Some utilities are using models to project the adoption of distributed solar and storage, and counting distributed resources in their planning process. Others should do the same, says the nonprofit RMI.

Rapidly deploying 5.2 GW of planned solar and storage in Puerto Rico to reach 36% renewables, a possibility raised in a report by six national laboratories, would require an improvement in the Puerto Rico utility’s practices, which involve delays at several steps of the procurement process.

The program will support investments by rural electric systems to improve service while reducing costs and climate pollution. Two smaller programs will support rural electric systems to deploy renewables and storage, and to improve resiliency.

After 3 GW of solar and storage projects have advanced, about 27 GW of solar and storage projects remain in New York’s interconnection queue. The grid operator also advanced 3 GW of wind projects and a 1.25 GW transmission line.

With six new TVA board members appointed by President Biden, the board should pause TVA’s plans to add gas generation, the group says, and direct the utility to evaluate cleaner and lower-cost alternatives.

Under a 25-year agreement valued at nearly $1 billion, a California community choice aggregator will purchase 200 MW of 8-hour energy storage from Hydrostor’s planned 500 MW facility.

A study funded by the U.S. State Department models doubling solar capacity in Mexico by 2024.

With billions of dollars of federal disaster relief funding having been allocated to restore energy infrastructure, the Center for Biological Diversity has filed a lawsuit to obtain federal records on how that money has been spent.

The carbon plan includes substantially less solar and storage than the amounts called for by a North Carolina trade group and a citizens’ group, and similar amounts proposed by technology firms.

With the new appointments, Biden appointees constitute the majority of the TVA board of directors. Key decisions on TVA’s generating mix are in the works.