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The future of energy storage is rapidly evolving, fueled by the growing adoption of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. These clean energy technologies, while essential for decarbonizing the grid, make effective energy storage solutions critical for ensuring a stable and reliable electricity supply. As the energy sector transitions to a greener future, the energy storage sector will be shaped by rapid market expansion, groundbreaking....
Electricity demand in the U.S. has surged dramatically, with ICF projecting U.S. electricity demand to spike by an average of 9 percent by 2028, after two decades of stagnation. This sharp rise is largely driven by the rapid expansion of data centers — expected to grow to 9 percent of U.S. electricity generation annually by 2030, up from 4 percent today, according to EPRI — and the industrial onshoring and electrification of heating....
The anxiety and, let’s be honest, fear when your phone’s battery hits 20 percent charge is palpable. Perhaps it’s because we have all experienced that moment when a phone went from 20 percent to 0 percent in the blink of an eye. Conversely, many of us also know the joy of when your phone’s last 1 percent magically lasts way, way longer than expected. This happens because the percent charge, the State of Charge (SoC), is not a mea....
Anybody out there have a crystal ball? A tried-and-true way of forecasting the future? In the movies, the crystal ball and fortune-teller always see the future. With all the changes we see on the horizon, especially post-election, we also know there are changes we don’t see. The wind industry is watching carefully to see what our new president and his team do with renewables. One thing we do know is this: As organizations and as professionals, ....
Alternative Energies
Howard Skidmore, P.E.
Solar
Sun Ballast
Wind
Desirée Grace
Duke Energy Florida submitted its 2025 Solar Base Rate Adjustment (SoBRA) filing to the Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC), outlining plans for four solar energy sites the company is pursuing this year in order to deliver on its commitment to continue providing reliable, affordable and increasingly clean energy for its customers.
In accordance with Duke Energy Florida's settlement agreement – which was approved by the FPSC in August 2024 – the company is investing over $521 million to establish solar sites in Madison County (Sundance Renewable Energy Center), Sumter County (Half Moon Renewable Energy Center), Hernando County (Rattler Renewable Energy Center) and Jefferson County (Bailey Mill Renewable Energy Center). All together, these sites are expected to save customers $843 million over their service lifetimes.
To date, the company has broken ground on the Sundance, Half Moon and Rattler renewable energy centers, all of which will be in service by January 2026. Bailey Mill Renewable Energy Center is continuing through the permitting process with the goal of starting construction in the summer of 2025, allowing for it to come online by the summer of 2026. During construction, each solar site will create an average of 150 temporary jobs, and when completed, they will add nearly 300 megawatts of quiet, carbon-free energy to the electric grid.
At peak output, each of the four 74.9-megawatt solar sites will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of approximately 23,000 homes, while displacing 1.2 million cubic feet of natural gas, 15,000 barrels of fuel oil and 12,000 tons of coal annually.
"At Duke Energy Florida, we work every day to modernize and strengthen our generation fleet," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. "Solar energy is an innovative, cost-effective and clean solution we continue to implement on behalf of our customers all across the Sunshine State."
Duke Energy Florida currently owns, operates and maintains a portfolio of more than 25 solar sites across the state that produce approximately 1,500 megawatts of energy. Between 2025 and 2027, the company plans to build 12 new solar sites – including these four – adding an additional 900 megawatts of energy to the electric grid. In fact, by the end of 2033, the company projects to have over 6,100 megawatts of utility scale solar generating capacity online.
Duke Energy | duke-energy.com
Solis, one of the third largest solar string inverter manufacturers in the world, recently announced its partnership with Derapi, a leading cloud-based API platform for Distributed Energy Resources. This partnership is intended to better enable Solis solar energy storage customers to participate in and take advantage of Virtual Power Plant (VPP) programs across the United States and Canada.
“The distributed energy landscape is ripe for innovation,” said James Qiao, General Manager of Solis. “Our collaboration with Derapi represents a significant step toward enabling homeowners to access programs in which they may not have the ability to in the past. This partnership aligns perfectly with our mission to deliver sustainable and efficient energy solutions globally.”
