http://www.metering.com/news/solar-surplus-chile-free-electricity/
[Wait, what? Free electricity for taxpayers and ratepayers. Dorothy,
we're not in Ontario anymore. Here, free and negative-priced
electricity only goes to utilities outside the province, not residents
who paid to build the infrastructure.]
6 June 2016
Solar surplus sees Chilean consumers receive free electricity
Due to the surplus of solar generation in Chile over recent years,
consumers have been offered electricity for free.
According to the Independent, solar capacity on Chile’s central power
grid, has more than quadrupled to 770 megawatts in the last three years.
It is reported that in some parts of the country, spot prices dropped to
zero on 113 days in the first four months of this year and is expected
to beat 2015’s total of 192 days.
While Chile faces several unique challenges, the current situation is
said to reflect a broader trend across the world, as governments,
citizens and companies look to establish a sustainable path toward clean
energy supply. [UK’s poor grid modernisation is curtailing RE
integration, says solar body]
Carlos Finat, president of the Chile’s renewable association, told
Bloomberg that the Chilean government has set the energy sector as a
priority, but planning has been focused on the short-term.
He added that it is necessary to have a long-term focus to solve these
issues.
Energy in mining
A boom in the country’s mining production and economic growth has also
boosted energy demands, and has resulted in the development of 29 solar
farms in the central grid, with an additional 15 farms planned.
Chile’s energy infrastructure also presents a challenge in that it two
primary power grids are isolated from each other. This means that energy
cannot be transferred from one grid to another, should the one have an
energy surplus.
To address this challenge, the government is working to build a 3,000km
(1,865-mile) transmission line to link the two grids by 2017.
The Chilean government is also planning to develop a 753 km line to
address congestion on the northern parts of the central grid, where
power surpluses are driving prices to zero.
Alex Laskey, president of Opower commented saying, “Fundamental changes
have forced the utilities [all over the world] to reconsider their
business model.
“They have decided that they don’t want to be a commodity provider any
longer. What they want to be is an energy services provider.”
_______________________________________________
Sustainablelorgbiofuel mailing list
Sustainablelorgbiofuel@lists.sustainablelists.org
http://lists.eruditium.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel
