Technology and R&D

The companies first will work to develop an integrated power plant control and SCADA system.

Also on the rise: Talen Energy has plans for energy storage at two fossil power plants, and a novel CSP technology passes a test that has its backers breathing a little easier.

The deal with Hong Kong’s Towngas will pilot the company’s nickel-hydrogen battery technology and serve as an audition for future deals to come.

The $2 trillion package includes a proposed 10-year extension of the ITC and PTC and calls for further incentives to add transmission capacity. Most solar advocates liked it, but one nonprofit panned it as being too industry-friendly.

Also on the rise: DOE’s Solar Decathlon is getting under way as a virtual event, Massachusetts has a climate law (finally), and Nextracker wins a supply deal with Solaria.

Also on the rise: How shading California’s sprawling canal system with solar makes economic sense, Safari Energy marks a milestone, Rio Tinto tests AI-enabled CSP for process heat, and researchers claim a structural battery breakthrough for EV use. Uff-da!

Also on the rise: Hydro-Québec will work to commercialize hydrogen technology, San Antonio’s electric utility gets a financial safety net, and Silicon Ranch wraps up a 200 MW solar portfolio in Georgia.

The federal agency aims to advance next-generation batteries and electricity-conducing materials.

The project by Sierra Northern Railway will integrate hydrogen fuel cell, storage, battery, and systems control technologies.

Also on the rise: GE Renewables is supplying technology to a solar+storage facility, and NREL researchers are rethinking cell design to help integrate solar on building facades.