Energy Storage

  • Conveyor Energy Storage: A Battery and Pumped Hydro Alternative

    A new conveyor-based system offers an alternative energy storage technology. The heart of the system is a reversible conveyor belt that converts between electrical energy and gravitational potential energy by

  • Why We Need More Public Investment in Energy Storage Technology

    When three scientists won the Nobel Peace Prize last year for their work on lithium-ion batteries, The New York Times was one of many outlets that drew the connection between improved energy storage and the

  • Total to Build the Largest Battery-based Energy Storage Project in France

    Paris, March 12, 2020 – The development of renewable energy that is intermittent and decentralized requires the security of the electricity grid through flexible electricity storage capacities, especially in the form of batteries. Total launches a battery-based energy storage project in Mardyck, at the Flandres Center, in Dunkirk’s port district. With a storage capacity of […]

  • The POWER Interview: Google, Utilities Partner for Energy Solutions

    Businesses are putting more emphasis on sustainability, coordinating their operations to ensure financial success while also being mindful of environmental concerns. Investors in many cases are demanding companies embrace sustainability, which often includes being more efficient in their use of energy. That’s one reason behind the growth in distributed power generation, as companies develop their […]

  • MHPS Secures First Order for Hydrogen-Capable J-Series Gas Turbines

    Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) has bagged an order for the first advanced-class gas turbines designed to transition to renewable hydrogen fuel from Utah’s state-owned Intermountain Power Agency (IPA). MHPS’s Lake Mary, Florida–based subsidiary MHPS Americas (MHPSA) on March 10 said that the contract for two M501JAC power trains are the first in the industry […]

  • GE Achieves Battery-Enabled Blackstart of Heavy Duty Gas Turbine

    General Electric (GE) has for the first time achieved blackstart of a GE heavy-duty gas turbine using battery energy storage. The company announced on Feb. 26 it completed black start of a GE 7F.03 gas turbine at a 150-MW simple-cycle unit at Entergy Louisiana’s Perryville Power Station using a 7.4-MW battery-based energy storage system. The […]

  • Why Mitsubishi Power, Natural Gas Power Technology Giant, Is Staking its Future on Decarbonization Through Energy Storage Solutions

    Sponsored by:
    Mitsubishi Power

    Decarbonization has become such a central attribute at Mitsubishi Power, the leading power generation and energy storage company has designed a business strategy that reaches well beyond its legacy gas turbine business to enable it, said Mitsubishi Power Americas President and CEO Paul Browning. “Four-and-a-half years ago, we put together our five-year strategic plan, and […]

  • Economics Hamper Power Improvements in Puerto Rico

    Puerto Rico has been battered by natural disasters in recent years, with hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, and a series of earthquakes in late December 2019 and early January 2020, causing widespread damage

  • Novel Stellio Heliostat Solar Project Goes Online in China

    One of the world’s first molten salt tower concentrated solar power (CSP) projects that uses a “Stellio” heliostat was grid-connected at the end of December in China’s Xinjiang province near the

  • Flow Batteries: Energy Storage Option for a Variety of Uses

    Energy storage is becoming increasingly important to the power industry. Lithium-ion battery technology has been implemented in many locations, but flow batteries offer significant benefits in long-duration

  • Driving Change on the Grid—The Impact of EV Adoption

    Utilities and other power generators need to prepare now for increased loads as the electrification of transportation grows. As with any challenge, opportunities exist for those willing to invest in electric

  • ELECTRIC POWER Conference Set for Denver

    POWER magazine will host its 22nd annual ELECTRIC POWER Conference & Exhibition April 14–17, 2020, at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado. ELECTRIC POWER is the premier conference and

  • How Much Will Hydrogen-Based Power Cost?

    Costs associated with 40 hydrogen technologies used in 35 applications, including for heat and power, could tumble dramatically over the next decade as the scale-up of hydrogen production, distribution, and equipment and component manufacturing continues. For some applications, hydrogen could become competitive with other low-carbon alternatives, and even conventional options. Those are key findings from […]

  • Fast Fixes to California’s ‘New Normal’ of Power Outages

    Experts say the solution is simple: increase the role of distributed renewables and deploy energy storage-based microgrids throughout the state. As California continues to cope with looming scheduled blackouts, the harsh reality is that not only is this the new normal for citizens and businesses on the West Coast, but it could remain that way […]

  • Energy Storage—A Trillion-Dollar Holy Grail

    The science of renewable energy is remarkable—the ability to harness nature to magically power our modern world is a seductive vision. And yet, the actual business of renewable energy is late to establish itself as a viable competitor to the petrochemical industry. The problem is rooted in cost parity and the challenges of production, storage, […]

  • Research Group: Energy Storage Market Will Hit $546 Billion by 2035

    A new report from a global research, data, and analytics firm says the total market for energy storage will reach $546 billion in annual revenue over the next 15 years, led by the continued electrification of the transportation sector. Lux Research, a Boston, Massachusetts-headquartered group, in its “Global Energy Storage Market 2019” report, estimates the […]

