Navigating the Complex Landscape of Energy Storage Permitting

ESS Tech, Inc. (“ESS,” “ESS, Inc.” or the “Company”) (NYSE: GWH), a leading manufacturer of long-duration energy storage systems (LDES) for commercial and utility-scale applications, announced the Board of Directors has appointed Drew Buckley as Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2026, succeeding Interim CEO Kelly Goodman. In addition, the Board appointed Kelly Goodman as Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel. The Board also appointed Kate Suhadolnik as Chief Financial Officer from her current role as Interim CFO.

Drew Buckley brings nearly two decades of experience focused exclusively on investing in publicly traded small- and mid-cap technology companies, where disciplined execution, capital efficiency, and credibility with investors determine long-term success. He joined ESS in August 2025 to lead the Company’s investor relations and capital market strategy, shaping the Company’s financial strategy while managing investor relations, financing activities, and market positioning to support long-term value creation for shareholders. Prior to ESS, he spent 17 years at William Blair as a Partner and sector leader focused on technology. Throughout his career, Drew has worked closely with management teams globally to navigate key inflection points: scaling operations, strengthening commercial execution, accessing capital responsibly, and building durable investor trust in public markets.

“Drew brings an incredible track record of success, with the experience and industry relationships necessary to lead ESS to its next stage, manufacturing and delivery of our first Energy Base projects, and broader commercialization expected to commence this year,” said Harry Quarls, Chairman of the Board of Directors. “His extensive experience as a global public-market investor and a firm partner uniquely positions him to scale the business, strengthen strategic partnerships, and drive long-term value for shareholders.”

“We would also like to thank Kelly for her exceptional time serving in the role of Interim CEO, where she advanced key customer programs and signed the first agreement for large-scale deployment of our next-generation platform, the 50 MWh Energy Base pilot project with Salt River Project. As CSO, she will continue to play a lead role in executing corporate strategy. Kate’s leadership as Interim CFO, especially guiding us through the complexities of a recent $40 million financing transaction, makes her an ideal fit for the role,” concluded Quarls.

Drew Buckley, Chief Executive Officer of ESS, commented, “Looking ahead, my focus is on execution: aligning strategy, capital allocation, manufacturing scale-up, and organizational design to deliver sustainable growth and long-term shareholder value. We look forward to providing an updated medium term business outlook in the coming months and greater technology insight with an investor/analyst day at Company headquarters in Wilsonville, Oregon in 2026.”

ESS | www.essinc.com

Power Up Connect, a Maryland-based manufacturer of mobile, zero-emission power solutions, marked a major milestone with a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the deployment of its Green Grid 90 kWh Mobile Battery Energy Storage System (MBESS) as a clean alternative to diesel generators—it's also the world's first International Fire Code-compliant mobile battery energy storage system.

As the only MBESS with a UL 9540/9540A safety certification, the Green Grid 90 kWh meets rigorous safety and performance standards, including full fire code compliance for mobile lithium-ion battery systems, which has been a major hurdle for battery systems used in public and emergency settings.

The ceremony, held in partnership with Dominion Energy at its Safety and Training Center in Chesterfield, VA, brought together company leadership to formally introduce the system and recognize its role in advancing cleaner, quieter, and more resilient energyfor utility and emergency applications. A key differentiator of the Green Grid 90 kWh is its use of integrated solar panels, which deliver sustainable and reliable energy.

Designed and manufactured by Power Up Connect at its facility on N. Dean St. in Baltimore, the Green Grid 90 kWh MBESS is a trailer-mounted, zero-emission mobile power system that delivers 208/120V three-phase electricity without fuel logistics, exhaust emissions, or noise pollution. The system, engineered for rapid deployment, supports applications including temporary grid power, emergency response, construction, EV charging, and critical facilities, providing a scalable alternative to diesel generators.

