Tag: Berkshire Hathaway Energy

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Berkshire Hathaway’s NV Energy is set to supply geothermal energy to Google’s data centers and office campuses in Nevada. This groundbreaking collaboration aims to set a new benchmark for clean energy integration in the US.

Central to this partnership is the introduction of the ‘Clean Transition Tariff’ (CTT), a new clean energy rate currently under review by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada. If approved, the CTT will enable Google and other large energy consumers to meet their power needs with clean, reliable energy. This model could inspire similar initiatives across other states.

NV Energy, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy, has formed a unique energy supply agreement with Google, featuring enhanced geothermal power developed in collaboration with Fervo Energy. This initiative will provide 115 MW of new geothermal capacity specifically for Google. This effort supports Google’s ambition to achieve 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030 and enhances the resilience of Nevada’s power grid.

Doug Cannon, President and CEO of NV Energy, highlighted the importance of this partnership: “Our collaboration with Google to bring enhanced geothermal energy to Nevada’s grid is significant. This proposal not only supports Google’s clean energy goals but also benefits our other customers by introducing greener energy resources to Nevada.”

The partnership builds on Google’s successful pilot project with Fervo Energy in Nevada, which proved the commercial viability of enhanced geothermal power. Following the pilot, Fervo has significantly improved its drilling processes, leading to a nearly 25-fold increase in geothermal capacity. This capacity will now support Google’s operations in Nevada.

Cannon added, “If approved, this proposal provides a blueprint for other utilities and large customers in Nevada to accelerate their clean energy goals. We are excited to advance this regulatory process and share these advancements, enhancing economic opportunities for our state.”

© 2024 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell a stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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The Western Energy Imbalance Market (WEIM), which includes two Berkshire Hathaway utilities, continues to prove its worth, with cumulative benefits reaching an impressive $5.49 billion in the first quarter of 2024. Notably, its role in ensuring regional coordination became evident during a January cold snap that tested the Northwest’s grid reliability.

With 22 participants onboard, the WEIM yielded $436 million in benefits during this quarter alone, providing substantial relief on expenses for utilities and their customers. NV Energy and PacifiCorp, both subsidiaries of Berkshire Hathaway Energy, reaped significant rewards. NV Energy accrued $32.77 million, while PacifiCorp secured $73.83 million, further underlining the tangible advantages of active participation in the WEIM.

Its ability to efficiently transfer power across a vast and diverse landscape played a crucial role in meeting the heightened demand during the extreme cold spell from January 13-15, particularly in the Pacific Northwest. During this period, energy transfers from California and the Southwest proved invaluable, offering much-needed support to areas under strain due to increased electricity demand.

Established in 2014, the WEIM operates as a real-time electricity market, facilitating the buying and selling of power close to the time of generation and consumption. Powered by cutting-edge technology, the market excels in identifying and delivering the lowest-cost resources to meet immediate power needs while effectively managing congestion on transmission lines to uphold grid reliability.

© 2024 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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In a significant move towards bolstering its renewable energy portfolio, Berkshire Hathaway has finalized the acquisition of the Arco Wind and Solar project from NorthRenew Energy. The project, located in southeastern Idaho’s Bingham and Bonneville counties, will eventually bring 1.2 gigwatts of power online and marks a strategic investment by Berkshire Hathaway Energy’s subsidiary, PacifiCorp, into clean energy infrastructure.

Upon completion, the Arco Wind and Solar project is expected to contribute 300 MW of power to the grid when it becomes operational in 2026. Furthermore, there are plans to potentially augment its capacity by an additional 800 MW of solar energy in the future.

Garth Klimchuk, Founder and Managing Partner of NorthRenew Energy, expressed enthusiasm about the acquisition, highlighting the collaboration with one of North America’s largest utility companies. He emphasized the joint effort to advance the Arco project towards construction, indicating a commitment to expanding renewable energy initiatives.

PacifiCorp, as part of Berkshire Hathaway, is a prominent player in the energy sector, particularly as the largest grid operator in the western United States. Serving customers across Oregon, Washington, California, Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming, PacifiCorp’s involvement underscores the company’s commitment to sustainable energy solutions.

