Navigating the Complex Landscape of Energy Storage Permitting

Radian Generation announces its project partnership in providing comprehensive compliance and security services to Excelsior Energy Capital for its 525 MWac Faraday Solar project in Utah County. The project, which achieved Commercial Operation Date (COD) on September 30th, marks one of the largest utility-scale solar installations in the United States.

Radian provided critical services to ensure the project met all regulatory requirements and maintained robust cybersecurity from day one. Services include Managed Compliance Services (MCS) tailored to meet North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) requirements, with clearly defined roles, responsibilities, training protocols, and documentation practices. Radian also oversees GADS PV reporting, a critical component of NERC compliance, ensuring accurate quarterly performance and event data submissions.

In addition to compliance, Radian provides ongoing managed security services to safeguard the Faraday Solar facility against evolving cyber threats. Continuous monitoring and proactive management help maintain a strong security posture and ensure alignment with industry standards.

Radian began providing services earlier in the year, allowing the implementation team to identify and address critical areas well ahead of the planned COD.

"Prior to becoming operational of such a large-scale PV facility, it is vital for security and compliance to be in place to identify and resolve any potential gaps," said Loggan Purpura, Vice President of Compliance and Risk with Radian Generation. "By starting early, we ensure that people are trained, and systems tested and fully operational before NERC registration."

"Excelsior engaged Radian earlier in the construction process to ensure that the project was ready for NERC registration at COD and prepared to meet ongoing NERC and CIP compliance requirements. Radian’s expertise in the field gave us comfort that our largest project would be ready for operations from day one," said Dan Rosenberg, Senior Director of Asset Management with Excelsior Energy Capital.

Excelsior acquired the Faraday Solar project in 2023 and completed construction in under two years, deploying 1.2 million solar panels across a footprint comparable to New York’s Central Park. The project is backed by a 20-year power purchase agreement.

Radian Generation | radiangen.com 

Excelsior Energy Capital | www.excelsiorcapital.com

Weidmuller USA, a leading provider of smart industrial connectivity and automation products and solutionsheadquartered in Richmond, Va., is proud to announce that the global Weidmüller Group has earned the prestigious EcoVadis Gold Medal for outstanding commitment to sustainability for the third consecutive year.

The achievement places Weidmüller among the top five percent of all companies assessed by EcoVadis worldwide and secures a position within the top two percent in the electronics, connectivity and automation industry for outstanding sustainability practices and initiatives.

EcoVadis is an internationally recognized platform for sustainability ratings, evaluating companies in the areas of environment, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. This renowned recognition highlights Weidmüller’s continuous programs in the key fields of Corporate Social Responsibility.

“The third Gold Medal in a row clearly demonstrates how firmly sustainability is embedded in our corporate strategy,” said Dr. Timo Berger, Chief Technology Officer of the Weidmüller Group. “With our innovative solutions for industrial connectivity and our commitment to the environment and society, we are creating a strong foundation for a sustainable future.”

Randy Sadler, President and CEO of Weidmuller USA, added, “By securing this leading position with EcoVadis for three consecutive years, Weidmüller reaffirms its ambition to integrate sustainability across all areas of the company.”

Weidmuller USA | www.weidmuller.com

A review by the SUN DAY Campaign of data recently released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reveals that, during the first nine months of 2025 and for the past year, solar and battery storage have dominated growth among competing energy sources while fossil fuels and nuclear power have stagnated.

Solar electrical generation set new records in September and the first three-quarters of 2025:

EIA’s latest monthly "Electric Power Monthly" report (with data through September 30, 2025), once again confirms that solar is the fastest growing among the major sources of U.S. electricity.

In September alone, electrical generation by utility-scale solar (i.e., >1-megawatt (MW)) ballooned by well over one-third (36.1%) compared to September 2024 while “estimated” small-scale (e.g., rooftop) solar PV increased by 12.7%. Combined, they grew by 29.9% and provided nearly one-tenth (9.7%) of the nation’s electrical output during the month, up from 7.6% a year ago. [1]

Moreover, utility-scale solar thermal and photovoltaic expanded by 35.8% while that from small-scale systems rose by 11.2% during the first nine months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. The combination of utility-scale and small-scale solar increased by almost a third (29.0%) and produced a bit over 9.0% (utility-scale: 6.85%; small-scale: 2.16%) of total U.S. electrical generation for January-September - up from 7.2% a year earlier.

