Also on the rise: Rural electric co-ops receive $4.37 billion in clean energy funding. NY utility approves battery storage project on shuttered nuclear site. And more.

SunVest completed the 19.5MW solar project at Charter Steel, also Wisconsin’s largest single energy user.

Long Island Power Authority gives the nod to developer, enabling it to pursue final local approval for 79 MW and 50 MW facilities.

Also on the rise: Sunrun fined for worker rooftop safety violation. DC Grid debuts off-grid DC solutions to address growing power demand. And more.

Residential solar installer Sunrun was penalized for its failure to adhere to OSHA roof safety practices.

Chemical battery storage, led by lithium, has made such significant strides in terms of cost, capacity and technology that batteries are now positioned to accelerate our already exponential solar growth.

Before we power into the new year, recharge and look back on the year’s most popular stories among pv magazine USA readers.

Qcells aims to reestablish critical parts of the U.S. solar supply chain by manufacturing ingots, wafers, cells, and finished solar modules.

With manufacturing based in Texas, the company reports that this is the first foundation system to meet 100% domestic content standards, thus potentially qualifying for the domestic content adder.

Also on the rise: Perovskite-silicon solar cell achieves 28.6% efficiency, ready for mass production. Energy experts urge California Governor to reject anti-rooftop solar executive order. And more.

A new multiyear agreement will provide 7.5 GWh of fully-integrated lithium-ion energy storage, expected to qualify for the domestic content bonus.

The Energy Department’s Solar with Wildlife and Ecosystem Benefits program will fund R&D, technical work and stakeholder engagement activities that promote compatibility of solar with the natural environment.

Solcast, a DNV company, reports that, while much of the Americas will see cloudier weather than normal for the season, particularly in the eastern United States and parts of central Brazil, Europe’s solar outlook is split with high pressure over central regions bringing clearer skies to the Iberian Peninsula.

Funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Empowering Rural America Program is available to rural electric cooperatives in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Texas.

pv magazine USA spotlights news of the past week including market trends, project updates, policy changes and more.

PG&E believes that investing in infrastructure will help it supply the forecasted load growth, increase electric reliability and reduce costs for its consumers across California.

The proposed cell is based on indium gallium phosphide (InGaP), indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) and germanium (Ge) and has an active area of 0.25 mm2. It can be used for applications in micro-concentrator photovoltaics (CPV).

By using a “robust” approach to planning for new renewable and storage capacity to meet future energy demand, stakeholders can identify low-cost portfolios that can be quickly tested against various cost scenarios, said Derek Stenclik of Telos Energy.

As the heavy majority of the U.S. energy grid approaches the end of its lifecycle, the time is now for a public-private task force to develop a comprehensive strategy to harden the grid and enable technologies that maximize the benefit of targeted investment in the most vulnerable areas.

SunTrain is hoping to ship renewable energy via battery-powered trains, charged from solar and wind, using rail networks.