With construction set to commence in 2025 and commercial operations scheduled for late 2026, the Arco Wind and Solar project represents a significant step forward in the region’s transition towards renewable energy sources. The project’s integration of wind, solar, and storage technologies showcases a comprehensive approach to clean energy generation and aligns with broader efforts to combat climate change.

Berkshire Hathaway’s acquisition of the Arco project not only underscores its commitment to environmental sustainability but also positions the company as a key player in driving the transition towards a greener energy landscape. As renewable energy continues to gain momentum globally, investments like these signal a paradigm shift towards a more sustainable and resilient energy future.

© 2024 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell a stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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On the first day of September, Berkshire Hathaway Energy consummated its acquisition of Dominion Energy’s fifty-percent limited partnership stake in Cove Point LNG, LP. This boosted Berkshire Hathaway Energy’s ownership interest to seventy-five percent. The ownership interest is held within BHE GT&S, LLC, a Berkshire Hathaway Energy unit.

A subsidiary of BHE GT&S is the general partner and operator of the Cove Point natural gas pipeline and its liquefied natural gas terminal located in Lusby, Maryland. A subsidiary of Brookfield Infrastructure Partners holds the remaining twenty-five percent limited partnership interest in Cove Point LNG, LP.

On July 10, 2023, Berkshire Hathaway Energy announced that it had reached an agreement to acquire Dominion Energy’s limited partnership interest in Cove Point LNG, LP, for cash consideration of $3.3 billion.

Paul Ruppert, president of BHE GT&S, said: “We are pleased for this opportunity to own a greater stake in the Cove Point LNG business. BHE GT&S will continue its excellent operating and commercial performance at Cove Point, which plays an important role in Berkshire Hathaway Energy’s delivery of clean, low-cost and sustainable energy solutions to customers and communities.”

© 2023 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell a stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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Berkshire Hathaway’s NV Energy will be powering Las Vegas’s newest entertainment venue, Sphere, with renewable energy. NV Energy and MSG Las Vegas LLC have jointly applied for approval from the Public Utility Commission for a 25-year agreement.

The ground-breaking Sphere is billed as a next-generation entertainment medium that will bring wonder to the world and redefine the future of live entertainment. Sphere will be powered by cutting-edge technologies that ignite the senses and transport audiences to places both real and imagined. The first Sphere venue is currently under construction in Las Vegas and is expected to open in fall 2023. Once open, Sphere will host a wide variety of events, including concerts and residencies from the world’s biggest artists; Sphere Experiences from leading Hollywood creatives; and premier marquee events.

Sphere will be a “model for renewable energy use by entertainment venues around the country,” according to the company.

Rich Claffey, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of Sphere, noted, “Just as Sphere is setting a new standard for immersive live entertainment, the venue is also setting an industry standard when it comes to renewable energy. From the outset, we designed Sphere to minimize environmental impact and to help create a sustainable operation well into the future. We’re proud to enter into this agreement with NV Energy and partner with them to achieve both of those important goals.”

An estimated 70% of the power needed by the entertainment venue will be derived from dedicated solar and battery resources.

The new NV Energy solar and battery facility, if approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, will serve Sphere and additional NV Energy customers.

© 2023 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell a stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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Berkshire Hathaway Energy’s PacifiCorp and NV Energy received combined benefits of $83.65 million from their participation in the Western Energy Imbalance Market (WEIM) during the second quarter of 2023.

In total, the WEIM has generated $798.7 million in benefits in the first half of 2023, and the real-time energy market’s $379.91 million in second-quarter results is attributed to the growing number of participants providing diversity and economical energy transfers replacing more expensive generation.

The WEIM is designed to enable participating entities to buy and sell power close to the time electricity is consumed. With state-of-the art technology, the market finds and delivers lowest-cost resources to meet immediate power needs and manages congestion on transmission lines to maintain grid reliability. It has set a new record of $4.2 billion in cumulative benefits since the market was launched in late 2014.

The WEIM also provides system operators real-time visibility across neighboring grids, resulting in more efficient balancing of supply and demand.

