While solar tracker software is known for its role in maximizing production, it also plays a key role in mitigating risks. It can increase energy production in challenging situations, minimize damage from weather events, and reduce O&M costs. In the face of escalating climate change threats and heightened solar industry pressures, tracker software is rising to the challenges to keep solar sites productive and protected. Q:&n....
As wind development pushes into more remote and environmentally sensitive terrain, site access is no longer a secondary concern. It is a primary project risk. Unstable soils, seasonal flooding, protected wetlands, and water crossings can derail permitting, trigger regulatory violations, and expose developers to costly remediation. Temporary bridging, when done properly, is a genuine project enabler. Done poorly, it becomes a liability that compou....
The solar industry has spent the last decade relentlessly driving down cost. Module prices fell. Installation efficiencies improved. Supply chains have globalized. In many ways, the playbook worked. But as development pushes into more challenging terrain: rocky soils, variable geotechnical conditions, and remote locations, that same cost-first mindset is beginning to show its limits. Developers now routinely confront conditions earl....
As the clean energy industry continues its rapid expansion, utility-scale solar and battery energy storage systems (BESS) are being deployed in increasingly challenging environments. From extreme desert heat in the Southwest to hurricane-prone regions along the Gulf Coast, today’s projects are operating in conditions that test both infrastructure and human performance. Extreme weather is no longer an exception — it is the operating environmen....
Energy Storage
Schaltbau North America
Wind
Jeremy Sheldon
Wind
Bora Tokyay
Manitowoc has bolstered its customer support operations by expanding its Rapid Response Shop in North America. The enlarged facility draws on the broader resources of the Company’s largest manufacturing facility in Shady Grove, Pennsylvania. It supports all of the Company’s brands — Manitowoc, Grove, Potain, and National Crane — offering fast structural and component repair services for equipment that is too large or complex to handle in the field.
Offerings from the Rapid Response Shop include fabricated components; lacings for crawler cranes, tower cranes, and mobile crane jibs; and structural component repair and refurbishment. Same-day emergency lacing orders are available, while standard delivery times are 24 hours for unpainted lacings and 48 hours for painted lacings. Producing fabricated components via the Rapid Response Shop also means faster turnaround for customers.
Equipment at the facility includes expanded cutting capabilities, as well as machining, bending, prep, and paint capabilities. That means faster customer response for out-of-commission cranes and a clear option when weighing repair versus replacement.
“The expansion of the Rapid Response Shop gives customers direct access to Manitowoc’s factory expertise — the welders, technicians, engineers and support teams who understand these machines from the inside out. It reflects a broader commitment to supporting customers throughout the full lifecycle of their cranes, with factory-backed resources that keep their equipment working and productive long after it leaves the production line,” said Josh Garrington, director of product support for parts and EnCORE.
The shop now has expanded lacing-cutting capability, with two machines staffed across two shifts, as well as large plasma, laser, and oxy-fuel cutting tables. Additional capabilities include CNC equipment, milling, lathe, and boring mill resources, press brake capability up to 900 USt, and multiple blast, wash, prep, and paint areas. The team at the facility combine decades of experience; the average tenure of Manitowoc employees in the Rapid Response Shop is over 20 years.
The expansion has also helped Manitowoc make the repair process more efficient for customers. The Rapid Response Shop has more clearly defined workflows, while its location inside the Shady Grove facility gives the team direct access to the broader factory when additional resources are needed. This means the shop can operate as a dedicated repair hub, while still drawing on the people, tooling, fixtures, and manufacturing expertise of Manitowoc’s largest facility.
“We looked at what customers need when a crane or component requires more than a field repair, and the answer was to put more of Manitowoc’s resources directly behind that work. We are giving our customers a direct path back to Manitowoc and the support only an OEM can provide,” said Josh Garrington.
To learn more about the expanded Rapid Response Shop, contact your local Manitowoc Parts & Service team, or email [email protected].
Manitowoc | www.manitowoc.com
Transect announced the launch of Risk Monitor, a solution that continuously tracks changes that could adversely impact energy infrastructure projects during development. Risk Monitor automatically detects and alerts developers to updates involving permits, species, community sentiment, parcel data, and other risk factors. This saves developers time and avoids surprises when trying to stay abreast of multiple changes across their project portfolio through manual means.
Once a report is run within the Transect platform, Risk Monitor continuously monitors the project site for material changes and notifies users when updates are detected.
“Project conditions can change significantly over the course of a multi-year development cycle,” said Robin Laine, CEO of Transect. “Developers no longer need to track these changes manually for their entire project pipeline. Risk Monitor works in the background, alerting teams to potential issues early and enabling them to move forward with greater confidence.”
