Embracing New Fire Safety Standards for BESS

California's leading solar microgrid manufacturer, Paired Power, announces its partnership with the City of Campbell to deliver sustainable, smart energy for Campbell’s first electric vehicle in its Public Works Service Center. Paired Power will deliver solar electricity through its revolutionary pop-up solar canopy, PairTree, combined with Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) chargers and management software from EV Connect. The installation will charge the city’s first EV truck – a Ford F-150 Lightning Pro. 

“It’s gratifying to be an EV charging provider to the city in which Paired Power was founded and has grown its made in America business,” said Tom McCalmont, Paired Power CEO. "We’re proud to offer Campbell a clean, resilient energy option and happy to partner with EV Connect to provide onsite EV charging to power the city’s electric vehicles.”

The infrastructure was purchased using the resiliency grant from Silicon Valley Clean Energy, and presents a significant opportunity for the city and its Public Works Department to integrate EVs into its Service Center fleet. 

"We're excited to add PairTree solar EV charging that's truly green here at the Service Yard," said Peri Newby, Environmental Program Specialist at Campbell Public Works Department. "This installation by Paired Power and EV Connect reflects the City of Campbell's commitment to a sustainable future and clean energy."

Paired Power and EV Connect’s clean energy installation enables Campbell to establish its first sustainable, resilient EV charging infrastructure. By combining solar power with available grid power and battery storage to deliver day or night charging for electric vehicles, Paired Power’s PairTree provides a fully resilient source of electricity and emergency backup power during grid outages – helping to reduce the city’s dependence on the grid.  

"We're excited to work with Paired Power to supply the City of Campbell with a 100% renewable EV charging solution powered by the sun, further enhancing the city’s commitment to sustainable transportation," said Scott Kaptur, Director of Government and Fleet Solutions at EV Connect. “Paired Power’s pioneering technology and our advanced software provide the City of Campbell with the tools necessary to develop top-tier services that drive innovation and accelerate EV charging accessibility for the city’s fleet.”

City of Campbell | www.campbellca.gov

Paired Power | www.pairedpower.com

EV Connect | www.evconnect.com 

A review by the SUN DAY Campaign of data newly released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) confirms that solar has continued its decade-long streak as the nation’s fastest growing source of electricity.

Key Year-to-Date (YTD) Trends for Solar:

In its latest monthly "Electric Power Monthly" report (with data through April 30, 2024), EIA says the combination of utility-scale and small-scale (e.g., rooftop) solar increased by 25.4% in the first four months of 2024 compared to the first third of 2023. Small-scale solar alone grew by 19.3% while utility-scale solar thermal and photovoltaic expanded by 28.4% - substantially faster than any other energy source.

As a consequence, solar was 6.0% of total U.S. electrical generation during the first third and growing rapidly. In April alone, its share rose to an all-time high of 8.4%.

Small-scale solar accounted for nearly a third (30.8%) of all solar generation and provided almost two percent (1.9%) of U.S. electricity supply in the first four months of this year. It reached 2.5% in April.[1]

Key YTD Trends for Wind, Hydro, and Other Renewables:

Following significant declines in 2023, electrical production by both hydropower and wind continued to show signs of recovery.

For the first third of 2024, hydropower’s output rose 5.5% compared to the first four months of 2023. Moreover, for April alone, hydro production was 9.8% above the level reported a year earlier.

Electrical generation by wind in the first third of 2024 was 0.7% more than that of a year ago. However, wind-generated electricity in March 2024 was 2.9% above the level recorded in March 2023 and in April 2024 it was 10.7% above that produced in April 2023.

Electrical generation by the mix of all renewables (i.e., solar, wind and hydropower plus biomass and geothermal) grew by 6.3% in the first third of 2024 compared to the same period a year earlier and provided 26.2% of total generation.

In April alone, electrical generation by renewables grew by 13.5% compared to April 2023 and reached 31.0% of the U.S. total - the first time that renewable energy sources ever provided more than 30% of the nation’s electrical generation in any month. A year earlier, it had been 28.4%.

The combination of just wind and solar accounted for almost a quarter (23.45%) of the nation’s electrical generation in April alone – another record.

Other Developments:

During the first four months of 2024, solar generation (6.0% of the total) pulled nearly even with hydropower (6.1%) and did surpass it in April by almost 40% making solar the second largest renewable energy source – behind only wind (whose own output in April was more than double that of hydro). [2]

Similarly, electrical generation by wind alone approached the output of the nation’s coal plants during the first third of 2024 and surpassed coal’s output by more than a quarter (28.1%) in the month of April. Wind plus solar produced more than two times as much electricity as did coal in April.

