological options, capabilities
and deployment situations.
As our nation's energy sources continue
to shift, electric co-ops remain committed
to exploring the best sources and
technologies for their local communities
and the consumer-members they serve. 
Developers and power plant owners plan to increase utilityscale
battery storage capacity in the U.S. nearly fourfold over
the next three years, reaching 30 GW by the end of 2025.
- U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Offshore wind farms provide many of the same benefits as
land-based wind farms, including renewable energy production
for domestic use and creating new employment opportunities -
with the added bonus of no environmental pollutants or
greenhouse gas emissions.
Jennah Denney writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
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June 2023 ● Cooperative Living ●
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Cooperative Living June 2023

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