"The ribbon cutting represents more than a product launch—it reflects years of collaboration, testing, and real-world problem solving," said Scott Calhoun, President of Power Up Connect. "Utilities have long relied on diesel generators for mobile power. This deployment proves there is now a cleaner, safer, and utility-ready solution available today."

Dominion Energy's participation underscores how mobile battery storage can support utility operations while reducing emissions, eliminating fuel dependency, and improving reliability for temporary and off-grid power needs.

Manufactured in Baltimore, Maryland, the Green Grid 90 kWh reflects Power Up Connect's commitment to domestic manufacturing, innovation, and advancing clean energy solutions that perform when power matters most.

Power Up Connect | https://www.powerupconnect.com/history-of-POWER-UP

Emerson, an industrial technology leader delivering advanced automation solutions, has redesigned the mobile app for its DeltaV SaaS supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) software. The new app will empower operators and technicians to do more in the field from their mobile devices, helping teams in critical industries like oil and gas, specialty chemical and others achieve more efficient, optimized operations.

Operators and field technicians increasingly rely on mobile applications for SCADA solutions to help them monitor and manage production on the go, manually input data, change settings and issue commands and simplify the work of recording chart estimates from anywhere across a plant or facility. However, today’s most efficient and effective teams need more robust mobile applications and a user-friendly interface to allow them to do more from anywhere. The redesigned mobile app for DeltaV SaaS SCADA is designed to give operators and technicians the control and clarity they need to be effective in the field, without the need to drag a laptop along with them.

The rebuilt DeltaV SaaS SCADA mobile app provides an entirely redesigned user interface (UI) for more intuitive viewing of critical operations information. Via the new UI, users can create and customize their own reports, allowing them to compare multiple sensors and locations to have better visibility into how operations are working in the field. The new UI also delivers alarms via push notifications, helping ensure operators and technicians are made aware of problems as quickly as possible. 

Users also gain access to new route planning features. They can create and manage routes/runs on the fly directly from the mobile app, making it easier to customize runs to their specific schedules and daily plans. An operator or technician can view the stops on the route at any time to quickly see which are in alarm and can seamlessly pass location information directly to the mobile device’s mapping app to be guided to locations.

“Today, many operators and technicians are using mobile devices as their primary interface to their SCADA systems,” said Dawn Marruchella, vice president of Emerson’s Guardian software and solutions business. “We’ve redesigned the DeltaV SaaS SCADA mobile app from the ground up with this in mind —delivering a more seamless, intuitive way for users to access all the key information they need, in the format they desire, from anywhere across their plant, facility, or enterprise.”

DeltaV SaaS SCADA’s mobile app also features new widgets to simplify operation, making it easy for users to quickly see total alarms for selected locations and comparison of volumes produced.

Emerson | https://www.emerson.com/en-us

RESA Power, LLC ("RESA Power" or the "Company"), a market leader in power systems electrical testing, transformer services, and life extension solutions for power distribution equipment, has acquired 3MD Power Services LLC ("3MD").  

Based in Roanoke, Virginia, 3MD has provided high voltage testing, repair, maintenance, and installation of large power transformers across the USA since 2019.

The strategic acquisition adds technical expertise and complementary capabilities to the Company's existing product and service offerings, and bolsters its power transformer dielectric fluid processing rig fleet.

Vince Lindholm, Vice President of RESA Power's Transformer Solutions business, commented, "This acquisition expands our oil processing rig fleet and enables us to operate locally in the South Atlantic states, allowing us to provide local service to our customers in this important region. 3MD President and Co-owner, Danny Hylton, has built an extremely customer-focused business that has earned a reputation for the highest levels of technical expertise, service quality, and customer service, which aligns well with our business culture at RESA Power."

Hylton added, "I'm delighted to join RESA Power, the ideal partner to help develop and scale our business, both locally and regionally. RESA Power provides access to a broad range of large power transformer products, components, and services our existing customers require, as well as a large roster of skilled technicians and financial resources to fuel future growth.  I'm excited to be part of a much larger team." 

