ENERGY
The ecosystem is also designed to enhance working relationships between startups and large industries with completely different cultures . Successfully combining cultures can avoid thwarting success . The goal is to begin to rewrite that interaction and “ create a new dynamic where the large incumbents learn how to work with early-stage companies and understand these startups ’ constraints and drivers , and vice versa , help clients understand the challenges that large incumbent industries are faced with around their procurement rules and decision-making processes ,” Rawson says .
Sacramento State is strategically positioned to support that shift in culture . One of three CMC founding members along with SMUD and UC Davis , Sac State will play a fundamental role in the lifecycle of the CMC . Plans are underway to relocate the CMC and build its permanent facility , called The Hub : Sacramento State Research Park , on the university ’ s 25-acre Ramona Avenue property , located about half a mile from campus . Phase 1 will include a test track for autonomous and electric vehicles , and an approximately 150,000-squarefoot building to house its ramp-up factory , classrooms , offices and a showroom .
Sac State is launching an Office of Clean Energy and Mobility Technology , which will provide all the internships for students at the CMC ’ s ramp-up factory , providing real world experience for students and faculty , says Jonathan Bowman , vice president of administration and business affairs and chief financial officer for Sac State .
“ The goal is that the ( clients ) then spin off and start up their factor ( ies ) … in Sacramento . And who are they going to turn to to be their employees but the interns that came from Sac State ,” Bowman says . Unlike many universities , the majority of Sac State ’ s students come from the surrounding area . That drives the university ’ s focus to serve as an anchor institution that develops and retains talent locally to grow the economy in the Capital Region , he says .
“ My dream ( for ) this in the future is that we ’ re able to see all these new technologies as they start coming in ,” Bowman says . “ By seeing that technology before it ’ s really hitting the market , we may be able to get ahead and create degrees that could really attract students interested in working in the mobility sector .”
And with close proximity to the capitol , Sac State and the CMC have access to the regulators who set California ’ s legislation around the mobility market , which feeds into national and global markets , further positioning the Capital Region as a hub for clean mobility commercialization .
Electric utilities become key players
While those in the electrification technology space are busy innovating , California ’ s electric companies have rocketed to the forefront of the mobility and building sectors as key players . To electrify these sectors , California will need to generate , store and distribute roughly three times the amount of energy needed to reach its 2045 climate and clean energy goals . And electric utilities will need to do that while incrementally reducing their dependency on fossil fuels and increasing their portfolio of renewable energy sources . It ’ s a very tall order .
“( This ) essentially is going to turn electric utilities into gas stations ,” says David Bradford , electric customer programs supervisor for Roseville Electric , which is owned and operated by the City of Roseville . “ That ’ s a big part of grid modernization . The biggest challenge that we see there is making sure our grid can support the charging and our programs can encourage our customers to charge or behave in a way that works best for the community .”
It ’ s as complex as a living system — increased capacity , modernized grids , a healthier energy diet , a proactive customer base that can afford the technology , adopts it and uses it , compounded by the need for technology that doesn ’ t exist or isn ’ t scalable yet . As the components individually struggle into existence , they may clash , compete and influence one another , but ultimately they must come together for the plan to work . And then it must be defensible .
Electric utilities already face growing threats of cyberattacks , but once the bulk of energy dependence is funneled through them and they increasingly rely on advanced technology to operate , the stakes go up significantly . To ramp up efforts , President Joe Biden launched his 100-day plan to enhance cybersecurity of electric utility control systems and supply chains in April . The plan coordinated efforts with the electricity industry , but according to Security Info Watch , critics say it didn ’ t include the manufacturers of software and equipment used to operate electric utilities ’ control systems . Much of the equipment still used today isn ’ t designed to counter sophisticated cyberattacks , and members of the electric industry — which are responsible for vetting the software and equipment they use — are calling for more federal guidance .
SMUD , the sixth largest publicly owned utility in the U . S ., plans to boost its clean energy generation from roughly 64 percent in 2020 to 100 percent by 2030 , which is 15 years ahead of the state ’ s goal — as long as rates remain affordable and power remains reliable . Its ambitious Zero Carbon Plan is projected to cost $ 4.6 billion over the next nine years , which it primarily plans to fund through grants , partnerships and funds from Biden ’ s $ 1 trillion infrastructure plan that passed in August 2021 , while maintaining its commitment to minimize rate hikes for customers . In fact , affordability is so vital to the plan , if rates aren ’ t affordable , SMUD may modify or push back its plan until they are . But Lora Anguay , chief zero carbon officer for SMUD , says that ’ s not the mindset they want to start with .
SMUD plans to expand its clean energy generation , including solar , wind , geothermal and short-duration battery storage , by three and a half times and may expand hydropower using its existing infrastructure — without building
36 comstocksmag . com | December 2021