Key benefits of the Derapi and Solis partnership include:
“Smart energy storage inverters from Solis are an important part of the distributed energy ecosystem,” said Thomas Lee, Founder and President of Derapi. “Our partnership gives owners of Solis energy storage inverters access to market- and utility-based programs offered by VPP and Demand Response providers using the Derapi platform. These programs can immediately add Solis to their supported vendor lists with no additional integration work. We are excited to be working with Solis to make the benefits of VPP participation accessible to a broad range of users.”
Derapi | https://derapi.com/
Solis Inverters | https://www.solisinverters.com/us
R.T. Casey, LLC (RTC), a leader in offshore construction and subsea engineering, proudly announces its key role in advancing Oregon State University's (OSU) PacWave South project. As the first utility-scale, grid-connected wave energy test facility in the United States, PacWave South is a groundbreaking initiative in the pursuit of harnessing renewable energy from ocean waves.
With a strong commitment to supporting all energy initiatives, RTC specializes in developing, installing, and maintaining cutting-edge subsea and terrestrial infrastructure. Whether in offshore renewables, telecommunications, or other critical energy sectors, RTC's expertise ensures seamless and sustainable power solutions.
RTC's Contributions to PacWave South: Driving Innovation Below and Beyond the Surface
RTC played a pivotal role in the design, procurement, installation, and integration of essential infrastructure to ensure efficient and reliable energy transmission. The company's expertise was instrumental in:
Subsea Cable Engineering - Designed and deployed high-performance cables built to endure the unique challenges of the Pacific Ocean.
Precision Installation - Executed complex offshore and terrestrial operations to establish reliable energy connectivity.
Industry Collaboration - Partnered with OSU and various contractors from the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and Louisiana to execute this ambitious project.
Safety-Focused Execution - Maintained rigorous Incident-Free Operations (IFO) standards, ensuring operational excellence.
Leadership Perspective: The Future of Energy Lies Offshore
"The success of PacWave South is a testament to innovation, strategic execution, and the power of collaboration," said Zachary Casey, Project Executive and Owner at RTC. "We are proud to be at the forefront of advancing offshore renewable energy, demonstrating the critical role that high-performance subsea infrastructure plays in shaping the future of sustainable power solutions."
Rachel Cambre, Senior Electrical Project Manager at RTC, emphasized the growing importance of reliable energy transmission in renewable initiatives: "As global demand for sustainable energy solutions increases, robust submarine and terrestrial cable systems will serve as the backbone of future offshore projects. PacWave South is a key step forward in proving the viability of wave-generated power, and we are committed to driving industry-leading innovations that enable its success."
R.T. Casey, LLC | www.rtcasey.com
Pacific Green Technologies, Inc. ("Pacific Green", OTCQB: PGTK) announces that it has signed binding documentation for the sale of 100% of the shares in its Limestone Coast North Energy Park to Intera Renewables (Intera) in a deal representing an enterprise value of A$460 million (US$293 million) (the “Transaction”). The Limestone Coast North Energy Park is Pacific Green’s 250MW / 500MWh battery energy storage development in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia (“Limestone Coast North”) which will begin commercial operations in early 2027.
Intera is the renewable energy platform established, and majority owned by funds managed by Palisade Investment Partners (Palisade), an Australian based infrastructure and real assets manager.
The asset, the first of two energy parks being developed in Limestone Coast by Pacific Green, will significantly strengthen the region’s grid stability and help further accelerate Australia’s net-zero transition. As part of the Transaction, Pacific Green will be retained to manage the construction of the project through to commercial operations following which Palisade Integrated Management Services (PIMS) will carry out asset management activities through its role as Intera’s asset manager.
Limestone Coast North marks the latest milestone in a major period of growth for Pacific Green in Australia. It is the first of a 10GWh development pipeline of battery energy parks the company is rolling out throughout the country. Limestone Coast West, a 250MW / 1,000MWh battery energy storage development is finalising grid approvals with construction expected to commence in September 2025. Portland Energy Park, 1,000MW / 2,500MWh across four co-located battery assets in Victoria, is finalising development approval with construction expected to commence in March 2026. In November 2024, Pacific Green announced the acquisition of land rights in Wagga Wagga, where the company will develop its first NSW project.
Pacific Green is aiming to be one of Australia’s leading utility-scale battery developers, by building a multi-gigawatt platform nationwide. The deployment is aided by the team’s significant experience developing battery energy parks in Europe.
