Energy storage

  • Grid-Scale Deployments Drive Growth in Energy Storage

    Installations of grid-scale energy storage across the U.S. continue to surge, with three states—California, Arizona, and Texas—responsible for 85% of that growth in the second quarter of this year. Data from the American Clean Power Association (ACP) and Wood Mackenzie, released October 1 in the group’s latest Energy Storage Monitor report, showed 3,011 MW and […]

  • POWER Digest [October 2024]

    China Completes World’s Largest Pumped Storage Facility. China has completed the 3.6-GW Fengning Pumped Storage Power Station, in Hebei province. Operated by the State Grid Corp. of China (SGCC), the

  • How Battery Energy Storage System Testing Is Making the Grid More Sustainable

    U.S. energy needs have changed dramatically over the last few decades, and questions are growing as to whether our grid can manage these new demands. Aside from rising temperatures—the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared 2023 the hottest year on record—the energy sector is managing a trio of additional challenges: City populations are growing, creating […]

  • Demonstration to Convert Kentucky Coal Mine to Pumped Hydro Secures Federal Funding

    A project that will demonstrate the conversion of a former coal mine in Bell County, Kentucky, into a utility-scale 287-MW pumped storage hydroelectric facility has garnered federal backing from the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED). Rye Development, a pumped storage hydropower developer, on Sept. 25 secured $12.1 million—the first tranche […]

  • Sage Snags Air Force Contract for Geothermal Power Demonstration in Texas

    The U.S. Department of the Air Force has awarded Sage Geosystems an initial $1.9 million contract to demonstrate its pioneering geothermal baseload power and energy storage system at an off-site test well in Starr County, Texas.  When completed as planned in 2025, the demonstration will become the first Geopressured Geothermal Systems (GGS) facility in the […]

  • Turning Energy Storage From an Idle Backup Into a Money-Making Asset

    Battery energy storage systems (BESS) can be the key to tackling any number of issues your grid or business may be facing, such as a need to support more renewables, ensuring a resilient backup, or cutting energy costs. You may believe that a BESS will resolve your issues, but do you have full buy-in from […]

  • $2.33 Billion Solar-Plus-Storage Project Set in Nevada

    A solar-plus-storage project valued at more than $2.33 billion is preparing for construction after receiving a Record of Decision (ROD) from the U.S. Dept. of the Interior. Arevia Power on September 10 announced the Libra Solar Project, featuring 700 MW of solar power generation capacity paired with 700 MW of battery energy storage, will move […]

  • ACP Report Shows Record-Breaking Quarter for Clean Energy Installations

    Installations of renewable energy projects hit 19 GW of generation capacity through the first half of 2024, more than double the five-year average for that time period, according to a report from the American Clean Power Association (ACP). The ACP on September 5 released its “Clean Power Quarterly Market Report | Q2 2024,” and said […]

  • Coming Together for Clean Energy: Supplement to POWER and RE+

    POWER is proud to partner with RE+ as we provide information and insight for attendees of the largest renewable energy event in North America. RE+ celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, with the conference making its return to Anaheim, California. The 2024 event, running September 9 through 12, is building on its past success as […]

  • DOE Announces $125 Million in Funding to Support Energy Storage Research

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced it will provide $125 million in funding to support two Energy Innovation Hub groups that will look at challenges facing the battery energy storage industry. The DOE on September 3 said teams of researchers “will develop scientific concepts and understanding to impact decarbonization of transportation and incorporation of […]

  • Market for Energy Storage Growing Across Europe

    The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union (EU), in 2023 issued recommendations on how member states should proceed with deployments of energy storage. The group said EU countries should

  • POWER Digest [September 2024]

    Investment Fund Buys Spanish Solar Projects. NextEnergy Capital, an investment fund focused on renewable energy, in August said it had an agreement to buy 12 solar power projects in Spain. The installations in

  • Arevon Energy Investing Millions to Build Indiana Solar Projects

    An Arizona-headquartered company is investing millions of dollars in Indiana with construction of a series of solar power projects in the Hoosier state. Arevon Energy, a Scottsdale-based renewable energy developer, owner, and operator, on August 21 celebrated the groundbreaking for the 192-MW Ratts 1 Solar Project near Petersburg in Pike County. Arevon also recently began […]

  • Using Energy Storage Technology to Support Distributed Energy Applications

    Our power grid is becoming more distributed and more renewable than ever. Energy storage is a critical technology component to reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and building a low-carbon future. Without it, the shift to renewables will be impossible. Microgrids, net zero buildings, and local renewable energy resources are all enabled by energy storage. […]

  • BlueWave Announces Agrivoltaic Projects in Massachusetts

    BlueWave, a solar power developer and owner in the U.S. Northeast, announced five projects across Massachusetts that incorporate the company’s innovative dual-use solar design and operate under the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program. BlueWave said the installations announced August 22 are located in Palmer, Haverhill, Dighton, and Douglas. The sites have 19.8 MW of […]

  • Investment Firm Buys Major U.S. Community Solar Provider

    A New York-based infrastructure investment fund said it has completed its purchase of a community solar and battery energy storage business in a deal to expand the U.S. community solar market. NOVA Infrastructure on August 16 said its acquisition of UGE International will forge a partnership “with UGE’s veteran management team with the goal of […]

