Energy Storage

With 182.5 MW and 730 MWh of capacity and expansion capabilities that would bring it to 1.1 GWh, the Moss Landing battery energy storage system is set to be even bigger than Tesla’s Hornsdale project in Australia, as big-battery development takes off worldwide.

The utility has taken the first step towards bringing 900 MW of solar, 50 MW of storage and 500 MW of firming capacity to the Lone Star State, all in pursuit of CPS’ 50% renewable by 2040 goal.

While then vast majority of microgrid projects are still for distributed fossil generation, the share of renewable microgrids is rising, driven by high-volume adopters, like The Red Cross.

The patent monopoly is at odds with the global need for battery storage technology and if this norm continues, technology will not be able to be released in time to keep up with current climate goals.

It was a series of firsts, including a profitable full year and Megapack turning a profit that factored into CEO Elon Musk explaining that he has “never been more optimistic or excited about the future of Tesla.” Austin is confirmed as the site of the next Gigafactory.

A new report shows that both venture capital and total corporate funding to the three sectors are down, driven by battery storage funding failing to compare to a record-setting 2019.

Also in the brief: Berkshire Hathaway Energy subsidiary NV Energy goes full-on solar-plus-storage, and single-axis tracker analysis.

Proposed solar-plus-storage projects far surpass proposed gas units in the West and Midwest.

Also in the brief: Minnesota solar installers say they’re waiting too long for Xcel Energy grid connections, lower solar costs lead to new installations in metro Atlanta and financing for two large projects in Texas.

President Trump’s unflagging support for fossil fuels has not stopped the DOE from putting millions of dollars into innovative technologies that could open new paths for market growth in the U.S. solar industry.