Scott Poulter, Pacific Green’s CEO, commented: “We are delighted to have entered this agreement with Palisade, one of Australia’s leading infrastructure fund managers. Limestone Coast North is critical to South Australia’s Electricity network and is the first of Pacific Green’s 10 GWh Australian pipeline. We are also very pleased to enter into the first of a portfolio of long term tolling Power Purchase Agreements with Zen Energy.”
Simon Parbery, Executive Director for Palisade, stated: “We are excited to be working with Pacific Green on this significant project for both our investors, and Australia’s broader clean energy transition goals. Limestone Coast North represents Palisade’s first investment in large-scale energy storage, providing both attractive risk-adjusted returns, as well as long term strategic benefits for our Australian renewables platform.”
Joel Alexander, Pacific Green Australia Managing Director and CEO commented: “This is a significant milestone for our Australian business and underscores our focus on assets that represent clear commercial feasibility and deliver net-zero objectives for Australia. The backing of Palisade, a leading global infrastructure and real assets manager, will accelerate the build out of the Limestone Coast North Energy Park and ensure it reaches operational stage by early 2027.”
Palisade were advised by Macquarie Capital, Kidder Williams, KWM, Clayton Utz and Ekistica.
Pacific Green was advised by Azure Capital, WSP and Allens Linklaters. Development capital was provided by Australian Philanthropic Services Foundation.
Pacific Green | www.pacificgreen.com
The American Clean Power Association (ACP), the clean energy industry’s leading trade organization, has announced its new 2025 Officers, Board of Directors, and Executive Committee.
ACP’s new Board features executives from diverse industries investing in America, including leaders across solar, storage, offshore and land-based wind, clean hydrogen, and transmission, as well as manufacturers, financial firms, utilities, construction companies, and developers.
“After many years with the organization, I am honored to now serve as ACP Board Chair and eager to tackle the challenges facing the renewable energy industry,” said Laura Beane, ACP Board Chair and President of Vestas North America. “Our nation requires an all-of-the-above energy approach to drive development, strengthen U.S. energy dominance, and create generational jobs for Americans across the country. I believe this Board is well-equipped to deliver solutions that will advance our priorities and accelerate domestic energy growth to meet the surge in demand.”
The new Board and Officers were approved at ACP’s February Board meeting and will serve a one-year term. They include:
“During a period of rapid demand growth and a push for American energy dominance, leadership in the energy industry has never been more consequential. The 2025 ACP Board represents a wide-ranging group of strong leaders who are meeting the moment,” said ACP CEO Jason Grumet. “Harnessing America’s diverse energy resources is essential to our national security and global power. The ACP Board encourages collaboration across all energy sectors and will drive the policies and innovations needed to contribute to an all-of-the-above energy strategy, strengthen our economy, and secure America’s energy future.”
The ACP Board has also selected a new Executive Committee. Along with the Officers, the committee will include executives from these clean energy-focused companies:
Ex Officio Roles
The 2025 ACP Board of Directors also includes:
Under a proposed investment program with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), nonprofit charitable organization Citizens Energy Corporation expects to provide more than $450 million to help PG&E customers in low- and moderate-income households pay their energy bills.
Submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) late last month, the updated proposal lays out Citizens’ plans to invest up to $1 billion for PG&E electric system upgrades. Citizens would then use a significant portion of its after-tax profits from the program to provide direct bill-paying assistance to PG&E customers in need. These charitable proceeds are estimated to total more than $450 million over a 35-year period.
The program is designed so that customers would pay no more for electric system work on the leased transmission assets than they would without the program.
A community-based organization in California’s Central Valley said the program would provide important benefits.
“We support innovative investments in the electric grid that would help California continue its efforts to transition energy sources for the transportation and housing sectors,” said Tom Knox, executive director of Valley Clean Air Now, a nonprofit charity focused on reducing air emissions in California’s San Joaquin Valley. “We also appreciate that this program would benefit disadvantaged households by providing direct assistance in paying their utility bills.”
PG&E and Citizens first filed with the CPUC for approval of the program last March.
After extensive engagement with consumer and community advocates and other stakeholders, PG&E and Citizens updated their proposal to include a direct bill-paying assistance program.
Citizens President Joseph P. Kennedy III said the program will serve the nonprofit’s mission to support projects and programs that increase grid strength and decrease electricity costs.