Risk Monitor tracks changes across a broad set of categories, including:
When a change in any of these is detected, the user will be notified both in the Transect application and by email.
Risk Monitor is available immediately and is included with all new Transect subscriptions.
Transect | https://www.transect.com/
EDF power solutions North America and Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company - Masdar, co-owners of the BigBeau Solar+Storage Project, have entered into 15-year power purchase agreements covering the output from the 128 megawatt (MWac) solar plant and its 40 MW/160 MWh battery energy storage system.
Located in Kern County, California, the BigBeau project has been operational since December 2022. It began delivering electricity to Southern California Edison (SCE) under new agreements on Feb. 1, 2026.
Dustin Priemer, Director Asset Management Masdar Americas, said, “This agreement forms a part of Masdar’s growing portfolio in the United States, reflecting our focus on scaling reliable, utility-scale clean power. We are appreciative of our growing partnership with Southern California Edison and our shared commitment to investing in new generation capacity to meet growing energy demand in California.”
“We are very pleased to support Southern California Edison’s clean energy goals and provide reliable and efficient energy to its customers from our operating BigBeau project,” said Jacqueline de Fresart, Associate Director of Origination and Power Marketing at EDF power solutions North America. “We are excited to partner with SCE again and look forward to more opportunities together.”
BigBeau is one of seven projects that Masdar and EDF power solutions agreed to develop in a partnership, with a combined capacity of 1.1 gigawatts (GW).
EDF power solutions, one of the largest renewable developers in North America, is committed to providing solutions to meet customers’ carbon-reduction goals. With over 35 years of experience and 26 gigawatts of wind, solar, and storage projects developed, EDF power solutions in North America provides integrated energy solutions from grid-scale power to electric vehicle charging.
Active in the United States since 2019, Masdar has made a long-term commitment to the market. The company is focused on delivering clean energy solutions that meet rising demand while supporting energy resilience and independence. To date, Masdar has invested several billion dollars in the U.S., with plans to develop a portfolio of up to 25 GW within the next decade.
EDF power solutions | www.edf-re.com
Masdar | https://www.masdar.ae
Avangrid, Inc., a leading energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, announced that it has completed construction of its Tower Solar project in Morrow County, Oregon and connected it to the regional electric grid. Avangrid expects to achieve commercial operation this summer. The 166 Megawatt-dc (120 MWac) project utilizes more than 250,000 solar panels assembled by SEG Solar at its Houston manufacturing facility.
Once commissioning activity is complete, the project will deliver energy to Portland General Electric (PGE) and help support QTS operations in the region.
“As demand for electricity continues to grow across the United States and in the Pacific Northwest, projects like Tower Solar are essential to delivering new generation at scale,” said Avangrid CEO Jose Antonio Miranda. “Furthermore, this project demonstrates how investment in America’s electrical infrastructure contributes to our domestic economy, supports union workers, and delivers reliable electricity to support the region’s growth.”
"As a leading American solar manufacturer, SEG Solar is proud to support Tower Solar with high-performance, US-manufactured modules," said Jim Wood, CEO of SEG Solar. "This project aligns with our mission to strengthen the domestic energy supply chain. By providing fully compliant, traceable, and reliable solar solutions, we are meeting energy demands while driving American manufacturing and creating local jobs."
Tower Solar is located west of Boardman, Oregon and sits on about 900 acres of industrially zoned land owned by the Port of Morrow. Avangrid created approximately 200 construction jobs in building this project, most of them filled by regional union labor.
“IBEW Local 112 members bring unmatched skill, safety, and productivity to projects like the Tower Solar project located in Eastern Oregon,” said Travis Sellers, Business Manager for IBEW Local 112. “We are delighted that our partnership with Avangrid and its contractors has produced another energy project that will power communities for generations.”
Tower Solar is expected to pay about $20 million in combined PILOTs (payment in lieu of taxes) and property taxes which will directly support the local community, helping to pay for public services like education.
Tower Solar will deliver electricity to PGE’s grid through Green Future Impact (GFI), a voluntary program designed to help large municipal, commercial, and industrial customers meet their ambitious sustainability and carbon reduction ambitions through the development of new clean energy facilities in the region. PGE’s GFI program lets large customers choose non-emitting energy without increasing costs for other customers. All customers benefit from the energy, but program participants pay the extra cost of the clean energy they select.
Avangrid operates over 11 GW of installed capacity across its 25-state portfolio, which includes nearly 100 energy projects.