This acquisition marks RESA Power's fourth in 2025 and is part of a purposeful growth strategy to establish regional hubs that specialize in providing transformer products and services to a diverse range of clients.  

RESA Power | www.resapower.com 

Kohlberg | www.kohlberg.com

Hundreds of households and businesses across Knox County will soon gain access to affordable renewable power as ENGIE North America (ENGIE) brings two new community solar farms online. The clean energy generated by these facilities will be made available to the state's electric grid. Local residents and businesses subscribe to the solar farms through Ampion, a community solar subscription management company that will oversee subscriber enrollment and customer service.

The Knox 2A and Knox 2B projects, located in Galesburg, Illinois, will generate clean energy, cut carbon emissions and provide meaningful bill savings to local subscribers. Together, the two projects will produce more than 8.2 million kilowatt-hours annually, avoiding over 7,800 tons of carbon dioxide emissions – the same as taking 1,655 cars off the road for a year.

A community solar farm is a privately owned business established to capture energy from the sun and convert it into electricity that flows into the utility grid. Residents and businesses can subscribe to a share of the farm's output and, in turn, receive credits on their monthly electricity bills that reduce costs. ENGIE owns and operates the Knox solar farms, while Ampion provides subscription management by enrolling new participants and supporting them as customers.

"Community solar is about more than clean power. It's about ensuring that households – including those with the greatest need – share in the benefits of the shift to clean energy," said Kristen Fornes, Head of Distributed Solar and Storage for ENGIE. "These projects in Knox County show how renewable energy can strengthen communities, reduce costs and create a healthier future for families."

More than 60% of the subscriptions are reserved for low-to-moderate income households, who will qualify through existing federal and state programs such as LIHEAP, Medicaid, SNAP, and TANF. These households – along with other local subscribers – will receive 20% savings on the value of solar bill credits applied to their monthly electricity bills.

"Ampion is proud to work with ENGIE to help low-to-moderate income families in Illinois access the cost-saving benefits of community solar," said Nate Owen, CEO & Founder of Ampion. "With the majority of the benefits reserved for households enrolled in programs like LIHEAP, Medicaid, and SNAP, these solar farms will deliver much-needed electricity savings. We look forward to working with ENGIE throughout the course of these projects, while ensuring subscribers receive real cost savings on their utility bills."

In total, the Knox solar gardens will benefit 443 households and businesses, delivering economic relief and advancing Illinois' goals for clean and equitable energy access.

ENGIE North America | www.engie-na.com 

Ampion | ampion.net

Greenflash Infrastructure announced that it has safe-harbored more than 10 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of lithium-ion battery energy storage capacity, securing long-lead components amid increasing global supply constraints to support scalable, energy-ready data center development across the United States.

In addition to its safe-harbored position, Greenflash currently holds over 1 GWh of battery supply available for near-term deployment, with an additional 2 GWh scheduled for delivery in March 2026. Together, the safe-harbored equipment and on-hand inventory reduce exposure to extended manufacturing timelines and supply-chain uncertainty while preserving optionality to participate in applicable investment tax credit (ITC) frameworks, subject to final regulatory guidance and project-specific conditions. This combined position enables Greenflash to support accelerated Commercial Operation Dates (CODs) for GWh-scale projects, subject to interconnection readiness and project-specific factors.

As hyperscale and AI-driven data center demand accelerates nationwide, early access to compliant, long-lead battery storage capacity has become increasingly limited and urgent. Many projects remain exposed to prolonged manufacturing cycles, evolving compliance requirements, and policy-driven cost risk. Greenflash’s approach provides customers with greater execution certainty and flexibility across major U.S. power markets.

“In today’s environment, delivery timelines and incentive eligibility are increasingly shaped by supply-chain and policy considerations,” said Vishal Apte, Managing Partner at Greenflash Infrastructure. “By pairing a substantial safe-harbored equipment position with readily deployable inventory, we have reduced execution risk for our partners and positioned projects to advance efficiently as interconnection pathways and market conditions evolve across ERCOT and other key markets.”

