The U.S. installed more microgrids in 2019 than ever before
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.
Biden’s green energy recovery plan: what you need to know
The biggest shift from Biden’s previous plans involves the money and timeframe for spending it: $2 trillion over four years, rather than the $1.7 trillion over ten years previously proposed.
SMUD looks to go 100% emission-free 10 years ahead of schedule.
Members of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District Board of Directors will vote tonight on a “Climate Emergency Declaration” that could set the utility on track to become carbon neutral by 2030.
Morning Brief: California ISO brings the largest battery storage resource in the nation online
Also in the brief: IREC on energy storage interconnection, Wunder Capital and partners to invest more than $100 million in U.S. commercial solar, Photosol buying land rights near coal plants with eye toward transmission, and NREL on recycling solar panels.
LF Energy and the pursuit of a modularized grid
In hopes of creating a grid that is modular, flexible and more resilient than the current one, LF Energy has launched its Digital Substation Automation Systems initiative, which looks to make interoperable substations that are both hardware and software agnostic.
How to replace 187 GW of coal with renewables, and save customers money
Several financing options could ease the replacement of uneconomic coal plants with renewables and storage, with some of the savings used to help coal workers transition to new jobs, says a report from climate advocates.
Morning Brief: Duke, Dominion abandon pipeline, Berkshire Hathaway buys $10B of gas assets from Dominion
Also in the brief: Tepco to reuse Chinese EV batteries for energy storage, end of Chinese dam-building era,
NREL study backs hydrogen for long-duration storage
Pumped hydro and compressed air energy storage will soon be cost-effective for day-long storage, while hydrogen for long-duration storage will be cost-effective by 2050 or sooner, the national lab’s study projected.
Real-time pricing that integrates more solar power is proven to work in California
Industry participants noted the significance of a real-time pricing project on a single distribution circuit in California. State officials are evaluating real-time pricing as a means to help integrate more solar and wind power on the grid.
Bill Gates leads $10M investment in Quidnet’s long-duration geomechanical pumped storage
The year of living durationally — the holy grail of energy storage has always been low-cost and long-duration. Venture investors have started putting their money into novel, extended-duration storage technologies.