Avangrid | http://www.avangrid.com
Navajo Transitional Energy Company, LLC (NTEC) announced the addition of nine new home solar installations under its Navajo Sun Power! Home Solar Installation Project, continuing the program's mission to bring reliable, first-time electricity access to homes across the Navajo Nation. With these additional nine homes, the program continues to demonstrate measurable progress in addressing longstanding and historical electrification gaps within the Navajo Nation.
The Navajo Sun Power! program is a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to deliver reliable, off-grid solar power to households that would otherwise remain without access to electricity. For many participating families, these installations represent the first opportunity to power essential daily needs, from refrigeration and heating, to water access and medical devices, without reliance on generators.
"This program is about more than infrastructure—it's about improving quality of life and creating opportunity," said Andy Hawkins, Community Relations Senior Manager. "Each installation brings us closer to ensuring that Navajo families have access to the essential services the rest of America often takes for granted."
The program highlights a successful public-private partnership between NTEC and the U.S. Department of Energy. Through this collaboration, federal funding is paired with NTEC's operational leadership and investment.
The initial installations in Monument Valley provide clear proof of delivery, demonstrating that the program is not only viable, but already producing results. Due to geographic and regulatory constraints, particularly in areas like Monument Valley, homes cannot connect to traditional transmission infrastructure, and solar represents the most feasible path to electrification.
Beyond delivering power, the program also unlocks additional opportunities for participating households. Following installation, NTEC works with families to connect them to complementary government programs that support critical home improvements, including access to running water from water cistern systems and the installation of first-time family bathrooms.
With a defined five-year plan, full system cost coverage for participants, and measurable annual milestones, Navajo Sun Power! is designed to be both scalable and accountable, offering a model for how targeted investment can address persistent infrastructure challenges in underserved communities. The Sun Power! systems are the full property of the homeowner and NTEC makes no profit from the installation of the systems.
As the program expands, NTEC continues to position itself at the forefront of innovative, community-driven energy solutions, ensuring that the Navajo people not only benefit, but also lead in addressing energy challenges.
Navajo Transitional Energy Company | https://navenergy.com/
Deep Sea Minerals Corp. (CSE: SEAS) (OTCQB: DSEAF) (FSE: X450) (“Deep Sea Minerals” or the “Company“), is pleased to announce that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”) has determined that the Company’s application submitted under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act (“DSHMRA”) is in substantial compliance with applicable U.S. regulatory requirements.
The determination represents an important milestone in the federal review process governing exploration and commercial recovery activities for polymetallic nodules in areas beyond national jurisdiction. NOAA administers the DSHMRA framework for U.S. companies seeking authorization for deep seabed mineral activities.
“This marks a significant step forward for Deep Sea Minerals and reinforces our commitment to advancing responsible, science-based development of critical mineral resources,” said James Deckelman, Chief Executive Officer of Deep Sea Minerals. “We believe the United States is increasingly recognizing the strategic importance of secure and diversified critical mineral supply chains, and we are proud to be participating in that emerging framework.”
The Company believes this milestone positions Deep Sea Minerals as one of only three publicly traded or public-market pathway companies to have received a NOAA substantial compliance determination under the DSHMRA regulatory process. NOAA’s determination of substantial compliance confirms that the Company’s application contains the information required to advance through the federal review process, representing a significant milestone in the Company’s strategy to participate in the emerging U.S. critical mineral supply chain. The determination does not constitute a decision regarding certification of the application or the issuance or transfer of any license or permit.
Upon full application approval, The Company’s seabed mineral concession spans approximately 150,000 km2 within the Pacific Ocean across offshore exploration blocks defined by geographic coordinates under NOAA’s DSHMRA framework. The scale and strategic position of the concession area provide the Company with exposure to one of the larger U.S.-aligned seabed mineral land positions within the emerging deep sea critical minerals sector.
Deep Sea Minerals continues to support a transparent and environmentally responsible approach to deep seabed mineral development, including ongoing scientific assessment, stakeholder engagement, and adherence to evolving regulatory standards.
Polymetallic nodules found on the deep ocean floor contain critical minerals including nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese, which are essential inputs for electrification, energy infrastructure, defense applications, and advanced manufacturing technologies.
Deep Sea Minerals | https://www.deepseamineralscorp.com
Schneider Electric, a global energy technology leader, announced EcoCare service plans for Building Management Systems (BMS) in the United States, a digital-first service designed to help teams predict, prevent and resolve operational issues across buildings and facilities.
As commercial buildings become more electrified and energy-intensive, facility teams are under growing pressure to reduce downtime, manage rising energy costs and operate with leaner staff. EcoCare for BMS helps organizations shift from reactive maintenance to predictive operations, improving resilience, efficiency and occupant experience across commercial buildings, healthcare facilities, campuses and industrial sites.