Meanwhile, the combination of wind and solar nearly matched the electrical output of the nation’s nuclear reactors during the first third of 2024 and did, in fact, outproduce nuclear power by more than 30% in April alone. The mix of all renewables provided almost 40% more electricity than did nuclear power during the first four months of 2024 and surpassed nuclear power by 72.1% in April alone.

Taken together, renewables strengthened their position as the second largest source of electrical generation, behind only natural gas whose lead over renewables continues to narrow. Natural gas’ share averaged 40.1% during the first third of 2023 but fell to 38.5% in April.

"EIA’s latest data do not yet include the sunniest days and weeks of the year and it can therefore be assumed that more records will be broken by renewables in the months ahead," noted the SUN DAY Campaign's executive director Ken Bossong. "And it appears that renewables are once again out-performing earlier EIA projections."

EIA released its latest “Electric Power Monthly” report on June 26, 2024. The full report can be found at: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly

[1] In its “Electric Power Monthly” report, EIA refers to small-scale or distributed solar as “Estimated Small Scale Solar Photovoltaic.” All calculations presented in this release include electrical generation by small-scale solar which EIA estimates to have totaled 25,239 gigawatthours (GWh) in the first third of 2024 and 7,909 GWh in April alone.

[2] In April 2024, utility-scale and small-scale solar combined produced 26,847 GWh (8.4% of total U.S. electrical generation) while hydropower produced 19,190 GWh (6.0%). Wind produced 47,689 GWh (15.0%).

SUN DAY Campaign | https://www.eesi.org/

A major milestone has been reached in Finland at P2X Solutions Harjavalta site with the mechanical completion of Finland’s first eMethane production unit delivered by Q Power a Finnish pioneer in biological methanation. Q Power delivers microbiological methanation technology and power-to-x technologies, this is their first industrial-scale delivery the size is also significant among biological methanation worldwide. Finland’s first industrial-scale green hydrogen plant and synthetic methane production facility is built by P2X Solution (https://p2x.fi/en/) in Harjavalta.  

An exclusive opportunity is now available to take a look inside Finland’s first industrial-scale eMethane unit in Harjavalta, by the new video inside the eMethane production unit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1c5iFMTb_Y

Effective management has been crucial in coordinating such a large-scale construction project, with up to 60 workers on-site simultaneously at peak times. Also, close collaboration with the customer has been essential in the site. You can read customers feedback here: https://qpower.fi/mechanical-completion-achieved-in-finlands-first-emethane-production-unit-in-harjavalta/

The Path Ahead: Cold Commissioning and Beyond

From this moment, Q Power’s focus on the delivery shifts to the cold commissioning phase. This important step involves thorough testing of all mechanical and electrical systems without the introduction of process fluids. This is done to ensure, that everything operates as planned before proceeding to hot commissioning and activating the microbes. Each phase advances the project closer to starting methanation and allowing the bioreactors to produce eMethane.

Q Power | www.qpower.fi

The board of Tree Energy Solutions (“TES”), a global green energy company leading the way in the production of e-NG (electric natural gas derived from green hydrogen), is pleased to announce the appointment of Lei Chen as Chief Commercial Officer. With a proven track record in energy commercial development, strategic partnerships, and large-scale project execution, Lei Chen is poised to drive TES’ ambitious vision of making reliable and affordable green energy accessible worldwide. 

Lei Chen brings over 20 years of experience managing value creation for energy and industrial companies and has developed deep expertise in commercial and asset development, capital investment, and mergers and acquisitions across the entire value chain. Her expertise will be instrumental in advancing TES’ giga-scale initiatives and expanding its global footprint accelerating the development of TES’ global portfolio of green hydrogen and e-NG projects. 

Before joining TES, Lei served as Vice President of Clean Energy Solutions at CF Industries in North America. There, she led the commercial development, strategic partnerships, and investment of clean energy projects across the entire value chain. Her responsibilities included the development of greenfield production facilities, originating long term commercial deals, and the establishment of joint ventures and long-term partnerships in clean ammonia production. 

Previously, at Alimentation Couche-Tard (Circle K), Lei held the position of Head of Business Development for North America, where she was responsible for developing and executing projects for fuel supply and trading, and the acquisition of key infrastructure assets. Prior to that, Lei had a long-standing career with BP where she served as the Commercial Development Director for BP Integrated Supply & Trading, and supported BP upstream and refineries with commercial opportunities, among other positions. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Lei to the TES team,” said Marco Alverà, CEO & Co-Founder of TES. "Her deep expertise in clean energy solutions and strategic commercial development will be invaluable as we continue to scale our e-NG projects and make green energy accessible to all." 

Lei Chen, Chief Commercial Officer of TES, said: “I am excited to join TES as Chief Commercial Officer. TES’ mission to democratise access to reliable and affordable green energy aligns perfectly with my enthusiasm for driving positive change in the energy industry. I look forward to collaborating with our talented team and contributing to fast-track e-NG distribution and enhance TES’ growth strategies.” 

