AES Indiana plans 200-MW/800-MWh energy storage at retiring coal plant

The project would use existing interconnection rights. “As renewables proliferate, finding ideal interconnections is getting, and will continue to get, more difficult,” an AES official said.

By Ethan Howland • July 20, 2023

Tesla Q2 storage deployments increase 222% as company navigates ‘fractured regulatory environment’

The company’s solar deployments, however, declined year over year, which Tesla attributed to a high interest rate environment. 

By Kavya Balaraman • July 20, 2023

Explore the Trendline➔

Virtual Power Plants

Virtual power plants and their ability to balance energy supply and demand are increasingly sought by utilities as electricity demand increases, but their lack of standardization remains a barrier.

By Utility Dive staff

Battery storage systems could face rapid asset degradation, especially with arbitrage: Fitch

Active management is required to implement arbitrage strategies, which involve purchasing energy when prices are low and selling when they increase, according to the analysis.

By Kavya Balaraman • July 18, 2023

3 top questions on the future of lithium, cobalt and nickel supply: report

The International Energy Agency is optimistic global supply of critical minerals can keep pace with demand, but is skeptical when it comes to diverse sourcing.

By Kate Magill • July 17, 2023

Transmission development pace ‘severely’ limits renewable energy, carbon reduction potential: report

Failing to speed up transmission expansion cuts possible greenhouse gas emissions reductions in half by 2035, the Princeton University-led REPEAT Project found.

By Ethan Howland • July 17, 2023

The meaning of an ‘optimal’ clean energy investment is changing as prices rise, analysts report

Inflation Reduction Act incentives and supply-demand imbalances have developers and off-takers recalculating the value of clean energy.

By Herman K. Trabish • July 13, 2023

DTE Electric agrees to speed Michigan coal plant retirements, renewable and energy storage buildout

DTE will add 3.8 GW of renewables and 780 MW of energy storage by 2030 under a settlement agreement released Wednesday.

By Ethan Howland • July 13, 2023

Solar-powered ‘microgrids’ coming to San Diego public buildings as first of 8 projects breaks ground

Batteries will store the excess solar energy a site generates, with that energy powering the facility in the afternoons and evenings, when electricity prices rise.

By Ysabelle Kempe • July 12, 2023

DOE lab boosts flow battery capacity, life using starch derivative in breakthrough research

“We need to develop a sustainable approach with chemicals that we can synthesize in large amounts,” said Imre Gyuk, director of energy storage research at DOE’s Office of Electricity.

By Ethan Howland • July 11, 2023

EV batteries can be repurposed as grid storage to reduce battery supply chain impacts: report

Doing so, however, would require better regulation around accessing battery management systems, as well as flexible liability frameworks for repurposed batteries, according to the report’s author. 

By Kavya Balaraman • July 11, 2023

Minnesota PUC approves Xcel’s plan to install a 10-MW/1,000-MWh Form Energy battery system

The utility company expects the long-duration energy storage project will be operating by the end of 2025. It will be paired with 710 MW of solar at the site of a coal-fired power plant that is being retired.

By Ethan Howland • July 7, 2023

DOE selects 4 equity-focused organizations to receive energy storage assistance

The agency's Energy Storage for Social Equity initiative helps underserved communities install batteries to meet their energy goals.

By Robert Walton • July 6, 2023

Greenbacker Capital expands battery fleet with purchase of 4-hour, 30-MW California storage system

The Holtville BESS project will be the largest standalone storage asset in GCM’s clean energy portfolio, the company said.

By Robert Walton • June 27, 2023

Future-proofing large scale solar projects

Solar developers are adopting new strategies to de-risk large-scale projects, maximizing rewards with a prepare/plan/prevent framework.

By Omar Ahmed – VP of Systems Engineering, and Nate Robinson, Senior Vice President of Construction – DEPCOM Power • June 26, 2023

Cleantech M&A activity expected to grow, driven by ESG investing and federal funding: West Monroe

ESG is an “unstoppable long-term trend,” according to the report released Thursday. “Much of this wall of capital will be sunk into cleantech.”

By Ethan Howland • June 22, 2023

Four non-transmission solutions for clean energy with new power lines in the permitting ‘Valley of Death’

Smart technologies, storage, overbuilding and distributed resources can move the energy transition ahead until workable reforms bring new transmission online, stakeholders agreed

By Herman K. Trabish • June 21, 2023

Energy storage growth stalled in early 2023, projected to bounce back: report

Researchers tracked a 26% decrease in new energy storage projects in the first quarter compared with the previous quarter.

By Patrick Cooley • June 20, 2023

California’s storage portfolio could provide grid benefits of up to $1.6B per year by 2032, report finds

Storage, particularly well-sited storage, can provide “flexible capacity and efficient reliability services to ratepayers,” said Sergio Dueñas, policy manager at the California Energy Storage Alliance.

By Kavya Balaraman • June 20, 2023

Batteries on freight trains could be tapped to support the power grid in emergencies: study

Berkeley Labs says mobile storage batteries are a possible resource to assure grid reliability in the future.

By Patrick Cooley • June 14, 2023

BLM approves NextEra’s 300-MW Sunlight Storage II project in Southern California

The project will bring the total storage capacity co-located with the 550 MW Desert Sunlight Solar Farm to 530 MW.

By Stephen Singer • June 13, 2023

DOE announces $192M for battery recycling, says lithium storage market could grow tenfold by 2030

Rapid growth in the lithium battery market is being driven by growing adoption of electric vehicles and the need for stationary storage, the U.S. Department of Energy said.

By Robert Walton • June 13, 2023

EPA memo clarifies handling and permitting requirements for end-of-life lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion battery disposal should be managed as hazardous waste as more of the batteries are produced and more companies expand to manage the end-of-life material, EPA said.

By Megan Quinn • June 6, 2023

ESS, other energy storage manufacturers announce safety certification for competitive edge

“Eventually, we have to believe everybody is going to be out there getting it,“ said Hugh McDermott, senior vice president of business development and sales at ESS, referring to the UL 9540 standard.

By Stephen Singer • June 5, 2023

California Energy Commission funds Redflow batteries for 20 MWh microgrid project

The commission’s approval of Redflow’s project “firmly establishes our presence in California, which is leading the development and support of non-lithium technologies to achieve its net-zero goals,” CEO Tim Harris said.

By Stephen Singer • June 5, 2023

AI, climate change, fuel cells among energy transition ‘disconnects’ for utilities: Morgan Stanley

“Not all incumbent utilities will gain from the energy transition,” analysts said in a report issued Wednesday. Those that could be challenged include Consolidated Edison, Entergy and NextEra.

By Ethan Howland • June 2, 2023