Since 2020, the number of Western EIM participants has doubled to 22, further diversifying energy resources while improving transmission efficiencies and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Western Area Power Administration Desert Southwest region, El Paso Electric and AVANGRID Renewables are the WEIM’s newest entities, joining in April 2023. The WEIM now includes portions of Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Texas and extends to the border with Canada.

The environmental benefits of the market are also noteworthy. With more variable resources such as solar and wind on the grid, excess clean power would typically tend to be curtailed and go unused to keep the grid from becoming overloaded. With greater regional coordination enabled by the WEIM, that clean power can be moved across a large geographic area to displace other resources.

Since 2014, greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by more than 878,000 metric tons, or the equivalent of taking almost 184,000 passenger cars off the road for one year.

Additionally, grid operators have more resource options for balancing supply and demand, which is particularly helpful during summer evenings when electricity use remains high but solar generation is declining.

© 2023 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell a stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

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Hot on the heels of Berkshire Hathaway Energy’s acquisition of Dominion Energy’s 50 percent stake in the Cove Point LNG facility in Maryland, the company may have another acquisition opportunity on the horizon.

On Thursday, July 27, American Electric Power’s president & CEO Julie Sloat said during an earnings conference call that the utility company would be divesting its non-regulated assets.

“When people buy AEP shares or invest in our bonds, they’re not necessarily looking to buy something that is not a traditional regulated utility type of business,” Sloat noted.

The company has a minority stake in Prairie Wind Transmission, which is co-owned with Berkshire Hathaway Energy and Evergy. As of June 30, AEP’s stake was valued at $19 million.

Berkshire Hathaway Energy, which owns 25 percent of Prairie Wind Transmission, and Evergy, which owns 50 percent, are the likely suitors, and the only question is which company will end up with AEP’s stake.

In addition to Prairie Wind Transmission, AEP will be divesting its ownership in Pioneer Transmission, which it co-owns with Duke Energy, and its stake in Transource Energy, its majority-owned joint venture with Evergy.

© 2023 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell a stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Berkshire Hathaway Energy has successfully executed an agreement to acquire Dominion Energy’s 50% limited partnership stake in the Cove Point LNG, LP business.

Pending regulatory approvals, the purchased interest will be held under the umbrella of BHE GT&S, LLC, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy. A subsidiary of BHE GT&S already serves as the general partner and operator of the Cove Point natural gas pipeline and its liquefied natural gas terminal, both situated in Lusby, Maryland.

With a transaction value of $3.3 billion, the deal will primarily be funded through the utilization of existing cash reserves, including proceeds from the liquidation of specific investments. Once the transaction is finalized, Berkshire Hathaway Energy will bolster its ownership by securing a 75% limited partnership stake in Cove Point LNG, LP. It is worth noting that the remaining 25% limited partnership interest in Cove Point LNG, LP will be retained by a subsidiary of Brookfield Infrastructure Partners.

Paul Ruppert, the president of BHE GT&S, expressed his pride in the operations conducted at Cove Point and shared his excitement regarding this new opportunity to enhance their ownership in these globally renowned facilities. He emphasized that the dedicated Cove Point team would continue to prioritize providing secure, affordable, and dependable service to their esteemed customers.

Located on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay, the facility is the first such facility on the East Coast. It is recognized as one of the most technically advanced and environmentally sensitive LNG facilities in the world, and has a storage capacity of 14.6 billion cubic feet (BCF) and a daily send-out capacity of 1.8 BCF.

Cove Point produces LNG under 20-year contracts for ST Cove Point, a joint venture of Sumitomo Corporation and Tokyo Gas, and for Gail Global (USA) LNG, the U.S. affiliate of GAIL (India) LTD.

Since the facility first entered commercial service in April 2018 for natural gas liquefaction and export, LNG produced from the facility has supported the energy needs of 28 countries, including many in Europe in recent months. And Cove Point LNG loaded its 300th commercial cargo at the end of July.

With this strategic move, Berkshire Hathaway Energy continues to expand its portfolio of world-class assets. This acquisition not only aligns with the company’s long-term growth strategy but also reinforces its position as a prominent player in the ever-evolving energy sector.

© 2023 David Mazor

Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell a stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.