Unlocking the Transition: Biden, Congress aim to fill gap from clean electricity plan's demise

Sen. Joe Manchin's rejection of the plan has led to a scramble for potential alternatives, with a proposal by Reps. Kurt Schrader and David McKinley gaining support from major players in the utility sector.

By Scott Van Voorhis • Nov. 4, 2021

Engie abandons Hawaii solar+storage project over supply chain, tariff concerns

Hawaiian Electric says it does not expect other projects to fold amid the global supply chain crunch. 

By Jason Plautz • Nov. 3, 2021

Explore the Trendline➔

Energy Storage

The proliferation of energy storage in everything from utility-scale batteries to electric vehicles is a driving force in the transition to a cleaner, more distributed power system. This trendline includes the best Utility Dive reporting on this dynamic sector.

By Utility Dive staff

Unlocking the Transition: As Tesla, Ford and others invest billions in EVs, will the power system be ready?

The new White House zero emission vehicle target of 50% of new car sales by 2030 has a long way to go, a short time to get there, and big challenges along the way.

By Herman K. Trabish • Nov. 3, 2021

COP26: Biden apologizes for US climate inaction, issues long-term plan for reaching net zero emissions

The plan asks the electric sector to eliminate emissions by 2035 through transmission upgrades, energy efficiency, storage and non-emitting generation, along with several other strategies.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 2, 2021

House passes Build Back Better, tees up Senate vote on funding for climate, clean energy and electric vehicles

The bill's passage comes days after President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan infrastructure bill that also boosts spending on shifting the U.S. away from fossil fuels.

By Ethan Howland • Updated Nov. 19, 2021

APS vows legal action after Arizona regulators deny cost recovery for $215.5M coal plant upgrades

Regulators approved the utility’s first rate decrease since 1996, while voting against full cost recovery for APS' investment in upgrades to a coal plant being closed earlier than initially planned.

By Scott Van Voorhis • Updated Nov. 3, 2021

Maine explores rate design changes to boost storage, EV deployment

The state must deploy 400 MW of energy storage by 2030, prompting regulators to explore time-of-use rates and other structures that could encourage residential and commercial deployment.

By Jason Plautz • Oct. 28, 2021

Wave of investment just the beginning for EV battery recycling

Within the last month, four lithium-ion battery recyclers saw a collective $255 million worth of investment and another one completed a merger. As existing EV batteries age out and new vehicles hit the market, demand is growing fast.

By Jacob Wallace • Oct. 28, 2021

Honeywell enters energy storage market, teams with Duke to test 12-hour flow battery tech

The conglomerate will test a 400 kWh flow battery at Duke's Mount Holly microgrid test bed. If successful, Honeywell plans to deploy a utility-scale pilot project of 60 MWh in 2023.

By Jason Plautz • Oct. 26, 2021

NextEra doubles down on green hydrogen, other renewables

The company said Wednesday it has added more than 5,700 megawatts over the first nine months of 2021 to its backlog of renewable energy and storage projects.

By Scott Van Voorhis • Oct. 21, 2021

Rocky Mountain Power's distributed battery grid management system puts Utah 'years ahead' of California

The program, which currently only supports sonnen batteries, encourages existing Utah solar customers to add energy storage that provides greater grid management capabilities for the utility.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Oct. 14, 2021

Extending Dominion's Millstone nuclear plant a 'critical' part of path to zero carbon, Connecticut finds

Connecticut's new Integrated Resources Plan finds the state's decarbonization goals are achievable.  But it will require the expanded use of energy storage and demand management and continued reliance on nuclear energy.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 11, 2021

Global energy storage set to nearly triple in 2021: Wood Mackenzie forecast

Demand is projected to reach 1 TWh by the end of the decade, the company found, with the U.S. and China accounting for more than 70% of that.

By Jason Plautz • Oct. 8, 2021

Battery recycling firm Li-Cycle nets $100 million investment from Koch Industries subsidiary

The investment will support Toronto-based Li-Cycle's expansion in North America, Europe and Asia.

By Jason Plautz • Oct. 7, 2021

ESS, SB Energy reach major deal for flow battery technology with 2 GWh agreement

A recent study projected that the worldwide market for flow batteries would grow from an estimated $290.5 million in 2020 to $962 million by 2026, with particular growth in the utility and industrial space.

By Jason Plautz • Oct. 4, 2021

Meet the utility labor shortage challenge through a true training culture

Understanding and meaningfully addressing the expectations of employees entering the profession is an all-too-often overlooked strategic priority.

Oct. 4, 2021

As California's solar net metering battle goes to regulators, a focus on reliability may be the best answer

The reliability value of solar plus storage in ensuring resource adequacy might be the key to solar's future, according to Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies Executive Director V. John White.

By Herman K. Trabish • Oct. 1, 2021

AES-Siemens joint venture Fluence joins raft of storage firms moving to go public

As the storage market booms, firms like ESS, Stem and Energy Vault have all gone public.

By Jason Plautz • Sept. 29, 2021

With forward capacity auction success, batteries are winning in New England

Battery storage is now able to compete head-to-head economically — without subsidies — against incumbent fossil fuel generation in New England, the author writes.

By Todd Olinsky-Paul • Sept. 28, 2021

State, federal actions show growing push for a nuclear role in reaching net zero emissions

Former critics of nuclear power agree, financial support may be justified for firm power options to tackle climate change and get over the net zero emissions finish line.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 28, 2021

DOE eyes AI, machine learning to accelerate long-duration energy storage research

A proposed research plan could "validate technology faster than time runs on the calendar," said Eric Hsieh, DOE director for grid systems and components.

By Jason Plautz • Sept. 27, 2021

New technology needed to meet utility decarbonization goals, EEI, others warn

The last 20% of the energy sector will depend on further development of green hydrogen, long-duration energy storage, advanced nuclear and other technologies, said the chair of the Edison Electric Institute.

By Scott Van Voorhis • Sept. 22, 2021

Advancing the energy transition requires an honest discussion of costs, outages and land, analysts say

Customers will tolerate the power system transformation's problems and challenges if they understand stakeholders will be "careful about the transition," one analyst said.

By Herman K. Trabish • Sept. 20, 2021

New York authorizes National Grid to serve retail, bid into wholesale market with upstate battery project

A utility-owned 3 MWh battery will bid into the New York ISO wholesale market as well as serve retail customers to demonstrate storage's role and potential.

By Jason Plautz • Sept. 17, 2021

Gravity-based storage firm Energy Vault to go public in SPAC deal as market continues to boom

The Energy Information Administration predicted in August that large-scale battery storage installations could grow tenfold between 2019 and the end of 2023, with some 10,000 MW of new storage installed between 2021 and 2023.

By Jason Plautz • Sept. 14, 2021