US residential energy storage posts record quarter, but COVID-19 impacts loom: report

Industry deployed a record 44.4 MW of residential storage in the first three months of 2020 while non-residential deployment declined. But the coronavirus is expected to reverse this trend in the months to come.

By Emma Penrod • June 3, 2020

ENGIE, Enel X, Tesla top Guidehouse rankings of energy storage players

Sector leaders who were able to fill multiple roles at once were higher ranked, according to the report's author.

By Guy Burdick • May 29, 2020

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

Green Mountain Power expands BYOD and Tesla battery programs as it targets fossil peakers

The utility claims to be the first in the country to offer rate discounts for the use of distributed energy storage to lower peak energy demand across its system.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • May 26, 2020

Landfills emerge as promising battery storage sites to back up renewable energy

Like solar panels, batteries may present a new revenue stream for closed landfills. Projects are complete, or underway, in multiple states.

By Matthew Bandyk • May 26, 2020

PG&E's total storage procurements pass 1 GW with latest round of projects

The five projects announced by PG&E last week totaling 423 MW, combined with SCE's 770 MW announcement earlier in May, almost equal the state's entire 1,325 MW storage target for 2020.

By Kavya Balaraman • May 21, 2020

As utilities tackle immediate COVID-19 impacts, analysts stress need to focus beyond the pandemic

Power systems across the country need new approaches for today's shifting loads, but focusing on recovery and tomorrow’s resources can be even better, analysts say.

By Herman K. Trabish • May 20, 2020

El Paso Electric sees record low solar prices as it secures New Mexico project approvals

The utility had submitted one solar and two solar+storage projects for consideration to replace capacity from the Rio Grande plant's natural gas units set for retirement in 2022.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • May 18, 2020

Hawaiian Electric eyes 460 MW solar, 3 GWh storage to help meet renewables goals

The projects, which are scheduled to come online beginning in 2022, would increase the utility's solar capacity by more than 50%.

By Kavya Balaraman • May 14, 2020

Replace NYC peakers with renewables+storage? Plant owners say they're working on it

An environmental justice group has called for renewables and battery storage to replace fossil fuel peaking units in New York City. Generators say the transition is already underway.

By Robert Walton • May 12, 2020

Cold storage: Organic proton batteries show disposal, solar pairing advantages in advance to market

A Sweden-based research team's new battery can withstand low temperatures and more efficiently store renewable energy.

By Lynn Freehill-Maye • May 11, 2020

DC Circuit grills NARUC, FERC on whether Order 841 will harm state ability to regulate distribution

The fundamental question for judges is whether FERC's landmark energy storage order will harm states' ability to operate the safety and reliability of their distribution systems.

By Catherine Morehouse • May 6, 2020

Power-to-gas could be key to California's long-duration storage needs, stakeholders say

Soaking up excess renewable energy and converting it to methane or hydrogen could provide California with a long-term storage system with weeks of duration, a whitepaper from Wärtsilä says. 

By Kavya Balaraman • May 6, 2020

Dominion jacks up renewables and storage in Virginia IRP, following landmark clean energy rule

In its newest plan for the state, Dominion would add between 11 and 40 GW of solar in the next 25 years and up to 5 GW of offshore wind in the next 15 years, while still keeping some natural gas in the system.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • May 5, 2020

SCE procures 770 MW of battery storage to bolster California's grid as gas plants approach retirement

"The word hockey stick gets thrown around a lot, but that is some real exponential growth in the storage market," Daniel Finn-Foley, head of energy storage at Wood Mackenzie Power and Renewables, told Utility Dive.

By Kavya Balaraman • May 5, 2020

New Mexico delays 350 MW, 240 MWh solar+storage projects intended to replace San Juan coal plant

Meanwhile, a company determined to save the San Juan plant announced it has secured $22 million in federal funding to explore potential carbon storage options in grounds near the facility.

By Catherine Morehouse • May 1, 2020

'Tremendous demand for stationary storage' outstrips Tesla's 2020 supply capability, Musk says

In the first quarter of 2020, though, the company saw a 51% drop in storage deployments compared to the prior quarter. Energy deployments in general were limited due to shutdowns, according to CFO Zachary Kirkhorn.

By Kavya Balaraman • May 1, 2020

Duke to double renewable capacity in 5 years, but critics say utility lags on storage deployment

The utility plans to add 8,000 MW of wind, solar and biomass by 2025, but critics say the utility isn't taking sufficient advantage of energy storage and efficiency.

By Robert Walton • April 29, 2020

As extreme weather spurs billions in utility resilience spending, regulators struggle to value investments

A new study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory shows the value of resilience depends on too many factors to easily quantify and moves regulators back to human judgment.

By Herman K. Trabish • April 25, 2020

84 GW US renewables+storage pipeline has developers anxious for market integration rules

Utilities and developers are adding renewables plus storage hybrids so fast and cost-effectively that regulators had to schedule a conference on paired technologies. 

By Herman K. Trabish • April 23, 2020

Storage, smart grid, energy efficiency sectors see $337M in Q1 corporate funding: Report

Venture capital funding in these sectors totaled $252 million, according to a report from Mercom Capital Group — a 20% increase over the first quarter of last year.

By Kavya Balaraman • April 22, 2020

PG&E proposes lithium-ion battery projects to replace Oakland fossil fuel plant

The projects are part of a "first-of-its-kind" utility-community choice aggregator collaboration and reflect a broader shift to distributed energy resources, according to PG&E.

By Kavya Balaraman • April 16, 2020

COVID-19 hits clean energy jobs, but storage companies could be 'bucking the trend'

In a recent survey conducted by the Energy Storage Association, three-fourths of respondents said they did not expect to reduce employment.

By Kavya Balaraman • April 16, 2020

Increasing renewables and DER demand new reliability approach, but California is falling short, groups say

Resource adequacy's planning reserve margin worked when supply and load were stable, but new system realities demand a more dynamic approach to protect reliability, emerging power providers and DER advocacy groups say.

By Herman K. Trabish • April 15, 2020

DOE eyes storage technologies to improve the performance of fossil fuel plants

Energy storage resources could help fossil-fueled facilities provide more reliable and affordable energy, according to the department's Office of Fossil Energy.

By Kavya Balaraman • April 9, 2020

Global storage deployments could see hit in 2020, but 'fundamental drivers' still remain, analysts say

Several factors could affect future storage deployments, including a possible recession and future stimulus packages. 

By Kavya Balaraman • April 7, 2020