Further, for the third consecutive month, utility-scale solar generated more electricity than the nation’s wind farms - by 4% in July, by 15% in August, and by 9% in September. Including small-scale systems, solar has out-produced wind five months in a row and by over 40% during September. [2]

Similarly, solar-generated electricity year-to-date (YTD) easily surpassed - by almost 65% - the output of the nation’s hydropower plants (5.5% of total generation). In September alone, solar-generated electricity more than doubled the output of the nation’s hydropower plants. In fact, in both September and YTD, solar produced more electricity than hydropower, biomass, and geothermal combined. [3]

Wind continues to hold the lead among renewables:

Wind turbines across the U.S. produced almost a tenth (9.8%) of U.S. electricity in the first nine months of 2025 – an increase of 1.3% compared to the same period a year earlier and 79% more than that produced by the nation’s hydropower plants.

Wind + solar are almost one-fifth of total U.S. electrical generation – a larger share than that provided by either coal or nuclear power:  

During the first nine months of 2025, electrical generation by wind plus utility-scale and small-scale solar provided almost a fifth (18.8%) of the U.S. total, up from 17.1% during the first three-quarters of 2024.

Further, the combination of wind and solar provided 15.1% more electricity than did coal during the first nine months of this year, and 9.8% more than the nation’s nuclear power plants. In fact, as solar and wind expanded, nuclear-generated electricity dropped by 0.1%.

Electrical output YTD by the mix of all renewables was almost 26% of total U.S. generation:

The mix of all renewables (i.e., wind and solar plus hydropower, biomass and geothermal) produced 8.7% more electricity in January-September than they did a year ago and provided (25.6%) of total U.S. electricity production compared to 24.2% twelve months earlier.

Renewables’ share of electrical generation is now second to only that of natural gas whose electrical output actually dropped by 3.8% during the first nine months of 2025.  

During the past year, solar and battery storage have dominated capacity additions, coupled with a strong showing by wind:

Between October 1, 2024 and September 30, 2025, utility-scale solar capacity grew by 31,619.5-MW while an additional 5,923.5-MW was provided by small-scale solar. EIA foresees continued strong solar growth, with even more utility-scale solar capacity - 35,210.9-MW - being added in the next twelve months.

Strong growth was also experienced by battery storage which grew by 59.4% during the past year and added 13,808.9-MW of new capacity. EIA also notes that planned battery capacity additions during the next year total 22,052.9-MW.

Wind also made a strong showing during the past twelve months, adding 4,843.2-MW, while planned capacity additions over the next year total 9,630.0-MW (on-shore) plus 800.0-MW (off-shore).

On the other hand, natural gas capacity increased by only 3,417.1-MW and nuclear power added a mere 46.0-MW. Meanwhile, coal capacity plummeted by 3,926.1-MW and petroleum-based capacity fell by an additional 606.6-MW.

Thus, during the past year, renewable energy capacity, including battery storage, small-scale solar, hydropower, geothermal, and biomass ballooned by 56,019.7-MW while that of all fossil fuels and nuclear power combined actually declined by 1,095.2-MW. [4]

EIA sees that trend continuing and accelerating during the coming 12-month period. Utility-scale renewables plus battery storage are projected to increase by 67,806.1-MW (a forecast for small-scale solar is not provided). Meanwhile natural gas capacity will increase by only 3,835.8-MW while coal will drop by 5,857.0-MW and oil will decrease by 5.8-MW. EIA does not project any new growth for nuclear power in the coming year.

"The Trump Administration’s efforts to jump-start nuclear power and fossil fuels are not succeeding," noted the SUN DAY Campaign's executive director Ken Bossong. "Capacity additions by solar, wind, and battery storage continue to dramatically outpace gas, coal, and nuclear … and by growing margins."