“Our vision is a safe, reliable and affordable energy system that leaves no one behind,” Kennedy said. “Along with investing in updated infrastructure for a more resilient grid, Citizens sees an extraordinary opportunity to help address the affordability of electric service—a major challenge throughout California. This program with PG&E will provide much-needed electricity savings to families across the region and at the same time, help fund electric system upgrades that will enable California to meet its bold climate goals.”
Since 1979, Citizens has helped low-income families and disadvantaged communities meet their basic needs, including utility bills. It has provided over $600 million in charitable benefits since its founding, including administering winter heating grants to over 300 homeless shelters in 17 states.
PG&E would use the proceeds to make the electric grid safer, more reliable, and ready to serve increasing demand for electricity, including from electric vehicles and electric heating appliances. The program reflects PG&E’s commitment to tap nontraditional funding to help stabilize bills.
“Our proposed program with Citizens would support system upgrades while providing assistance to our customers to pay their bills,” said Jason Glickman, PG&E Corporation Executive Vice President, Engineering, Planning and Strategy. “Electric demand in California is growing. This program would help us meet that demand while continuing to keep customer bills stable over time.”
Program Details
PG&E would continue to own and maintain the relevant assets.
Citizens’ investment of up to $1 billion would enable Citizens to contribute more than $450 million of its net after-tax profits to direct bill-paying assistance for PG&E customers in need. The proceeds that Citizens has committed for direct bill-paying assistance would start at 50% of the after-tax profits from the first $200 million invested. It would increase to 90% of the after-tax profits from the final $200 million invested.
Pending regulatory approval from the CPUC and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), PG&E and Citizens expect to close on the first lease option in 2026. Up to four more leases would follow.
The CPUC and FERC have approved two similar programs between Citizens and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) to help finance transmission upgrades and fund clean energy projects for communities in need.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company | pge.com
Citizens Energy | citizensenergy.com
Adden Energy has commissioned a state-of-the-art production line for manufacturing batteries which drastically outperform those currently on the market. The batteries produced on this line utilize dynamic-stability, a scientific phenomena discovered at Harvard, to enable differentiation in both the form of the battery and the manufacturing of the batteries. This phenomena allows the batteries to combine two next-generation technologies: lithium metal batteries and all-solid-state batteries.
These batteries are unique in their performance, surpassing current commercial batteries in energy density, charge-rate, and safety. Equally important, Adden Energy has developed processes for producing these next-generation batteries on conventional, readily available manufacturing equipment.
“Our initial prototypes had already shown 50% improvement in energy density over current lithium-ion technology with the added benefits of charging in under 10 minutes and being non-flammable,” said Adden Energy Chief Product Officer Dr. Pu Zhang. “Now we have shown we can manufacture these batteries on the same equipment that is commonly used for lithium-ion production, which gives us a clear route to scale-up and manufacturing.”
This pilot line produces Adden Energy’s batteries on equipment standard for the lithium-ion industry. This is a major differentiator for Adden Energy’s technology. Typical lithium metal solid-state batteries require very slow and expensive equipment to produce. In turn, this makes batteries too expensive to use in applications like electric vehicles. With only minor modifications to standard equipment, along with Adden Energy’s patented technology, large scale lithium metal solid-state batteries can be produced economically.
Adden Energy has already started receiving purchase orders from automakers and other industrial users buying cells for validation in their applications. Those purchased cells will be produced on this new line.
On January 28th, Adden Energy hosted a commissioning event for the new line. The Massachusetts Secretary of Economic Development Yvonne Hao, who is also the Chair of MassVentures, joined to tour the new facility and see the batteries in action. MassVentures has supported this technology and team since its inception at Harvard University with a Catalyst grant. Later, MassVentures participated in the company’s Seed round in 2022 and the Series A in 2024 and has maintained a seat on the company’s board since 2022.
“Adden Energy’s story is a perfect example of the entrepreneurial excellence we have in Massachusetts,” said Hao. “The company is a Harvard spin-out, commercializing breakthrough energy science, building domestic manufacturing, and creating high-tech jobs for the Commonwealth.”
The line will reach its full production rate this summer, allowing Adden Energy to meet the rapidly growing demand from its automaker customers across the globe.
Adden Energy | https://www.addenenergy.com/
Energy Storage Jan 21, 2025
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