Utility/Industry Partnerships Involving Distributed Generation Technologies in Evolving Electricity Markets

Electricity markets in the United States are undergoing unprecedented structural changes as a result of the confluence of regulatory, competitive, and technological forces. This paper will introduce the role of distributed generation technologies in evolving electric markets and will review both current and emerging distributed generation technologies aimed at retail industrial, commercial and residential markets. This paper will draw upon several Electric Power Research Institute’s (EPRI) and member utility case studies involving the assessment of distributed generation in premium power service, standby power and industrial cogeneration applications. In addition, EPRI products and services which can help evaluate energy service options involving distributed generation will also be briefly reviewed

Demonstration of a Carbonate Fuel Cell on Coal Derived Gas

Several studies indicate that carbonate fuel cell systems have the potential to offer efficient, cost competitive, and environmentally preferred power plants operating on natural gas or coal derived gas (“syn-gas”). To date, however, no fuel cell system has run on actual syn-gas. Consequently, the Electric Power Research Institute (“EPRI”) has sponsored a 20 kW carbonate fuel cell pilot plant that will begin operating in March at Destec Energy’s coal gasification plant in Plaquemine, Louisiana. The primary purpose of the test is to determine the effect of syn-gas contaminants on the performance and life of the carbonate fuel cell. This paper will describe the project objectives, design aspects of the pilot facility, and the status of the project