  • esVolta Secures $140 Million Credit Facility for Portfolio of Battery Energy Storage Projects

    ALISO VIEJO, Calif. (February 24, 2020) — esVolta, LP today announced that it has closed an approximately $140 million senior secured credit facility to finance a portfolio of its utility-scale battery energy storage projects. The credit facility was provided by CIT’s Power and Energy business as the Mandated Lead Arranger, and Siemens Financial Services (SFS), […]

  • State Fund Launches Next Phase of Sustainability Plan with Comprehensive Energy Program Designed by ENGIE and JLL

    PLEASANTON, California (Feb. 20, 2020) — State Compensation Insurance Fund (State Fund) and ENGIE North America today announced an agreement to build solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, energy storage systems, and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across seven different State Fund locations throughout California. ENGIE and JLL jointly designed this comprehensive program to help State Fund […]

  • Researchers Make Progress on Several Power Projects

    Researchers at a few prominent universities have published findings on recent power-related projects. At Cranfield University in the UK, hydrogen production technology is advancing with an eye on cost and carbon reductions; researchers at the University of Michigan released best practices for extending lithium-ion battery life; and a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) study found […]

  • Nuclear a Major Focus in Trump’s Latest Budget Request—and 8 Other Takeaways

    Yucca Mountain, the 1987 Congressionally appointed deep geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel (SNF), may be officially dead; transmission assets held by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and three Power Marketing Administrations (PMAs) will be put up for sale; and hundreds of millions of dollars in unobligated balances for flagship programs like the Advanced Research […]

  • Commercialization Boost for Cobalt-Eliminating Battery Technologies Developed at ORNL

    Energy Storage startup SPARKZ Inc. has exclusively licensed five technologies from the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) designed to eliminate cobalt in lithium-ion batteries. The development portends a significant new direction for battery storage technology, which has been hindered by costs and availability of the rare metal. ORNL, which announced the […]

  • Energy Northwest Study Makes a Case for SMRs in Future Power Mix

    Deep decarbonization of the U.S. Northwest can be achieved at “manageable” costs by 2045, but only if utility agency Energy Northwest secures zero-emitting firm capacity, such as by relicensing Columbia Generating Station—the sole nuclear plant in the region—and building small modular reactors (SMRs), a new study suggests. The study by San Francisco-based consulting group Energy […]

  • California Official: Solar’s Future Bright, but Clouds Persist

    The technology behind solar power is changing rapidly. Researchers at the University of California, Davis have said so-called “anti-solar” panels could even generate power at night. But even as solar deployments grow worldwide, more innovative solar products are launched, and more governments enact clean energy mandates, political headwinds threaten to slow the progress of the […]

  • Community Solar: Ready for the New Decade

    Community solar refers to local solar facilities shared by multiple subscribers who receive credit on their electricity bills for their share of the power produced. Community solar allows homeowners, renters

  • Energy Storage—Operational Versatility Causes a Regulatory Identity Crisis

    The next decade could belong to energy storage. Project development costs are dropping. Enhanced state and corporate focus on climate-related issues is producing more opportunities for renewable generation and

  • Australia, Long a Uranium Champion, Mulls Nuclear Power

    An Australian federal inquiry last December recommended partially lifting a nationwide ban on nuclear energy, urging that the government pursue a “goal-oriented” and community-focused strategy as it

  • India’s Energy Market Overhaul—Infrastructure, Renewables, and Keeping Coal in the Mix

    India wants to reform its power generation sector, including upgrades to energy infrastructure, and plans to introduce new technology to make its electricity supply more reliable and resilient. It’s part of

  • Raiders Will Roll With Renewables at New Vegas Stadium

    The Raiders, a franchise that has called both Oakland and Los Angeles, California, home since the team began play in 1960, is moving to Las Vegas for the 2020 National Football League season. And this “new” team will take advantage of renewable resources to power both its new stadium, as well as its administrative offices […]

  • The POWER Interview: Benefits of a Smarter Grid

    The smart grid is transforming the way utilities communicate with their customers. Smart grid technology, including control systems and automation that help new technologies work together, supports a power grid that can respond digitally to quickly changing electricity demand. The smart grid enables electricity producers to enhance reliability, availability, and efficiency. It can provide cost […]

  • Wärtsilä GEMS energy storage technology to enhance Wärtsilä engine plant and integrate renewables in Honduras

    January 29, 2020 — The technology group Wärtsilä has been contracted to add a 10 MW/26 MWh energy storage solution to a power plant owned by Roatan Electric Company (RECO) on the Caribbean island of Roatan in Honduras. Wärtsilä’s proprietary GEMS energy management software solution will control the utility’s energy system, including earlier delivered Wärtsilä engines, and solar PV. […]