Solar
Omni Brewing installs solar array at Minnesota taproom
Omni Brewing Company incorporated a custom solar array into its new Rosemount, Minnesota facility as part of its sustainability planning.
The Front Page
Top of the Wire
Policy & Regulation
California advances bills to expand virtual power plant program
The state Assembly Appropriations Committee approved two Senate bills to expand California's virtual power plants program using distributed solar and storage resources to reduce peak energy demand.
Policy & Regulation
Data centers emerge as major election issue heading into 2026
Public frustration with data centers is rising and the topic is shaping the 2026 election cycle. Concerns about data center development have moved from background issue to central campaign focus.
Solar
Solar contractor donates 57 panels to Virginia care nonprofit
Got Electric donated 57 surplus Heliene solar panels to Shenandoah County SEARCH, a Virginia nonprofit providing residential care for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Green Hill Solar installed 12 of the panels at the organization's group home.
More from the Desks
Storage
Energy Vault to supply 1.25 GW battery system for Texas data center
Energy Vault will provide a 1.25 GW battery energy storage system for an unnamed Texas data center to operate off-grid.
Solar
Sol-Ark launches inverter app for solar-plus-storage commissioning
Sol-Ark released a mobile application to streamline commissioning and project management for solar-plus-storage installers.
Storage
Fluence reports 164 GWh storage pipeline from hyperscaler demand
Energy storage manufacturer Fluence posted a record order backlog driven by increased demand from utilities, developers, and data centers. Quarterly revenue rose despite production delays at new contract manufacturing sites.
Policy & Regulation
Trump administration terminates grid resilience grants, halting utility projects
The Trump administration has terminated federal grants supporting grid infrastructure projects, prompting utilities including Alliant Energy in Wisconsin to cancel initiatives aimed at reducing outages in disadvantaged and tribal communities.
Solar
Aurora launches online solar marketplace for homeowners
Aurora Solar Marketplace allows homeowners to get personalized solar and storage estimates and compare local installers online without sharing contact information.
Solar
Solar sector debt financing hits decade high at $8.9 billion
Solar businesses are accessing record levels of debt financing as installers and developers evaluate SBA loans and conventional bank options. Strategic capital planning is becoming critical as financing reaches its highest level in ten years.
Grid & Networks
FERC Approves Statistical Sampling for Virtual Power Plants in PJM
Federal regulators ordered PJM Interconnection to accept statistical sampling to measure virtual power plant reliability, enabling them to help meet rising demand in the region's largest energy market.
Wind
ScottishPower plans repowering at UK's largest onshore wind farm
ScottishPower announced plans to replace older turbines with newer, larger models at the UK's biggest onshore wind farm, improving output and efficiency.
Energy
US aluminum sector eyes growth amid power, pollution concerns
Tariffs and domestic manufacturing initiatives are spurring US aluminum production after years of decline, but aluminum smelters' high electricity demands and community pollution concerns remain significant obstacles to expansion.
Storage
Lithium price drops spur next-generation energy storage cells
Falling lithium prices and adoption of high-density cell formats are driving down energy storage system costs, though U.S. developers face trade barriers and strict tax credit compliance requirements.
Solar
ForeFront Power deploys earth-mounted solar system in California
ForeFront Power has begun operating an Erthos solar system at a water treatment plant in Fresno, California. The earth-mounted design eliminates structural steel costs compared to conventional installations.
Solar
Solar installers face complex compliance and incentive navigation
Solar project success increasingly depends on navigating interconnected compliance requirements, domestic content rules, and incentive qualifications that affect procurement and project economics.
Storage
DOE backs $490M battery project for Puerto Rico grid
The Department of Energy closed a nearly $490 million loan to Pattern Energy for a battery project to strengthen Puerto Rico's electric grid, while the Trump administration cuts funding for other clean energy initiatives in the territory.