Greenflash’s battery energy storage platform enables data center operators to:

• Reduce schedule risk associated with long-lead procurement
• Maintain flexibility to participate in available ITC frameworks, subject to eligibility
• Improve reliability and operational flexibility through integrated storage deployment

Greenflash Infrastructure | https://gfinfra.com/datacenters

PowerBank Corporation (NASDAQ: SUUN) (Cboe CA: SUNN) (FSE: 103) ("PowerBank" or the "Company"), a leader in North American energy infrastructure development and asset ownership, is proud to share an update on the final commissioning of the cutting-edge SFF-06 Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project (the "Project") in Ontario, Canada. The project was previously announced here and will include 4.99 MW of energy storage.

The SFF-06 Project is in the final stages of "hot" commissioning with EVLO. The commissioning of the SFF-06 Project includes several milestones with technical partners to ensure safe installation, interconnection, and commissioning with the Hydro grid for the nine EVLO Battery Containers. PowerBank is anticipating the Commercial Operation date for the SFF-06 Project to occur during January 2026, subject to the receipt of all necessary commissioning approvals. This project will be PowerBank's first operational battery energy storage project.

SFF-06 is owned by 1000234763 Ontario Inc. (ProjectCo), in which PowerBank holds a 50% stake, with the remaining 50% owned by a partnership of First Nations communities in Ontario.

Acquired through PowerBank's $45 million valued acquisition of Solar Flow-Through Funds Ltd. in July 2024, this project positions the company in a battery storage market projected to increase to $31.2 billion by 2029, growing at a 16.3% CAGR, according to Fortune Business Insights.

The project qualifies for the 2024 Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit, offering up to 30% reimbursement of eligible capital costs. This refundable credit enhances SFF-06's financial performance while aligning with PowerBank's mission to accelerate renewable energy adoption through strategic government incentives.

In July 2023, SFF-06 secured a 22-year contract through the Independent Electricity System Operator's (IESO) Expedited Long-Term RFP (E-LT1 RFP). With a fixed capacity payment of $1,221/MW per business day—well above the $876/MW average for storage projects—this contract ensures strong financial returns.

PowerBank's proven expertise, with over 100 MW of completed projects and a development pipeline exceeding 1 GW, underpins the project's execution. Strategic partnerships and institutional-grade development capabilities position PowerBank to deliver reliable, high-impact renewable energy solutions.

Project Risks. There are several risks associated with the development of the Project. The commercial operation of the Project is subject to receipt of final technical and regulator approvals, and the degradation of battery storage capacity can occur over time based on the number of discharge cycles. In addition, governments may revise, reduce or eliminate incentives and policy support schemes for battery energy storage, which could result in future projects no longer being economic. Please refer to "Forward-Looking Statements" for additional discussion of the assumptions and risk factors associated with the projects and statements made in this press release.

Other BESS Project Update. As previously disclosed, the Company is also developing two other battery energy storage projects in Ontario known as 903 project and OZ-1 project. As a result of permitting delays, the Company and its battery storage systems supplier (the "Supplier") were in discussions to terminate the contracts for OZ-1 on mutually agreeable terms. Once permitting certainty is achieved for OZ-1, the Company will either re-enter into agreements with the Supplier or pursue an alternative supplier. A termination arrangement has now been concluded pursuant to which the parties agreed to terminate the OZ-1 equipment supply and long-term service agreements, with PowerBank relinquishing all rights and obligations. The Supplier will retain possession and property of the systems originally allocated to OZ-1, and PowerBank will pay the Supplier a termination fee of $475,000 along with a reimbursement of certain retrofit costs in the amount of $100,000, in addition to any amounts due for services performed to date. Final completion deadlines for the remaining projects are also being adjusted. Finally, PowerBank will pay $512,000 for an extended warranty for the SFF-06 and 903 projects.

PowerBank Corporation | www.powerbankcorp.com