  • Sage’s First 3-MW Geothermal Power and Energy Storage Project Will Feed ERCOT

    Sage Geosystems will build a first-of-its-kind 3-MW geothermal baseload power and energy storage system on land owned by San Miguel Electric Cooperative (SMECI) in Christine, Texas. The company plans to begin operating the project later this year to supply the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid. The project will mark the first commercial-scale deployment […]

  • The Energy Transition Requires a Holistic Approach

    Over the last few years, the energy industry has moved down a path of massive change, disruption, and uncertainty. In the U.S., growth projections over the next 15 years include 2,000 GW of PV solar and wind, 1,100 GW of storage, all seemingly coming from nowhere, driving grid interconnection requests at the end of 2023 […]

  • Applying Photovoltaic Charging and Storage Systems: Challenging the Limits of PV Technology

    To achieve net-zero goals and accelerate the global energy transition, the International Energy Agency (IEA) stated that countries need to triple renewable energy capacity from that of 2022 by 2030, with the development of solar photovoltaics (PV) playing a crucial role. Additionally, the comprehensive electrification of combustion engine vehicles is an indispensable measure for reducing […]

  • Powering the Future: How Smart Energy Storage Will Transform Our Power Grid

    The urgency for an energy transition has never been more critical. Climate change, air pollution, resilience, and national security concerns make it clear that minor adjustments to our energy system are no longer sufficient. We must revolutionize the 150-year-old electrical grid, transforming it into a robust energy ecosystem capable of meeting today’s demands and the […]

  • India Pledges Support for Nuclear, Coal, and Pumped Storage Projects

    Officials in India said that country’s energy transition plan will focus on developing small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs), pumped energy storage projects, and more efficient coal-fired power plants. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, presenting the government’s 2024-2025 budget, noted the latest financial allocations outline a shift in priorities for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sitharaman on July […]

  • DOE Loans Office Will Support Solar, Energy Storage Systems in Puerto Rico

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) on July 18 announced a conditional commitment for a loan guarantee of up to $861.3 million to Clean Flexible Energy, LLC. The money will finance construction of two solar photovoltaic (PV) farms equipped with battery storage, and two standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS), in […]

  • GOP-Held Congressional Districts Cash in on Clean Energy Projects

    More than $106.5 billion in large-scale clean energy project investments have been announced in Republican-held congressional districts in the U.S. during the period from August 2022 through June 2024. The figure was released by E2, a national, nonpartisan group of business leaders, investors, and professionals from every sector of the economy who advocate for “smart […]

  • Sinovoltaics Launches BESSential Quality Control Service to Reveal and Correct Battery Pack Defects

    A global group that provides quality assurance for the battery energy storage system (BESS) and solar photovoltaic (PV) industries has launched a battery pack review service designed to improve detection and correction of capacity imbalance issues. Sinovoltaics on July 11 said it has launched its BESSential analysis service, offering 100% battery pack review. The service, […]

  • Energy Evolution: What Technologies Are Leading the Way Today

    It’s not uncommon to hear people talk about the energy transition. Yet, throughout its history, the power industry has almost always been transitioning in one way or another. There are constantly new

  • Microgrids Take Major Role for Reliability, Resiliency

    An array of technologies, both thermal and renewable, are being used in the design of microgrids, supporting distributed power generation across several sectors. The use of microgrids to provide reliable power for critical infrastructure is growing, and these off-grid installations also are becoming more prevalent as part of commercial and industrial (C&I) enterprises and residential […]

  • NV Energy Adding 1 GW Each of Solar, Energy Storage in Nevada

    Nevada-based utility NV Energy said it plans to add more than 1 GW of capacity from both solar power and battery energy storage to its generation portfolio by the end of 2027. The company, which includes Las Vegas in its service territory and is part of billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate, unveiled the additional […]

  • Kemmerer 1 Breaks Ground: A Look at TerraPower’s Natrium Fast Reactor Nuclear Power Plant

    Bill Gates’ nuclear innovation firm TerraPower has broken ground on the non-nuclear portion of Kemmerer Unit 1, a 345-MW Natrium sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) power plant. The groundbreaking on June 10 makes the federal demonstration project the first advanced nuclear reactor project to move from design into construction in the Western Hemisphere, the company noted. […]

  • World’s Largest Concrete Thermal Energy Storage Pilot Successfully Tested

    EPRI, in collaboration with Southern Company and Storworks, has recently completed testing of a pilot concrete thermal energy storage (CTES) system at Alabama Power’s Ernest C. Gaston Electric Generating plant (Gaston) marking the largest such pilot in the world. The technology was developed by Storworks. The 10-MW-hour-electric (MWhe) energy storage solution (Figure 1) is charged […]

  • Borehole Battery: A Promising Solution for Energy Storage

    For more than a century, fossil fuel companies have drilled oil and gas wells to increase the production, consumption, and export of fossil fuels. These wells are often abandoned once they are no longer profitable, and are sometimes left unplugged or improperly plugged, causing local environmental hazards and contributing to global climate change. There are […]