Press Releases, News & Technical Documents
Walking the Energy Efficiency Walk with Detroiter and Pecan Street Participant Ed Gies
By Colin Rowan, director of communication, Pecan Street – If you go through the list of technology and energy efficiency features in Ed Gies’ southwest Detroit home, it’s hard to believe it’s the same neighborhood his parents lived in after World War II.
Connecting Energy Data with Voices of Real Homeowners
Guest Blog by Hannah Danaë Goodman of CAPA Strategies – No one likes to spend on their energy bill, but for many families across the country, utilities aren’t just an inconvenience but a huge financial burden. For families living paycheck to paycheck, high energy bills can be a serious source of stress that forces them to do burdensome mental math about cutting costs in other areas, finagling payment plans, or reaching out to family members for assistance.
Achieving Affordability, Resilience and Abundance with Virtual Power Plants
By Cavan Merski, data analyst, Pecan Street – The transformative potential of virtual power plants (VPPs) is poorly understood. Your average electricity customer has no idea what VPPs are. Even in the legislative and regulatory universe, VPPs are considered tomorrow’s technology and have not yet been fully integrated into grid planning efforts. They should be.
A Plan for a 21st Century Grid – Part 4: A Strong, Resilient Grid Starts With a Plan
By Scott Hinson, chief technology officer, Pecan Street – In Texas and across the country, customers deserve a grid that will keep us warm during the next Uri, that will rebound quickly after the next tropical storm, and that will keep us cool during ever-hotter summers. One that’s stronger, cleaner, cheaper and smarter. And that will take a plan.
A Plan for a 21st Century Grid – Part 3: Fossil Fuel Thinking is Clouding Our Future
By Scott Hinson, chief technology officer, Pecan Street – Despite the catastrophic failure of natural gas power plants during Winter Storm Uri, fossil fuel electricity generators are still considered more reliable than other electricity solutions, be it solar, wind, batteries, demand response, etc. The state’s biggest solution to Uri was a multi-billion dollar investment in….more gas plants.
A Plan for a 21st Century Grid – Part 2: Can Texas’ Shaky Grid Handle the Exponential Growth Ahead?
By Scott Hinson, chief technology officer, Pecan Street – In its recent demand forecast, ERCOT predicted electricity demand could nearly double. Not in the next 50 years, but the next 5. And crypto and data center growth is an overwhelming culprit. What’s Texas going to do about it?
A Plan for a 21st Century Grid – Part 1: Our Historic Hands-off Approach Isn’t a Plan.
By Scott Hinson, chief technology officer, Pecan Street – Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll look at some of the big grid challenges Texas has faced recently and how leaders have responded. Not to spoil the ending, but it should be a clarion call for the rest of the country to think strategically and urgently about the grid.
Pennsylvania Voluntary Participation Agreement
A Surprise R&D 100 Award for Pecan Street and Our Partners
Are we excited about winning an R&D 100 Award? Absolutely. Are we trying to humble brag? Maybe a little. In reality, this award is a recognition of a fantastic start. We’re excited to continue our research and to dive even deeper into the changing and challenging energy system research that we’ve done for 12 years.