Focus
LS Power energizes world’s biggest battery, just in time for California’s heat wave
Greentech Media – August 19
Stealthy grid infrastructure developer LS Power now operates the largest grid battery in the world. The Gateway Energy Storage project in Southern California launched earlier this summer, with an initial tranche of 62.5 megawatts/62.5 megawatt-hours. That was enough to make it the most powerful battery in the U.S. But LS Power had more up its sleeve, and now Gateway can charge or discharge 230 megawatts for one hour, expected to rise to 250 megawatts by the end of the month. Its arrival coincides with an energy crisis as California struggles to produce enough power to keep the grid running amid a historic heat wave.
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News
U.S. energy sector takes beating from COVID-19, but demand for renewable energy surges
Utility Dive – August 14
Purchasing activity declined 39.3% in North America during the second quarter of 2020, according to GlobalData, which attributes most of the slump to uncertainty caused by COVID-19. Corporate power purchase agreement activity slumped to just 4.3 gigawatts in the U.S. during the first half of 2020, according to a separate report by BloombergNEF. Despite the nearly 30% decline in activity, BloombergNEF reports that demand for renewable energy now exceeds supply by a wide margin.
Clean energy sector adds jobs, but pace is slow
Power Magazine – August 13
An analysis of federal labor data shows that the clean energy sector is adding jobs after months of declines brought on by the pandemic. But the gains in July were lower than those in June, signaling that sectors such as solar, wind, energy storage, energy efficiency, and electric vehicles continue to struggle amid the COVID-19 outbreak. California added 720 clean energy sector jobs in July, the most among states. Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, and Texas each added more than 100 jobs last month.
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Projects
Capital Dynamics and Tenaska to develop energy storage in California
Solar Industry Magazine – August 19
Capital Dynamics has signed an agreement with Tenaska to develop a portfolio of nine battery energy storage system projects located throughout California’s highest electrical load centers. The agreement expands the strategic relationship between the two companies, which jointly own two solar facilities in the Imperial Valley and are developing additional solar projects. In total, the projects will provide approximately 2,000 megawatts of critically needed clean energy into the California Independent System Operator market.
Masdar’s first U.S. solar project acquisitions include California PV-plus-storage projects
Energy Storage News – August 18
Abu Dhabi-based Masdar will acquire a 50% stake in 689 megawatts of solar assets from EDF Renewables North America in the U.S., marking its first solar investment in the country. Under the terms of the agreement, Masdar is acquiring a 50% interest in five PV projects in California – two of which include battery energy storage systems – totaling 689 megawatts of solar and 75 megawatts/300 megawatt-hours of lithium-ion battery energy storage. The company has also acquired the same stake in three utility-scale wind farms in Nebraska and Texas.
Utility signs PPA for 200 MW of output from Oregon wind facility
North American Windpower – August 18
Puget Sound Energy has signed a power purchase agreement for the output of a new 200-megawatt wind facility that will be built by Avangrid Renewables in Sherman County, Oregon. The addition of Golden Hills will increase PSE’s owned and contracted wind fleet to over 1,150 megawatts. Avangrid Renewables expects to complete the project by late 2021.
174 Power Global completes 180-MW Texas solar project
Solar Power World – August 19
174 Power Global has completed and energized its Oberon Solar Power Facility, one of the largest utility-scale solar generation facilities in Texas. Chariot Energy, an affiliate of 174 Power Global, has entered into a power purchase agreement for 30 megawatts of the 180-megawatt project to support its 100% renewable energy product offering to retail customers across the deregulated Texas energy market, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. 174 Power Global broke ground on the 180-megawatt project, located outside of Odessa in Ector County, in June 2019.
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