Germany's energy system regulator has confirmed that BESS (Battery Energy Storage System) projects coming online by 4 August 2029 will be exempt from charging and discharging grid fees. The exemption applies to projects already under construction or planned for completion on or after this date.
Battery storage continues to be a crucial component of clean energy technology, with its revenue and margin dynamics significantly influencing the market. Suppliers of battery energy storage systems (BESS) are expected to remain key players, driving growth in the industry. The changing landscape is likely to impact BESS suppliers' financial performance.
Adani Green Energy has installed over 3.37 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of battery energy storage systems (BESS) capacity at its Khavda giga-scale renewable energy park in India. The cumulative BESS capacity represents a significant milestone for the project, which is considered the world's largest single-location renewable energy facility. This installation will help optimize the integration of intermittent renewable energy sources into the grid.
A startup called Antora Energy has installed a massive 5-gigawatt-hour thermal energy storage system in South Dakota to store cheap wind energy for industrial use. The project will provide clean steam for a neighboring biofuels facility, Poet's ethanol-production plant. This innovation enables the efficient conversion of renewable energy into reliable and sustainable power.
The University of Michigan has added two solar projects to its North Campus, as part of its Maize Rays initiative, aiming to install 2.5 MW of solar across seven locations. The arrays are designed behind-the meter, feeding power directly into the university's own grid. The goal is to bring renewable energy to the university's Ann Arbor and Dearborn campuses.
Toyota and Pepsi have secured 400 MW of clean energy from the Sequoia Solar project in Callahan County, Texas, under long-term power purchase agreements. The 400-MW first phase is now operational, with a second 415-MW phase expected to come online by the end of the year. Project developer Enbridge expects the milestone to mark significant progress for the Sequoia Solar project.
Wind power sites across the US will eventually reach their lifecycles, prompting owners and operators to repower them by leveraging existing infrastructure to meet growing national demand for power. Repowering involves upgrading turbines at existing wind farms to increase efficiency and output. The industry is shifting towards this approach as the number of operational wind turbines exceeds 75,000 globally.
NV Energy is maintaining electricity supply services in Lake Tahoe for residents, despite data center hyperscalers like Liberty placing high demands on the grid. The company is committed to continuing service until Liberty obtains its own transmission access. NV Energy's decision may be influenced by the need to balance growing demand from tech companies with the ongoing needs of local residents.
Renewable energy company DESRI has begun construction on two solar-plus-storage projects in San Juan County, New Mexico. The projects total 270 MW of capacity and are expected to include a 170-MW solar farm paired with an 80-MW battery storage facility under a long-term power purchase agreement.
US energy storage installations reached a record high in Q1, increasing 32% year over year, and are projected to reach 613 GWh of deployment by 2030 driven by data center demand. The growth is attributed to robust market conditions, but federal policy gridlock poses a threat to the industry's trajectory.
Energy Storage News