Unveiled at Realcomm IBcon 2026, a leading commercial real estate technology conference, Schneider Electric’s EcoCare for BMS combines 24/7 monitoring, AI-driven analytics and expert support spanning both remote operations teams and on-site field technicians to help teams detect and address issues before they disrupt operations.
“The old model of reactive maintenance just doesn’t work anymore,” said Tyler Haak, Vice President, Services, U.S. Digital Buildings, Schneider Electric. “Facility teams are expected to keep buildings running, manage issues as they arise and do more with fewer resources, and they need real-time visibility and predictive insights to stay ahead. Our latest energy technology helps teams identify issues earlier, reduces downtime and keeps critical systems running smoothly, while delivering better experiences for the people who rely on those buildings every day.”
Schneider Electric customer deployments using digitally enabled, condition-based maintenance strategies have achieved up to 25% energy savings, 45% less downtime, a 30% increase in operational efficiency and 60% fewer occupant complaints compared with traditional reactive building maintenance approaches.
Key Features for an EcoCare Service Plan include:
24/7 expert monitoring and support: Real-time system visibility with specialists who proactively identify and mitigate risks
Condition-based maintenance: Predictive insights trigger maintenance before issues impact operations
Connected field expertise: On-site technicians and HVAC specialists resolve issues quickly and maintain system reliability
Priority response: Faster service and dedicated account management support aligned to operational priorities
Digital Twin Insights: A digital twin of the BMS provides actionable insights on energy use, occupant comfort and system performance to help optimize building operations
Enabling a New Operational Model for Modern Buildings
As part of its broader services portfolio, Schneider Electric’s EcoCare service plans combine service expertise with digital tools such as EcoStruxure Building Advisor, connecting real-time analytics to on-site support to resolve issues faster and improve system performance.
Schneider Electric supports more than 6,000 service customers globally, providing expertise across energy management, building automation and operational resilience for many of the world’s most critical facilities. These deployments help organizations identify issues earlier and resolve them before they disrupt operations, helping ensure buildings remain safe, efficient and comfortable for occupants and the people who depend on them every day.
“EcoCare for BMS represents a new model for building operations, bringing together digital intelligence and service expertise to shift from reactive maintenance to predictive, proactive performance,” Haak said. “As we continue to expand these capabilities, we’re helping organizations move beyond reacting to issues toward anticipating what’s next, strengthening resilience, improving performance and advancing energy tech across modern buildings.”
For more information, visit EcoCare for BMS.
Schneider Electric | https://www.se.com/us/en
Wind May 15, 2026
As wind development pushes into more remote and environmentally sensitive terrain, site access is no longer a secondary concern. It is a primary project risk. Unstable soils, seasonal flooding, protected wetlands, and water crossings can derail permi....
A decade ago, most utility-scale solar projects were built on flat, well-drained land. Today, those sites are largely gone. What remains are parcels that sit lower, drain poorly, or come with a history of standing water. At the same time, storms a....
The season for hail storms is getting longer, producing storms with large hail more frequently during an expanded season. Case in point: On March 10, 2026, softball-sized hail fell in northern Illinois. While that might not have been news had it occu....
The solar industry has spent the last decade relentlessly driving down cost. Module prices fell. Installation efficiencies improved. Supply chains have globalized. In many ways, the playbook worked. But as development pushes into more c....
.gif?r=9777)
As wind development pushes into more rem....
They equip existing wind turbines with n....
Half of North America's installed wind f....
Extreme weather events such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and blizzards have increased over the past several years. Alongside this trend, the need to protect critical onsite energy storage equipment has grown in order to maintain grid reliabi....
From hurricanes to ice storms and derechos, severe weather is hitting harder and more often. Energy infrastructure is under unprecedented strain, and the traditional methods of grid hardening are no longer enough. For decades, utilities have....
Americans are watching their electricity bills climb, and many are pointing the finger at the massive data centers sprouting up across the country. It's an understandable reaction. The U.S. Department of Energy U.S. says that data center energy ....
The bond between solar energy and storage is undergoing a profound transformation. What started as a supplemental technology to reduce renewable energy intermittency is now becoming a defining prerequisite to how solar projects are financed, built, a....
When a complex, entrenched system faces immense strain, it can either generate the capacity for transformational change or distort in unproductive ways. The North American power grid is experiencing exactly this tension. After years of relative stasi....
Digital substations are a key component in the ongoing digital transformation of electric power systems. While this modernization brings unprecedented efficiency and visibility improvements, it also opens the door for potential cybersecurity issues. ....