TES | www.tes-h2.com

Community solar provider Ampion Renewable Energy is partnering with The Wendy’s Company (Nasdaq: WEN) to help Wendy’s restaurants source renewable energy. Nearly 100 company-operated restaurants and nearly 40 franchise restaurants in New York, Illinois, and Massachusetts are now enrolled in Ampion+, a product that helps organizations reduce energy costs and secure Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) that substantiate the use of renewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions reductions. 

The enrolled restaurants will source between 30% and 100% of their energy from solar without the need to install solar panels onsite. Wendy’s plans to increase the number of restaurants enrolled in community solar through Ampion as additional solar generation capacity comes online and more franchise restaurants enroll in the program. Participation in such community solar projects helps generate and supply renewable electricity to local utility grids, reducing reliance on fossil fuels. 

“We are excited about the opportunity this partnership provides our Company and franchise restaurant operators by making it easier and more accessible to source clean energy while ultimately realizing cost savings,” said Steven Derwoed, Vice President, Global Design & Construction at Wendy’s. “We are advancing progress toward our emissions reduction goals through community solar participation and RECs. It’s a win-win for the Company and our franchisees.” 

Last year, Wendy’s set near-term science-based targets to reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 47%, and Scope 3 emissions from franchisees by 47% per restaurant by 2030, both from a 2019 baseline. Sourcing renewable energy is a key focus area for Wendy’s in achieving these emissions reduction goals.

Through Ampion, Wendy’s locations have enrolled approximately 27.5 million kilowatt hours (kWh) in community solar. This is equivalent to CO2 emissions from the electricity used by over 2,200 homes for one year. Each kilowatt hour will be accounted for, tracked, and assigned ownership to a specific restaurant location via RECs through the Ampion+ product.

"As the need for reducing carbon emissions grows, community solar combined with RECs provides a solution for environmental sustainability in the corporate sector that is both achievable and affordable, while enabling companies to quantify and disclose their progress in a standardized manner," said Nate Owen, CEO and Founder of Ampion. “We’re seeing more large companies actively seeking sustainable solutions through community solar. This partnership with Wendy’s demonstrates that Ampion is able to support these organizations in reducing emissions and putting more renewable energy on the grid for local communities.”

A REC represents the environmental benefits associated with one megawatt hour (MWh) of renewable energy matched with electricity usage. Corporations buy RECs to claim responsibility for the clean energy generated and the corresponding environmental benefits in their ESG reports. However, purchasing and budgeting for RECs can pose challenges for most companies.

“Accounting and organizational constraints often prohibit enterprises from buying RECs needed to attain their ESG goals,” said Vihann Kong, Senior Executive Director at Ampion. “Our innovative Ampion+ product addresses these roadblocks by combining community solar and RECs in one transaction. We’re proud to help The Wendy’s Company and franchisees lower their carbon emissions while saving on their bottom line.”

This partnership comes as community solar is continuing to trend upward. A recent report from Wood Mackenzie, the leading global provider of data and analytics solutions for the renewables, energy and natural resources sectors, estimates that cumulative community solar installations could more than double in the next five years. Earlier this year, Ampion surpassed 1 GW of community solar generation under management. 

Ampion| ampion.net

Wendy's | www.wendys.com 

Center for Resource Solutions | green-e.org/certified-resources.  

American Lithium Corp. (“American Lithium” or the “Company”) (TSX-V:LI | Nasdaq:AMLI | Frankfurt:5LA1) is pleased to provide an update on the optimization of the Falchani processing flow-sheet. This update is based on recently completed, and ongoing, test work at Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization Laboratories in Sydney, Australia (“ANSTO”) in conjunction with TECMMINE in Lima, Peru (“TECMMINE”).

The unique volcanic style of lithium mineralization at Falchani, combined with low impurity content allows its flow-sheet to resemble more conventional mining / processing flow-sheets versus most hardrock lithium projects where concentrates are produced and then shipped elsewhere for further refining into higher quality products. Falchani’s flow-sheet utilizes warm sulfuric acid leaching and impurity removal steps to produce a high purity lithium carbonate (“LC”) end product on site with purity in excess of 99.5%, typically the threshold for battery grade LC. This helps drive the robust economics, particularly the low operating costs, highlighted in the Company’s original and recently updated Preliminary Economic Assessments (“PEA’s”). There is no need for additional refining steps offshore.

