Category: MSL news

May 11 2021 by David Breecker

Energy Sovereignty Institute, Rochester Institute of Technology Welcome PhD Student

Posted in energy access, energy poverty, MSL news, partners, R&D, research, Uncategorized

We are delighted to announce that Sherralyn Sneezer (Navajo/Dine) has been selected from a highly competitive field of applicants as our first PhD student in energy sovereignty research topics, via MSL’s  Energy Sovereignty Institute and its partnership with the Golisano Institute for Sustainability at Rochester Institute of Technology. Sherralyn’s research will be supervised by Dr. Nathan Williams, an Assistant Professor at the Golisano Institute, in collaboration with MSL.
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May 03 2021 1Commentby David Breecker

MSL Leads Resilient El Rito Project

Posted in Innovation, MSL news, partners, pilot projects, R&D, research, workforce

MSL is leading the Resilient El Rito project, a proposed community resilience microgrid project in the  village of El Rito, NM, based on and around the El Rito campus of Northern New Mexico College (NNMC). The village is at the end of a single electric power distribution line that traverses mountainous terrain and wilderness, and is subject to reliability and resilience challenges common to rural isolated areas, including climate-induced wildfires and winds. The project is a collaboration between NNMC and Kit Carson Electric Cooperative (KCEC), the local electric utility, advised by Camus Energy (KCEC’s technology partner) and MSL. (more…)


Mar 04 2021 by David Breecker

City of Albuquerque, NM Joins MSL

Posted in Innovation, MSL news, partners, pilot projects, R&D

MSL welcomes the City of Albuquerque (CABQ), NM to its Member consortium. CABQ is the first municipality to join MSL, and has distinguished itself in its programs and projects for sustainability, energy innovation, and grid modernization, including several planned municipal resilience microgrid projects.

Albuquerque (a winner of the American Climate Cities Challenge) is a leader in equitable, long term environmental solutions. The City is committed to use 100% renewable energy for municipal operations by 2025, and is on track to be one of the top ten U.S. cities powered by renewable energy. (more…)


Feb 19 2021 by David Breecker

Alaska Center for Energy & Power, Alaska Microgrid Group join MSL

Posted in energy access, MSL news, partners, R&D, research

MSL is pleased to announce that the Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP) has joined its Member consortium. ACEP is an applied energy research program based at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The Center provides leadership in developing energy systems for islanded, non-integrated electric grids and their associated oil-based heating systems.

 

ACEP, which has a long and distinguished track record in energy innovation, is also joined in the MSL consortium by a new organization, the Alaska Microgrid Group (AMG). AMG is a non-profit established to support implementation of resilient, robust, and affordable local power systems around the world. (more…)


Jan 18 2021 by David Breecker

MSL Supports NM Grid Modernization

Posted in Innovation, MSL news, partners, Uncategorized

On January 12, 2021 MSL joined Kit Carson Electric Cooperative (KCEC) and KCEC’s technology partner Camus Energy for a presentation and webinar entitled “Grid Modernization and Technology for the New Mexico Energy Transition.” The event was oriented toward the state’s grid modernization community, with a focus on agency staff, regulators, and utilities. It was well attended and received, and stimulated a vigorous discussion during the Q&A portion.

KCEC (an MSL consortium Member) is an Electric Distribution Cooperative serving Taos, Colfax, and Rio Arriba Counties with innovative programs, and plans to deploy distributed and renewable energy resources throughout its system.  (more…)


Nov 07 2020 1Commentby David Breecker

November 9th Briefing to NM Legislature on Decarbonization – Tune In Live!

Posted in Innovation, MSL news, partners, Uncategorized

MSL Advisory Board member Seth Blumsack (Penn State University and Santa Fe Institute) will be part of a panel presenting to the Water and Natural Resources Committee of the New Mexico Legislature on Monday, November 9th. Dr. Blumsack and his colleagues Cristopher Moore (Santa Fe Institute) and Jessika Trancik (MIT and Santa Fe Institute) will be briefing the Committee on a recent white paper, “The Energy Transition in New Mexico: Insights From a Santa Fe Institute Workshop.” The report was also co-authored by MSL Advisor Paul Hines (University of Vermont and Santa Fe Institute, CEO Packetized Energy) as well as a number of other contributors, including the Microgrid Systems Laboratory. (more…)


Oct 21 2020 1Commentby David Breecker

Energy Sovereignty Institute Launches Resource-Base, PhD Program

Posted in energy access, Innovation, MSL news, partners, R&D

MSL’s Energy Sovereignty Institute (ESI) is very pleased to announce the launch of its online information clearinghouse and resource-base at energysovereigntyinstitute.org, as well as a fully funded PhD opportunity with the Rochester Insitute of Technology.

The ESI website offers practical information to support the design and development of sustainable tribal energy projects. These include How-To guides for residential, community facility, and utility scale projects, as well as community microgrid systems. Resources include technical and funding information, case studies, and downloads. There is also a Discussion forum to support stakeholder communications. (more…)


Sep 21 2020 1Commentby David Breecker

Distributed Energy Workforce Summit

Posted in MSL news, partners, Uncategorized, workforce

In partnership with Santa Fe Community College (an MSL founding Member), MSL organized and produced the first Virtual Summit on Distributed Energy Systems Workforce on September 10 and 11, 2020. By all accounts the event was a great success, with nearly 100 registrants representing all sectors, and peak attendance of 45 participants. The online workshop focused on emerging workforce education, training, and job opportunities in Distributed Energy Systems (such as Battery Energy Storage Systems, solar + storage, smart buildings, microgrids, and the evolving smart grid).

Extensive presentations and original videos reviewed SFCC’s Smart And Microgrid Training Center and training Nanogrid (both developed in association with MSL), including a virtual guided tour of SFCC’s new distributed energy facilities, and a detailed look at the curriculum being developed there by lead Faculty Frank Currie. (more…)


Aug 04 2020 by David Breecker

MSL Organizes CIVIC Challenge Team

Posted in energy access, Innovation, MSL news, partners, pilot projects, R&D, research, Uncategorized

MSL has convened and is co-leading a team to respond to the National Science Foundation’s CIVIC Innovation Challenge. In partnership with the University of New Mexico and the City of Albuquerque, and with the participation of PNM Resources and community stakeholders, the CIVIC team is proposing an innovative approach to increasing the energy resiliency of vulnerable communities.

As stated by NSF, “The Civic Innovation Challenge (CIVIC) is a research and action competition in the Smart and Connected Communities (S&CC) domain designed to build a more cohesive research-to-innovation pipeline and foster a collaborative spirit…. (more…)


Mar 18 2020 by David Breecker

Tribal Energy Resource-Base in Development

Posted in energy access, Indigenous energy, Innovation, MSL news

The Energy Sovereignty Institute (MSL’s partnership with the Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative) is developing an online information clearinghouse and resource-base to assist Native American communities in energy planning and deployments. With financial support from Cornerstones Community Foundation’s Solar Initiative and Remy’s Good Day Fund, ESI will create a prototype platform designed to increase tribal members’ and energy planners’ effectiveness by providing ready access to useful information and resources, and to accelerate energy projects on the ground. (more…)