U.S. Energy Information Administration | 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.” Unless otherwise indicated, all calculations presented in this release include electrical generation by small-scale solar which EIA estimates to have totaled 74,299-GWh in January-September 2025 and 8,465-GWh in September alone. Utility-scale solar totaled 235,678-GWh for the first nine months of 2025 and 27,956-GWH in just September.

[2] In September alone, wind produced 25,679-GWh while utility-scale solar produced 27,956-GWh. The combination of utility-scale and small-scale solar totaled 36,422-GWh.

[3] In January-September 2025, wind produced 336,924-GWh (9.8%) of total U.S. electrical generation while utility-scale and small-scale solar combined produced 309,977-GWh (9.0%), hydropower produced 188,703-GWh (5.5%), biomass produced 34,834-GWh (1.0%), and geothermal produced 11,783-GWh (>0.3%).

[4] EIA presents its capacity data as “summer capacity”. See Table ES1.B

DNV Inspection, the independent assurance and risk management provider, has appointed Iván Jaramillo González to drive its global offshore wind capabilities and support the company’s continued growth across the low-carbon energy sector. 

Iván, who takes on a Project Manager position in DNV’s Inspection business unit, has more than 12 years of experience in industrial inspection, project coordination and quality assurance, having held senior roles on international offshore energy projects at Iberdrola, Avangrid and Vineyard Wind.  

In the new post, Iván will oversee inspection activities across multiple regions and the whole offshore wind supply chain. He will also support DNV’s inspection business expansion into new international markets, including Spain, UK, Germany, Japan, Vietnam and South Korea, and provide technical knowledge to reinforce its position as a trusted partner in the global energy transition. 

Iván Jaramillo González said: “The rapid growth of offshore wind projects around the world is making assurance and inspection increasingly sought after. Ensuring projects advance efficiently and safely is critical to building confidence in the offshore wind and broader low-carbon energy sectors. 

“My focus is on delivering high-quality, value-driven inspection services while supporting the industry to achieve compliance, mitigate supply chain bottlenecks and promote operational excellence. I look forward to contributing to DNV’s global expertise and helping project developers navigate the opportunities and challenges ahead." 

DNV’s efforts to grow its low-carbon and renewables capacity have been bolstered by the appointment of Nathalie Stacey to Recruiter – Renewables. 

Nathalie, who recently celebrated a decade working with DNV, started her career in the business as an Inspection Coordinator focused on oil and gas projects, later progressing to Senior Inspection Coordinator as she helped expand the business into the renewable energy sector. She has been instrumental in building DNV’s global network of renewable energy inspection specialists.  

Nathalie Stacey, Recruiter – Renewables, Inspection at DNV, said: “Having spent more than a decade with DNV, it is incredibly rewarding to play a part in its growing renewable energy inspection capabilities. Building a network of specialist talent is essential to delivering the right expertise to manage the complexities that come with low-carbon and renewables projects, ensuring we have the right people in place to support the safe and successful deployment of renewables projects.” 

Iván’s appointment at DNV follows a period of strategic growth for the company in the low‑carbon inspection industry, during which it has expanded its operations in offshore wind, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage (CCS) and other emerging energy sectors and set its sights on making low‑carbon operations a major part of its revenue mix. 

Mohamed Houari, Global Managing Director, Inspection at DNV, said: “Offshore wind still represents one of the most significant opportunities in our industry despite some of the headwinds that the industry has faced in recent months. Demand grows particularly in relation for reliable transmission and grid infrastructure to support new projects.” 

“In addition to offshore wind, we are expanding our inspection work in CCS, battery energy storage and solar power projects across key global regions, further strengthening our expertise in the low-carbon energy sector.” 

Earlier this year, DNV was also awarded a three-year contract to provide quality assurance for two of the UK’s pioneering CCS projects: Net Zero Teesside Power and the Northern Endurance Partnership, both located in the North East of England. 

