Renewable energy developer Avantus has secured $525 million in construction financing for the Aratina 2 Solar and Storage Project in California. The project is a major solar-plus-storage initiative, with the funding supporting its development. No further details are available on the project's specifics or timeline.
A $3.2-billion 932-MW gas-fired power plant project, known as the Greenlight Electricity Centre, will serve a major data center development in Alberta, Canada. The project is part of a consortium's plans to meet the energy demands of a significant data center expansion. The facility will be built using natural gas and will have a combined cycle power generation design.
Executives from top energy companies, including PacifiCorp, CPS Energy, and Dominion Energy, will lead a keynote lineup at POWERGEN 2027 in Salt Lake City, focusing on supply chain strategy, grid security and reliability. The event covers topics such as supply chain resilience, grid modernization and cybersecurity threats to the grid. A three-day programming schedule is planned for the conference.
The Ohio Power Siting Board is asking the Ohio Supreme Court to dismiss a high-stakes solar case rather than hear the landmark ruling that had been set for over a year. The board previously denied Vesper Energy's permit in December 2022, prompting the court request. This move could potentially avoid a major decision on renewable energy development in Ohio.
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has found that significant transmission expansion is needed to meet growing electricity demand. The study identifies current transmission constraints in regions such as NYISO, MISO, and WestConnect and proposes targeted expansion projects to reduce congestion, enhance resilience, and accommodate renewable integration. The proposed expansions aim to address these challenges and support the continued growth of the US power grid.
Opdenergy, an independent power producer, has secured US$227 million in financing for its operating renewable energy and battery energy storage system (BESS) portfolio in Chile. The funding will support the growth of Opdenergy's existing projects, including solar and wind farms.
Space Solar Power (SSP) is being developed for commercial energy production, with companies and organizations exploring its potential to provide a clean and constant source of electricity. The technology involves collecting solar energy in orbit around the Earth and beaming it back as microwave beams or lasers to generate electricity on Earth. SSP has been gaining attention as a promising solution for meeting increasing global energy demands sustainably.
AI data centers are exploring various battery storage business models to tap into grid-balancing revenues, with some companies in Nordic reserve markets and US households also seeking ways to increase their computing power. These solutions aim to optimize energy efficiency and reduce costs for businesses and individuals. Grid-balancing revenue is a potential new income stream for AI data center operators.
AI data centre scale-ups are being considered in Europe's energy planning due to their significant power requirements, which poses a challenge to the grid as the economy electrifies. The growing demand for electricity from AI data centres is highlighted as a bottleneck in the transition to renewable energy sources. This shift in focus reflects the increasing importance of the grid in meeting the energy needs of a rapidly expanding digital sector.
Hawaii made history in 2015 by signing the nation's first legal commitment to run its grid on 100% renewable electricity, with Governor David Ige leading the charge under the great seal of the state. However, the state is now considering expanding into natural gas as part of its energy mix. Despite this shift, Hawaii remains committed to achieving 100% clean energy by a certain date in the future.
Power Magazine