Storrow: Winter Renewables Extend New England Gas Plants' On-Site Oil Reserves
Ben Storrow · A surprise benefit of rooftop solar in New England · Jul 26, 2023 · at 11:36
Reporter Ben Storrow explains the findings of an ISO New England study regarding how winter solar generation conserves emergency fuel supplies.
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“These gas plants that we keep talking about as a sort of a reliability buffer, they've all installed oil fire backup. They have oil tanks on site. So if the spot price for gas gets really high, or the pipeline got constrained, they can switch over. And start burning oil. And what that means when you've got even a little bit of renewables is you have to burn less oil. And your reserve margin, the oil tank is basically your reserve margin. And you're stretching it out longer and longer because you're not having to burn it.”
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