Energy Digest

GE Vernova has been awarded a contract by Power Grid Corp. in India to modernize a key high-voltage power transmission link using advanced HVDC controls and valves, marking the company's first HVDC refurbishment project in India.

Entergy Arkansas has announced plans to add 2.6 GW of new power generation capacity, including converting old coal-fired units to burn natural gas, and is also renewing the operating license for its 1.8-GW nuclear power plant, with plans to invest in new equipment to increase output.

Tesla has secured a massive Megapack project in the UK with Matrix Renewables, which will involve a 500 MW / 1 GWh battery energy storage system. This project is part of Tesla's growing presence in the renewable energy sector. The project's details suggest that it will have a significant impact on Scotland's energy landscape.

The New Orleans City Council has unanimously approved a US$30 million virtual power plant programme, which is reportedly the first distributed energy resource (DER) programme in the city. The programme aims to support grid resilience and provide a model for other cities to follow. This initiative is expected to be implemented over several years.

The article discusses a webinar sponsored by Energy Storage News and NYSERDA, where New York is showcased as a leader in energy storage innovation. Although the specific details of the webinar are not provided, it implies that New York has implemented strategies to promote and support energy storage technology. This suggests an effort to address sustainability and renewable energy goals.

A shift is expected in the residential solar-and-storage market, with analysts predicting that customers will rapidly move away from owning systems to adopting lease and subscription models. This trend is driven by a growing demand for distributed energy resources (DERs). Enphase executive comments highlight the importance of prepaid leases and data center dollars in supporting DERs.

Hydrostor has secured a key permit for a 500 MW, 8-hour energy storage facility in California, marking the company's first grid-scale deployment of its advanced compressed-air energy storage technology. The project is expected to provide critical infrastructure for the state's renewable energy mix. The Canadian company's technology will enable efficient and reliable energy storage.

The hydropower industry is facing significant challenges in maintaining optimal machine performance under variable operating conditions, managing aging infrastructure, and reducing staffing levels due to increasing global energy demand. This requires the adoption of new technologies for condition monitoring. The next wave in hydropower condition monitoring aims to address these challenges.

The government of San Juan province in Argentina has inaugurated its first solar highway, which features 36 solar panel arrays along National Route A014. The project was spearheaded by the state-owned Provincial Energy Authority and used a distributed generation model to supply the highway's nighttime lighting needs with entirely photovoltaic lighting. This initiative marks an important milestone in Argentina's transition to renewable energy.

A report by AnnDyl suggests that investing in residential energy efficiency upgrades for data centers could not only reduce their own energy consumption but also offset their loads on local grids, create jobs, and benefit utility ratepayers.

Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev recently visited Japan, where he signed agreements with Kazatomprom and Japanese utility Kansai to supply Kazakh uranium products for Japanese nuclear power plants. This cooperation aims to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries in the field of nuclear energy. The visit highlights Kazakhstan's growing role as a supplier of uranium for the global nuclear market.

Masdar, an Abu Dhabi-based developer, has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) for a 200 MW floating solar project in Malaysia. The Chereh Dam solar plant will be developed by Masdar in collaboration with Malaysian partners Citaglobal and Tiza Global. The project is valued at over $208 million and aims to provide enough energy to power over 100,000 homes.

European Energy has secured development approval for its 1.1 GW Upper Calliope Solar Farm in central Queensland, Australia. The project is expected to be the largest solar farm in the National Electricity Market (NEM) and produce 2.8 TWh of clean energy per year. Construction of the project is targeted for 2026.

Factorial Energy, a solid-state EV battery maker, has completed a real-world test that achieved over 745 miles of range on a single charge. As a result, the company is going public in an effort to bring its promising new battery technology to market by 2027. This development marks a significant step forward for the adoption of solid-state batteries in electric vehicles.

A recent study in Nature found that conversing with chatbots can significantly influence participants' preferences, potentially shifting their opinions by up to 15 percentage points. This suggests that AI models hold a persuasive advantage for powerful actors seeking to manipulate information online. The implications of this phenomenon are particularly concerning in the context of clean energy policy and decision-making.

