Energy consulting groups value Southeast RTO potential at $384B savings by 2040

A seven-state RTO, including Florida, Tennessee and the Carolinas, would phase out coal generation and add more storage and renewables into the mix, according to analysis from Vibrant Clean Energy.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Aug. 25, 2020

ESA targets 100 GW new storage by 2030 amid push for tax credit, market integration challenges

The goal will produce 200,000 new jobs in the U.S. by 2030, the Energy Storage Association projects.

By Kavya Balaraman • Aug. 25, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

Virtual Power Plants

Virtual power plants and their ability to balance energy supply and demand are increasingly sought by utilities as electricity demand increases, but their lack of standardization remains a barrier.

By Utility Dive staff

Ensuring DER inclusion in capacity markets may require a rethink of resource adequacy

The growth of customer-owned resources is forcing system operators and aggregators to see their value as reliability tools and rethink the concept of resource adequacy.

By Herman K. Trabish • Aug. 24, 2020

Energy storage for EV charging can lower demand charges, Guidehouse reports

Energy storage for electric vehicle charging can provide cost savings as well as a sense of security for residential customers concerned with power reliability.

By Guy Burdick • Aug. 24, 2020

NRECA, DOE to showcase diverse uses of storage technology with 4 battery installations

The batteries, ranging from 90-500 kW, support everything from military base operations to a farm.

By Emma Penrod • Aug. 18, 2020

Propelling the transition: The battle for control of virtual power plants is just beginning

As virtual power plants develop, there is a growing debate about the degree to which the future of distributed energy management will be controlled by large utilities or third-party aggregators.

By Matthew Bandyk • Aug. 18, 2020

Propelling the transition: Green hydrogen could be the final piece in a zero-emissions future

Green hydrogen beats renewables plus batteries at fueling heavy transport, serving industry and long duration storage — if it can be delivered affordably.

By Herman K. Trabish • Aug. 17, 2020

Sunrun posts Q2 loss but anticipates storage boost as battery prices fall, blackouts persist

Sunrun has developed a pipeline of deals to provide grid services, such as virtual power plants, in half of the regions it operates, CEO Lynn Jurich said during the company's second quarter earnings call.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Aug. 12, 2020

Dominion reaches agreement on South Carolina renewables + storage tariff to better integrate resources

The proposal reflects the fact that South Carolina's storage market is maturing, according to one stakeholder. 

By Kavya Balaraman • Aug. 7, 2020

Dominion asks Virginia regulators for interim storage targets as it moves toward 2.7 GW by 2035

Virginia's State Corporation Commission will establish regulations for Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy Virginia to move forward in energy storage required under a new state law.

By Guy Burdick • Aug. 4, 2020

LG Chem refutes alleged cause of explosion at APS battery storage facility

LG Chem disputes APS's claim that a battery cell failure initiated an April 2019 explosion, alleging an external heat source is the root cause.

By Guy Burdick • Aug. 4, 2020

New Mexico approves 100% renewables + storage replacement for San Juan coal capacity

A full renewables portfolio, along with battery storage, was the only replacement option that fully satisfied the state's 100% carbon-free energy transition goals, according to regulators.

By Catherine Morehouse • July 30, 2020

APS says runaway thermal event caused 2019 battery explosion, outlines 4 steps to avoid a repeat

Abnormal lithium metal deposits likely led to the internal failure, according to a report authored for APS by Davion Hill, U.S. energy storage leader for DNV GL.

By Guy Burdick • July 29, 2020

Taking Charge: How California's first CCA confronts wildfire risk and energy equity amid COVID-19

MCE CEO Dawn Weisz spoke to Utility Dive about the community choice aggregator's efforts to make its service area more resilient.

By Kavya Balaraman • July 29, 2020

IREC launches project to tackle storage interconnection challenges

The project aims to resolve regulatory and technical barriers to connecting storage projects to the distribution grid.

By Guy Burdick • July 23, 2020

Enel plans to deploy 1 GW storage capacity across renewable portfolio through 2022

The company started constructing its first North American utility-scale hybrid project in Texas.

By Kavya Balaraman • July 22, 2020

DOE unveils draft roadmap for US global energy storage leadership

The plan provides more details for the department's Energy Storage Grand Challenge and comes as the House Appropriations Committee approved a significant increase in DOE spending on energy storage.

By Larry Pearl • July 14, 2020

Largest US battery resource connects to CAISO grid, signaling next phase in California's storage growth

The project is "a turning point for storage on our system," according to California ISO President and CEO Steve Berberich.

By Kavya Balaraman • July 14, 2020

DC Circuit upholds landmark FERC storage order, rejecting claims it violates state authority

"I think 841 … [may be] one of the single most significant ... actions taken by a government agency to address carbon mitigation and the transition to a clean energy future," FERC Chair Neil Chatterjee told reporters.

By Catherine Morehouse • July 13, 2020

Sunrun closes $3.2B Vivint Solar acquisition

After completing the acquisition in October, Sunrun said it is now working to consolidate costs and realize scale benefits to save about $90 million annually.

By Iulia Gheorghiu • Updated Oct. 8, 2020

Quidnet leverages drilling tech to provide pumped hydro type storage at half the price

The Houston-based firm secured $10 million in Series B financing and a contract with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority for a commercial demonstration of its technology.

By Guy Burdick • July 6, 2020

Battery energy storage is getting cheaper, but how much deployment is too much?

As renewable penetrations rise, batteries are the answer to variability, but it is not clear when buying more storage stops increasing reliability.

By Herman K. Trabish • June 30, 2020

Consumer demand prompts aggressive shift toward renewables, storage at Tucson Electric Power

Solar, wind and energy storage systems will account for 70% of TEP's generation capacity by 2035, according to the utility.

By Emma Penrod • June 30, 2020

COVID-19 propels microgrids in healthcare sector, but regulatory, awareness hurdles remain

"If we think this is the last time we’re going to be dealing with something like this, I think we’re being foolish," said an executive at a Southern Company distributed power subsidiary.

By Kavya Balaraman • June 29, 2020

California's storage limbo: Over $300M in projects are stuck on a CPUC waitlist, but there's an easy fix

California has $600 million in idle funds that can be used to advance energy storage projects; reallocating them would be the shot in the arm the state needs now, the author writes.

By Ted Ko • June 25, 2020