Focus

U.S. tax credit incentives for standalone energy storage begin new era

Energy Storage News – January 5

The Inflation Reduction Act’s incentives for energy storage projects in the U.S. came into effect on January 1, 2023. Standout among those measures is the availability of an investment tax credit (ITC) for investment in renewable energy projects being extended to include standalone energy storage facilities. Previously, storage projects were only eligible for an ITC if paired directly with solar PV and the storage system charged directly from the solar. The standalone option now decouples developers from this need, opening the possibility of charging directly from the grid, and reducing the development timeline of storage projects, which require far less land than solar-plus-storage.

News

Biden to tap Phillips to head FERC until permanent chair is confirmed: WH official

S&P Global – January 3

U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) member Willie Phillips will lead the agency until President Joe Biden is able to nominate and win Senate confirmation of a permanent chair, a White House official said on January 3. The decision puts at the agency's helm, at least temporarily, a former District of Columbia regulator who has emphasized energy system reliability. It is not uncommon for the White House to tap an interim chair while it pursues more permanent options. Phillips' current term expires June 30, 2026.

Energy Department to invest up to $72M to expand clean energy workforce efforts

Manufacturing Dive – December 21

The U.S. Department of Energy will spend $72 million to expand a workforce training program that also helps small manufacturers reduce their energy use. Approximately $54 million in funding will go toward creating new Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs) at community colleges, trade schools, and union training programs. Another $18.75 million will help turn five of the highest performing existing IACs into regional hubs that will collaborate with the government and advise other centers.

U.S. Department of Commerce clarifies AD/CVD investigation into Southeast Asian solar imports

PV-Tech – December 22

The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) has clarified its position on the anti-circumvention solar investigation, saying it would allow the import of modules manufactured in third countries using Southeast Asian-made cells. At the beginning of December, the DOC found that over 20 solar companies have been circumventing anti-dumping/countervailing duty (AD/CVD) orders by moving operations from China to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

Meet the renewable energy source poised for growth with the help of the oil industry

Politico – January 1

Geothermal energy — the technology that harnesses the heat beneath the Earth’s crust — is drawing fresh interest after lawmakers boosted funding flows for it in the bipartisan infrastructure law and Inflation Reduction Act, dovetailing with advances in technology, new state incentives, and interest from the oil drilling sector. While the next generation of geothermal projects are still in the early stages of development, advocates say the underground energy source has the potential to supply more than 60 GW of firm, flexible power by 2050 — a more than 15-fold jump from the 3.7 GW of capacity it now has in the United States.

Projects

PG&E, Energy Vault to build green hydrogen long-duration storage project

Power Engineering – January 5

Energy Vault and Pacific Gas and Electric Company have proposed to deploy and operate a grid-scale battery plus green hydrogen long-duration energy storage system, which would power the downtown and surrounding area of Calistoga for a minimum of 48 hours during planned outages and shutoffs due to high wildfire risk. If approved, construction could begin in the fourth quarter, with commercial operation expected by the end of second quarter of 2024. Energy Vault called the project a “first-of-its-kind” and the largest utility-scale green hydrogen project in the U.S.

Primergy to advance U.S. solar-plus storage pipeline with Rabobank debt

Renewables Now – December 26

Primergy Solar LLC, a portfolio company of Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, has obtained $75 million in debt financing from Dutch lender Rabobank to support the development of the 3.2 GW of solar and 2.3 GW of energy storage projects in its near-term pipeline. Primergy’s near-term development pipeline consists of solar and battery storage projects with planned commissioning through 2026, including the Gemini project in Nevada.

SDG&E adds energy storage to substation, boosting grid resilience

T&D World – December 22

San Diego Gas & Electric broke ground on the Clairemont Microgrid, one of four such projects based at its existing substations. Each microgrid is paired with energy storage, with the four projects bringing an additional 39 MW of battery capacity to the region. Once complete, the Clairemont Microgrid will provide backup power to Fire Station 36, the Balboa Branch Library/Cool Zone, and various local schools.

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