DNV | https://www.dnv.com/

LibertyStream Infrastructure Partners Inc. (TSXV: LIB | OTCQB: VLTLF | FSE: I2D) (“LibertyStream” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the commencement of lithium carbonate production from its automated continuous-flow refining unit (the “Refining Unit”) at field operations in the Permian Basin, Texas. This milestone marks LibertyStream’s first field production of lithium carbonate from oilfield brine, demonstrating a fully integrated, end-to-end pathway from produced water to saleable lithium carbonate at the disposal well site. By coupling the Refining Unit with LibertyStream’s proprietary direct lithium extraction (“DLE”) technology on existing oilfield infrastructure, the Company has de-risked a scalable template it aims to replicate across high-volume U.S. basins such as the Permian and Bakken.

“Our team at LibertyStream has achieved a rare commercial milestone and we are firmly on the path toward expansion across critical U.S. oilfields in the Permian Basin in Texas and the Bakken in North Dakota,” said Alex Wylie, President & CEO of LibertyStream. “Our automated refining unit in the Permian Basin has now demonstrated that our technology and process - converting oilfield brine into high-purity lithium - has exceeded expectations.”

He emphasized the broader implications of this achievement: “This breakthrough positions LibertyStream to scale responsibly, supply critical lithium carbonate for domestic industrial customers and defence contractors, and create meaningful shareholder value as we replicate modules and secure long-term commercial contracts.”

LibertyStream Automated Continuous Flow Refining Unit

Over the past 16 months, LibertyStream’s Texas field operations have scaled up successfully through the commissioning of its proprietary Generation 5 Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) unit. This system is capable of processing up to 10,000 barrels of oilfield brine per day into a lithium chloride eluate. Since February 2025, LibertyStream has processed more than 350,000 barrels of brine and conducted over 2,500 real-time validation tests, underscoring the robustness and reliability of its technology.

The next critical stage for LibertyStream’s operations was the conversion of lithium chloride eluate into a lithium carbonate product meeting the stringent technical specifications required by industrial, electric vehicle, and military customers. To achieve this, the Company has installed and commissioned an automated continuous-flow lithium carbonate refining unit at its Texas field site, designed to deliver consistent and repeatable production for American customers.

The Refining Unit converts lithium chloride eluate from LibertyStream’s proprietary DLE system into technical grade or battery grade lithium carbonate. With a capacity of up to 10 tonnes per annum and a modular, scalable design, the system ensures seamless integration with LibertyStream’s DLE platform.

LibertyStream Near-Term Strategy

LibertyStream’s near-term focus is to produce consistent lithium carbonatethat meets the technical specifications required by future customers for long-term offtake agreements.

To that end, the Company intends to:

1. Produce lithium carbonate batches for third-party laboratory testing and validation;
2. Confirm that the Refining Unit is delivering consistent product that meets customer technical specifications; and
3. Send bulk shipments, accompanied by certificates of analysis (COAs), for customer testing and qualification.

Following successful customer qualification, LibertyStream intends to initiate offtake discussions with prospective partners. The Company’s strategy is to secure agreements that will support the scale-up of lithium carbonate operations in 2026, with the goal of supplying commercial volumes to customers by 2027.

In the interim, LibertyStream intends to sell all lithium carbonate produced - outside of customer sampling - into the spot market in 2026 from its Refining Unit at its Texas field operations.

Approximately $4.0 Million from Recent Grant Funding and Option/Warrant Exercises

In recent weeks, LibertyStream has fortified its financial position through the exercise of outstanding share purchase warrants and stock options, including by the Company’s largest institutional shareholder, together with the receipt of previously announced non-dilutive grant funding. In total, these activities have resulted in aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $4.0 million (combined Canadian and U.S. dollars). These funds will directly support the Company’s strategic initiatives in Texas and North Dakota, with a primary focus on advancing its transition to commercial-scale lithium carbonate production.