The Company believes it can further reduce acid consumption and reagent costs and optimize the production of LC as well as highly economic / strategic by-products by implementing a number of additional tried and tested hydrometallurgical processing steps into the core flow-sheet. This work has yielded strong results, and the Company currently intends to commence piloting work for its Falchani Project during H2, 2024.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM LATEST TEST WORK ON FALCHANI FLOW-SHEET:

• Reduction of sulfuric acid consumption by approximately 50% from 480-500 kg per tonne (“kg/t”) (February 2024 PEA), down to 240 kg/t processed by utilizing counter-current leaching and simple recycling of acid-containing streams coupled with leach optimization.
• Reduced acid consumption / recycling also has the implication of considerably reducing reagent requirements during final waste neutralization, which positively impacts the projected operating costs further.
• Potential to further simplify the flow-sheet by employing Solvent Extraction (“SX”): 
  • Initial testing with SX has demonstrated potential to separate even higher purity lithium at an earlier stage with the rejection of key impurities;
  • SX may remove several processing steps from the flow-sheet leading to reduced capex and lower reagent consumption; and
  • ANSTO continues to refine / optimize the potential use of SX in the Falchani flow-sheet.
• At $5,092/t LC, current projected operating costs for Falchani (February 2024 PEA) are already amongst the lowest globally 
  • Recent improvements / optimization steps and the introduction of higher quality by-products should materially reduce costs further.

• Continued improvement in the specification of key by-products; 
  • Sulfate of Potash (“KSOP”) recovery has been optimized and meets the parameters of producers and traders of potassium (“K”)-based fertilizers;
  • Approximately 40% of the K available in Falchani’s Lithium mineralization can be recovered as high-quality KSOP;
  • Concentration of Cesium Sulfate (“Cs”) has improved to approximately 20% Cs content, the threshold at which it would become a commercially viable by-product.
• TECMMINE has recently run numerous additional full cycle tests on the existing “lithium-only” flow-sheet and continues to produce high purity LC with purities between 99.50% – 99.87% LC.

Simon Clarke, CEO of American Lithium stated: “We are very excited about recent flow-sheet work in which we continue to produce high purity LC exceeding battery grade thresholds in repeated full-cycle tests giving us confidence to start piloting later this year. Recent work focusing on counter-current leaching and SX has been extremely positive not only for producing high-quality by-products with strong strategic and economic value but also for optimization and material cost reduction. We will continue to refine these additions to the flow-sheet with ANSTO and TECMMINE with the goal of also introducing them into our pilot work at the appropriate time.”

Qualified Person
Mr. Ted O’Connor, P.Geo., a Director of American Lithium, and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release.

American Lithium | www.americanlithiumcorp.com

The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES) announced a strategic partnership with AI Fund aimed at accelerating the energy transition through artificial intelligence. Through this partnership, AES and AI Fund will collaborate on co-building companies that leverage AI to be more efficient and productive - putting AI to work to address today's energy challenges.

Founded by global AI leader, Andrew Ng, AI Fund is a venture studio that works with entrepreneurs to rapidly build companies. Through AI Fund's bench of experts, they quicken market validation, provide deep technical expertise, contribute comprehensive business support and recruit a strong team to quickly launch and scale startups.

Combining AES' deep industry knowledge and track record of innovation with AI Fund's expertise and resources in artificial intelligence, creates an unparalleled opportunity to address challenges posed by the rapid increase of load-consuming assets and the rising global electricity demand.

"AES has a history of partnering with industry leaders to bring innovation to the energy sector," said Andrés Gluski, AES President and CEO. "Our collaboration with AI Fund exemplifies this strategy. By combining our expertise of the power sector with AI Fund's expertise in artificial intelligence, we are uniquely positioned to lead the energy transition with AI-powered innovations that will benefit not only our portfolio but the entire industry."

"Under Andrés Gluski's visionary leadership, AES is a major force in the US energy infrastructure's transition to renewables. AI, itself a significant contributor to energy demand, has an important role to play to support this transition. I am thrilled to have an opportunity for AI Fund to participate in projects that will drive significant efficiencies in the production, transmission, and consumption of energy," said Andrew Ng, Managing General Partner of AI Fund.

AES and AI Fund companies will build AI-driven solutions that deliver next level outcomes for customers while improving sustainability and resilience across the industry. The co-build collaboration aims to address bottlenecks in the energy transition, with an initial focus on several opportunities, such as:

• Renewables and battery management: utilizing AI to more accurately predict scenario planning across millions of pieces of connected equipment.
• Worksite safety: improving energy industry worker safety practices.
• Community impact: enabling the sector to increase their positive impact on the communities and the environment in which they operate.

AES has a track record of developing, incubating and scaling new innovations that solve industry challenges. AES was first to develop and deploy lithium-ion batteries to optimize the power grid, which was spun out to form Fluence, a leading global energy storage company. As we bring more renewable projects online, energy storage remains a critical component of the energy transition.

AES Corporation | www.aes.com

AI Fund | www.aifund.ai