In Puerto Rico, residential solar and storage growth outpaces utility-scale developments
Puerto Rico has reached 1.3 GW of residential solar and 185,000 residential batteries, with Wood Mackenzie expecting three more GWh of residential storage by 2029. Utility-scale solar and storage projects are gearing up, as described by an attorney with McConnell Valdés.
In Virginia and New Jersey, solar and storage goals include surplus interconnection
Incoming governors in New Jersey and Virginia campaigned on broad clean energy platforms, while Advanced Energy United sees underused points of interconnection as the best solar and storage opportunity in Virginia.
Illinois to add 3 GW of batteries, saving consumers $12 billion over 20 years
Illinois is set to issue procurements for 3 GW of battery storage, under a bill expected to be signed by Governor JB Pritzker. Transmission improvements to speed renewable deployment are also in the works.
Florida utility on pace to reach 93 GW solar, 50 GW storage by 2045
While utilities in neighboring states are “dabbling” with solar, Florida Power & Light is combining solar and storage as a “workhorse” technology, said a nonprofit executive.
Geothermal developer Mazama Energy aims for 5¢/kWh power
Mazama Energy says it has accessed a world-record high temperature geothermal resource, and that hotter underground rocks can enable lower-cost power.
New York utility aims to expand its flexible interconnection pilot
After operating a 15 MW solar plant with flexible interconnection that requires occasional curtailment but not grid upgrades, Avangrid seeks to expand flexible interconnection to additional portions of its distribution grid.
Solar deployment and policies have had a mixed effect on electricity prices, researchers find
While large-scale solar and wind deployment “may have reduced” retail electricity prices over the past five years, net energy metering and renewable portfolio standards generally increased prices, the researchers found. But states with the highest renewable generation in 2024 had among the lowest prices.
19 states sue EPA to reinstate $7 billion of Solar for All funding
The lawsuit alleges that EPA’s cancellation of Solar for All grants violated a federal law and a provision of the U.S. Constitution, and asks the court to reinstate the grants. A second lawsuit seeks reimbursement for damages sustained by grant awardees when the grants were canceled.
Rondo Energy’s 100 MWh heat battery powered by 20 MW of onsite solar
Heat batteries for storing industrial heat can also be powered by low-cost grid electricity generated at sunny and windy hours, the company said.
PJM grid region needs 16 GW of storage by 2032, says Brattle study
“Without decisive action” to add storage, “millions of homes and businesses could face costly and dangerous reliability risks,” said the trade group sponsoring the study. “Hundreds of storage projects are stalled in PJM’s interconnection queue,” it added.
