Solar

Nearly 200 solar and storage companies sent a letter to congressional leaders on April 17 calling for legislation to improve permitting, project siting, transmission, and public lands access for solar and solar plus storage projects. Market forecasts show that a range of policy and economic outcomes will determine the volume of solar deployment over the […]

Grid operators across the U.S. report they are largely prepared for the total solar eclipse that will pass over a large swath of North America on April 8, though they remain vigilant, monitoring for any unexpected shifts in power generation or demand that could test the power system’s resilience. The much-anticipated solar eclipse will begin […]

In 2002, the government of Saudi Arabia moved to step up the private sector’s role in the kingdom’s economy by opening the production of power and desalinated water. Saudi firms Abunayyan Trading Co., Abdulkadir Al Muhaidib & Sons Co., and MADA Group for Industrial and Commercial Development sensed a tremendous opportunity, forming ACWA Power Projects […]

In recent years, concerns about the lengthy interconnection queue have dominated headlines. This queue has emerged as a major obstacle to adding new generating facilities to the U.S. power grid. It is primarily caused by grid congestion, permitting issues, extensive infrastructure project delays, and the traditional interconnection study approaches used in many states. To address […]

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has moved to retire its iconic 1.3-GW Kingston Fossil Plant in Tennessee in 2027 and replace it—with notable urgency—with a 1.5-GW modern complex featuring a combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant, aero-derivative turbines, 100 MW of battery storage, and up to 4 MW of solar generation. The nation’s largest public […]

Sunnova Energy International Inc., an adaptive energy services company, announced continued investments and expansion to its virtual power plant (VPP) network, providing increased reliability, reduced emissions, and lower costs. With its VPP investments, Sunnova is boosting accessibility in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, and Texas to enable customers to rapidly access […]

Employing artificial intelligence (AI) in the power industry may seem like a futuristic concept, but the truth is that it’s available in several innovative applications today. Power companies that tap into

The winter heating season, which is often defined as November through March in the U.S., is coming to an end with natural gas inventories 37% above the five-year average, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Reduced consumption in the residential and commercial sectors this winter has been blamed for the high natural gas […]

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) explains that community solar, also known as shared solar or solar gardens, is a distributed solar energy deployment model that allows customers to buy or lease part of a larger, off-site shared solar photovoltaic (PV) system. It says community solar arrangements allow customers to enjoy advantages of solar energy […]

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie’s recent report on solar power installations said the U.S. installed a record 32.4 GW of new solar generation capacity in 2023, including 22.5 GW of new utility-scale capacity. That’s a 37% jump from the previous record, set in 2021, and a 51% increase from 2022. The […]

The importance of a reliable and resilient power supply continues to grow, and so does the need to control energy costs. That’s why more institutions want power systems that support operational efficiency

The world is undergoing a remarkable energy transition. Clean power systems are in high demand, offering a bright future for hydrogen and renewables. However, energy storage projects that may look promising

Dominion Secures Final Approvals for 2.6-GW Offshore Wind Project. Dominion Energy on Jan. 30 said it received the last two major federal approvals needed to kick off construction of its 2.6-GW Coastal

Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing involves simulation of power plant behavior using the actual site-specific power plant controls before the commissioning stage. HIL testing can benefit all project

Texas continues to add to its U.S.-leading portfolio of renewable energy projects, with two large solar power installations recently coming online. Clearway Energy Group on Feb. 22 said it had completed the 452-MW Texas Solar Nova complex in Kent County. The multimillion-dollar array, which was built in two phases, already has offtake agreements, including a […]

Several solar power equipment manufacturing companies are building factories in the U.S., with many of those groups saying the investments are due to passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and its incentives tied to domestic production. One of those companies is Heliene, a Canada-based solar power equipment maker. Heliene, which also makes solar panels […]

Installations of new solar power generation capacity this year are expected to nearly double the amount that was built in 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The agency is its latest “Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory” report said developers expect to add 36.4 GW of new solar capacity in 2024. That compares […]

German energy giant RWE has added three large battery energy storage (BESS) projects to the company’s U.S. portfolio. The group on Feb. 14 announced the completion of two installations in Texas and one in Arizona, and said energy storage systems now comprise more than one-third of the company’s U.S. renewable energy and storage development pipeline. […]

The decarbonization of power generation is fostering research and development of new energy technologies, and some companies are reimagining what’s possible when it comes to power plant design. That includes pairing nuclear power with solar power, in a system that could repurpose a brownfield site—for example, a closed or soon-to-retire thermal power plant with transmission […]

Data from Global Energy Monitor (GEM), a group that tracks thermal and renewable power generation projects worldwide, shows that China was responsible for construction of 96% of all new coal-fired facilities globally last year, and for almost 70% of all new coal-fueled power plants that came online. GEM, a San Francisco, California-based non-governmental research organization, […]

German officials announced a new plan for the country’s power generation, a strategy that includes putting at least 10 GW of new gas-fired capacity up for tenders. Officials on Feb. 5 said the plants would be designed to eventually burn hydrogen at some point between 2035 and 2040, according to Germany’s Economy Ministry. The agency […]

The transition to green energy is often seen through two different lenses: a burden or an opportunity. Grid modernization refers to a comprehensive transformation of the traditional power grid to upgrade aging infrastructure to enhance reliability, resilience, efficiency, and sustainability of electricity generation, transmission, distribution, and consumption. A key element of grid modernization is designing […]

As the solar and renewable energy movement continues to gain momentum in the U.S., it’s important to note how critical the steel industry is to the renewable energy industry. In fact, reports show that steel comprises more than 70% of the weight of a typical wind turbine and each new megawatt of solar power capacity […]

Renewable energy in Brazil will get a boost after the chief executive of Petrobras, the country’s state-run oil giant, said the company will begin buying solar power and onshore wind projects in an effort to build a clean energy portfolio. Jean Paul Prates, in an interview with the Reuters news service published Jan. 22, said […]

Climate change has led many states and countries to set targets for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from power systems. Oregon, for example, has set targets for all power sold to retail customers in the state to have GHG emissions cut by 80% by 2030, 90% by 2035, and 100% by 2040. It’s a challenging […]

Israel-headquartered SolarEdge Technologies is expected to cut about 900 jobs from its global workforce as the company seeks to reduce operating costs. SolarEdge on Jan. 21 said it would lay off about 16% of its employees. CEO Zvi Lando in a statement said, “We have made a very difficult, but necessary decision to implement a […]

Virginia-based AES Corp. said the company added 3.5 GW of new renewable energy generation capacity to its global portfolio in 2023, an amount nearly double that built in the previous year. The projects, including solar power, wind power, and energy storage, were built in several locations worldwide, including the U.S., and will serve a variety […]

Total corporate funding for solar energy projects hit a 10-year high in 2023, according to Mercom Capital Group’s annual report focused on the solar power sector. Mercom, an integrated communications, research, and media firm focused on global clean energy markets, said groups raised $34.3 billion to support solar projects last year, including $6.9 billion in […]

Most countries will not meet zero-goals by 2050 based on current trajectories. It’s an unfortunate situation that needs to be taken seriously. While there are many factors delaying decarbonization efforts, the lack of clean energy-powered electric grids is perhaps the most significant barrier for nations. The United States is not exempt—despite the recent influx of […]

The farm-to-table movement has changed the way many people look at food. But these days the agriculture business can be more than just growing and harvesting vegetables and grains. Many farmers are investing in farm-to-grid, particularly agrivoltaics, the practice of growing crops on the same land as a solar farm, to produce food and provide […]