**** Zambia National Energy Corp. Ltd. has launched a tender to deploy solar-plus-storage facilities in all 156 constituencies across the country as part of its national electrification initiative. The project aims to implement constituency-level solar infrastructure, utilizing existing substations and connection points for rapid implementation. Local and international companies are invited to apply. **

Neoen Australia has begun construction on its 226 MW/866 MWh Goyder North battery energy storage project in South Australia, marking the world's first deployment of Tesla's new Megablock technology. The project features Tesla's Megablock, a pre-engineered, plug-and-play block that combines four of Tesla's new Megapack 3 units to deliver 20 MWh capacity. This technology is optimized for rapid deployment and cost-efficiency, offering 23% faster installation and up to 40% lower construction costs compared to previous systems.

A research team from the University of Exeter has simulated an off-grid floating PV-desalination system for hydrogen production, which could potentially yield a low levelized cost of electricity and hydrogen. The system is designed to support green mobility in Oman and offers an alternative to traditional methods of hydrogen production. The project aims to leverage abundant solar and seawater resources to enable large-scale hydrogen production without competing for land or freshwater.

ERCOT, the regional transmission organization for Texas, has proposed revisions to its large load interconnection process due to increasing demand from power-hungry facilities such as data centers and bitcoin miners. The current process is outdated and lacks clarity, leading to a backlog of over 269% more requests for interconnection in 2026 compared to 2024. ERCOT is seeking additional changes to manage the growing load, which will require developing new infrastructure.

Maryland's largest solar farm, built on a former coal mine in western Maryland, is now online and generating clean electricity. This project marks a significant milestone in the state's transition to renewable energy sources. The solar farm was developed by Competitive Power Ventures (CPV).

The Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has issued a request for proposals (RFP) to procure clean energy in Northern Maine and 1,200 MW of transmission to connect it to the ISO-New England (ISO-NE) grid. This move aims to address the lack of transmission in the region, which is part of the Eastern Interconnection through New Brunswick, but not directly connected to ISO-NE. The RFP is complementary to ISO-NE's first Longer-term Transmission Planning (LTTP) procurement and is contingent on the success of that procurement.

The article is a collection of guest blog contributions from Energy Storage News, covering various topics related to power and energy systems. The articles cover policy storms ahead, fire safety in data centers, and other relevant topics as part of the publication's efforts to provide insights on emerging trends in the industry.

Kansas is considered a prime location for solar energy due to its sunny weather and flat landscape, yet it lags behind other states in terms of solar installations. The early adoption of wind energy on the Great Plains has overshadowed solar energy development in Kansas. This disparity raises questions about why solar hasn't gained more traction in the state.

Idaho Power has been allowed to retain its market-based rate authority (MBRA) after acquiring additional resources in 2023 and 2024. FERC ruled that the utility's own market power analysis showed it still passed wholesale market share screens for WEIM and adjacent first-tier markets, but failed screens in its own balancing authority area. The decision came after Idaho Power submitted change in status notices to report new resource additions.

SK Eternix has launched a 40MW solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) power plant at Chungju Eco Park in South Korea, marking the company's first large-scale SOFC deployment. The plant uses high-temperature chemistry to generate electricity, heat, and water, with overall efficiency reaching 60-70%. This technology is expected to play a significant role in Korea's transition to a hydrogen economy.

The Amsterdam Airport Schiphol was forced to temporarily close its runway due to solar glare from a nearby solar park, prompting the removal of approximately 78,000 PV modules. The incident highlighted the challenges posed by solar panels in areas with high sunlight exposure. A solution was eventually identified, involving the removal and replacement of affected panels.

The Nemadji Trail Energy Center (NTEC) fossil gas plant project, proposed by Dairyland Power Cooperative and Basin Electric Power Cooperative, has hit a major setback with Minnesota Power's decision to withdraw from the project. This development has been welcomed by organizations opposing the project. Groups are now calling on Dairyland Power Cooperative to cancel its plans for the NTEC gas plant.

Fortum has successfully produced its first batch of green hydrogen at the Kalla Test Center in Finland, marking a significant milestone in their efforts to speed up electrification and decarbonize industries. The €17 million pilot project is part of Fortum's larger push to produce low-carbon energy and aims to crack open new routes for hard-to-abate sectors like steel, chemicals, and shipping. The project involves several partners who have installed advanced electrolyser technologies to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.