WEF Talk 4: “Are Hybrids the Power Plant of the Future?” 

ABSTRACT:

Falling battery prices and the growth of variable renewable generation are driving a surge of interest in hybrid power plants that combine, for example, wind or solar generating capacity with co-located batteries. While hybridization of power plants provides opportunities to ease the challenge of balancing variable renewable resources, its relative novelty means that research is needed to facilitate integration and promote innovation. This presentation will cover the top-10 takeaways from the culmination of 3 years of research projects on hybrids at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. I will highlight that developer interest in hybrid power plants has exploded while outlining the hybrid value proposition: low PPA prices with high market value. 

BIO

Will Gorman is a Researcher in the Electricity Markets and Policy Department at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory where he focuses on the integration of variable generation into the electric power system, the economics of distributed energy resources, and the application of energy storage within electricity systems. In his work, Will particularly seeks to inform public and private decision making within the U.S. electricity sector via economic analysis. 

He has published his research in Applied Energy, Energy Policy, and Utilities Policy among other journals, and has been invited to speak in front of FERC, and at the ACP Clean Power annual meeting, the Energy Systems and Integration Group Technical Symposium as well as the United States Association of Energy Economists.  While being a guest on multiple podcasts, he has also been featured in popular publications such as Green Tech Media and Utility Dive.

Will has an M.S. in Energy and Resources from the University of California, Berkeley.  He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and a B.A in Plan II Honors from the University of Texas at Austin.