LibertyStream Infrastructure Partners | https://libertystream.com/

Canadian Solar Inc. ("Canadian Solar" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: CSIQ) announced a strategic initiative to resume direct oversight of its U.S. operations and to continue reshoring manufacturing to North America. The Company will form new joint ventures with American shareholders and its majority-owned subsidiary, CSI Solar Co., Ltd. ("CSI Solar").

Canadian Solar, headquartered in Kitchener, Canada, will hold a 75.1% controlling stake in CS PowerTech, which will operate U.S.-based manufacturing and sales of solar modules, solar cells, and advanced energy storage systems. Additionally, Canadian Solar will acquire from CSI Solar, at fair market value based on third-party appraisal, 75.1% ownership of certain overseas facilities that support U.S. operations. The total consideration for these assets is approximately $50 million, subject to a one-time value adjustment to reflect changes in net asset value between the valuation baseline date and the closing date. Looking ahead, as part of its broader North American reshoring strategy, Canadian Solar will leverage its 24 years of global manufacturing expertise to launch additional joint ventures to partner with American companies in the solar, storage, and power industries.

Launching CS PowerTech and resuming manufacturing directly under the publicly traded parent company reflects Canadian Solar's commitment to its North American homebase and to building a resilient, transparent, and diversified domestic supply chain. This initiative will not only create thousands of high-quality American manufacturing jobs but also bring investment and affordable clean energy benefits to communities across the country.

The proposed adjustments constitute a related-party transaction, remain subject to the Company's board approval and CSI Solar minority shareholder approval, and may be adjusted based on forthcoming regulatory guidance and other considerations.

Canadian Solar | www.canadiansolar.com

JA Solar, a trusted global partner in green energy, has released the industry's first Desert-Gobi-Wasteland PV Solution White Paper during its sideline event at the 21st China SoG Silicon and PV Power Conference (CSPV). Developed in collaboration with TÜV NORD, the white paper represents a milestone achievement that combines JA Solar's extensive desert project experience and deep understanding of customer needs with TÜV NORD's internationally recognized expertise in testing and certification.

By examining the extreme conditions of desert, Gobi, and wasteland environments—such as high UV exposure, sandstorms, and sharp temperature swings—the white paper establishes a reliability testing framework that surpasses conventional standards. It provides clear guidance for site selection, system design, and equipment choice, driving the industry from experience-based practices toward standardized, systematic approaches. This foundation strengthens the delivery of reliable desert PV solutions and supports the global adoption of emerging technologies and future standards.

At the core of the white paper is JA Solar's DesertBlue module, engineered for desert and semi‑arid regions. With up to 650 W output and 24% efficiency, DesertBlue integrates a nano‑scale anti‑dust coating that cuts transmittance degradation by over 32%, extending service life by three to five years. Its reinforced steel frame endures 6000 Pa front and 4000 Pa rear loads, while optimized thermal design delivers up to 0.6% higher output in high‑temperature conditions. Field data further show DesertBlue running nearly 5°C cooler in dusty environments, underscoring its reliability in extreme climates.

Outdoor empirical tests confirm DesertBlue's superior performance. At JA Solar's Shanghai Fengxian Base, the module achieved a 7.09% gain in energy yield, while trials in the Ulan Buh Desert demonstrated a 4.98% increase compared with conventional modules. Combined with reduced cleaning needs and lower robotic O&M costs, the solution delivers significant lifecycle savings and contributes to lower LCOE for utility-scale projects.

In addition to field validation, the reliability framework—independently validated by TÜV NORD—covers UV aging, thermal cycling, sand abrasion, hotspot endurance, and high‑temperature mechanical loading. These results demonstrate DesertBlue's durability under conditions that exceed IEC requirements, reinforcing its long‑term performance in extreme desert climates.

"The release of this white paper reflects JA Solar's commitment to scenario-based innovation and high-performance PV solutions," said Aiqing Yang, Executive President of JA Solar. "Our goal is to empower global partners with solutions that maximize energy yield, lower lifecycle costs, and ensure long-term reliability in the world's toughest climates."

Download the full Desert-Gobi-Wasteland PV Solution White Paper here.

JA Solar | https://www.jasolar.eu/en/