China has brought online a 300 MW/1,200 MWh grid-forming energy storage facility in Inner Mongolia that combines lithium-ion and vanadium flow battery technologies, aiming to provide fast-response batteries with longer-duration storage. The system can offer power support, virtual inertia, and damping during grid disturbances, as well as black-start functions during outages. The facility is part of a larger 3 GW/12.8 GWh energy storage buildout in the region.
The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a comprehensive piece of legislation addressing the rising cost of utilities while maintaining leadership on clean energy transformation. The bill, known as An Act Relative to Energy Affordability, Clean Power, and Economic Competitiveness (House Bill 5151), aims to promote affordable and clean energy in the state. This move is seen as a significant step forward for Massachusetts' commitment to renewable energy and sustainable development.
Hyundai Motor Group will invest nearly KRW 9 trillion in an innovation hub starting in 2026 to lead robotics, AI, and hydrogen energy projects in South Korea. The hub's transformative projects include the development of an AI data center for autonomous driving and other initiatives to advance Korea's transition to a robotics, AI-driven, and energy-centric future. The project will be located in the Saemangeum area of Gunsan City.
MISO and SPP CEOs Lanny Nickell and John Bear are confident their interconnection processes can handle new data center loads once special expedited lanes wind down. MISO expects to clear its backlogged generator interconnection queue by the end of 2026, with future cycles potentially reduced to a one-year process. The RTOs aim to balance economic growth with reliability.
Google's new data center in Pine Island, Minnesota will be powered by nearly 2 gigawatts of clean energy from Xcel Energy. The deal also includes a 100-hour iron-air battery for energy storage. The data center will generate 1.9 GW of clean energy.
The Department of Energy has approved a $26.54 billion loan package for Southern Co. subsidiaries Georgia Power and Alabama Power to finance over 16 GW of generation, 1,300 miles of transmission infrastructure, and grid enhancements across the Southeast. This is the largest single loan commitment in the agency's history. The funding will support projects with major customers including Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Compass Datacenters.
The EnergySage solar marketplace experienced a 205% year-over-year increase in homeowners actively working with installers in the second half of 2025, and saw an all-time high in customer inquiries over the prior 30-day period. This surge was largely driven by the phasing out of residential tax credits on December 31, 2025, through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). The report marked a significant rush to install residential solar systems before the expiration of these tax incentives.
Solar, wind, and battery storage projects are expected to add 62% more generating capacity in 2026 compared to 2025, providing virtually all new net generating capacity for the year. The US Energy Information Administration's data review by the SUN DAY Campaign projects this growth based on the EIA's recently released information.
SOLON Corporation and Onyx Renewables have completed four additional solar PV projects totaling 2.9 MW in Mesa, Arizona, bringing the total solar capacity to 3.7 MW. These projects were installed as solar carports, providing renewable energy for city facilities. The installation was completed in December and interconnected with the local electric utility grid.
The California Public Utilities Commission will update the Integration Capacity Analysis (ICA) tool, which could simplify integrating distributed energy resources like solar power into the grid. The updated tool aims to provide greater transparency on the electrical grid. Proposed changes may spur more adoption of solar in California.
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