Solar
Illinois deploys community solar array on storage facility roof
A community solar installation was deployed on a Public Storage facility roof in Justice, Illinois, using otherwise unused space. The project addresses concerns about farmland use by locating panels on existing commercial structures.
Solar
Northwest Ohio siting solar project on reservoir to conserve land
A community in northwest Ohio is developing a solar project on a reservoir, reducing the need for land conversion. The approach preserves land while generating solar capacity.
Solar
Mounting platform selection reshapes commercial solar design
Commercial and industrial solar projects must account for how mounting surface choices—driven by geometry, shading, and budget constraints—fundamentally alter system design before module installation begins.
Policy & Regulation
Minnesota PUC mandates flexible interconnection and VPP pilot for Xcel
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved Xcel Energy's Integrated Distribution Plan with requirements for flexible interconnection policies and a virtual power plant pilot to expand distributed energy integration.
Storage
Massachusetts launches subsidized vehicle-to-everything charger pilot
Eligible Massachusetts EV owners can receive a free dcbel Ara Home Energy Station charger through a state pilot program. The initiative tests how vehicle-to-everything technology can enhance grid resilience and lower consumer energy costs.
Policy & Regulation
Illinois coal-to-solar program lags despite infrastructure advantages
Illinois's Coal to Solar and Energy Storage Initiative, launched five years ago to repurpose decommissioned coal sites for solar and battery projects using existing grid connections, has underperformed expectations.
Wind
Trump administration policies threaten offshore wind industry jobs
Workers trained in offshore wind face uncertain employment prospects as the Trump administration pursues policies against the sector. The impact extends to individuals who invested in specialized training for long-term offshore wind careers.
Policy & Regulation
California considers utility rate reform package as legislative session winds down
California lawmakers are debating Senate Bill 905, which includes multiple proposals to address the state's high energy costs, with the legislative session ending August 31.
Storage
TotalEnergies completes 4.1-MW solar and battery project at Sonoma State
TotalEnergies has finished a 4.1-MW solar carport and 1.55-MWh battery storage system at Sonoma State University, supporting the California State University system's net-zero emissions goal by 2045.
Energy
UK cheesemaker cuts energy costs with heat pump installation
Barber's Farmhouse Cheesemakers, operating since 1833, has installed novel heat pumps to reduce energy bills. The deployment represents adoption of heat pump technology in food production.
Solar
North Carolina rooftop solar persists despite federal tax credit loss
North Carolina's rooftop solar industry continues operating after Republicans eliminated the 30% federal tax credit for household panel purchases through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year.
Policy & Regulation
Trump administration imposes new tariffs on solar imports
The White House announced tariffs on imported polysilicon and silicon-based solar panels, aiming to raise installation costs and boost domestic solar manufacturing.
Energy
Ford readies lower-cost electric pickup to boost sales
Ford's initial all-electric pickup truck underperformed in the market, prompting the automaker to develop a more affordable model. The company unveiled a preview of the forthcoming lower-cost variant.
Policy & Regulation
Trump administration orders coal plants to remain operational
The Trump DOE has issued orders requiring coal plants to stay open, marking an unprecedented intervention in plant closure decisions. The administration has taken multiple such actions since May 2025.
Wind
Federal judge orders Pentagon to resume wind farm evaluations
A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Department of Defense to resume routine military evaluations of proposed onshore wind farms after the agency had halted reviews for months. The blockade had created a de facto moratorium on new wind projects.
Wind
Trump administration cites security concerns for offshore wind halt
The Trump administration issued stop-work orders on five offshore wind projects, citing national security risks from turbines. Experts disputed the security justification.
Nuclear
Oklo achieves first fission in small modular reactor test
Oklo, a publicly traded small-modular-reactor startup backed by Sam Altman, has completed initial fission testing in its experimental reactor. The company has emerged as a high-profile player in next-generation nuclear energy development since its public listing two years ago.
Policy & Regulation
Steel firm redirects $500M climate grant to coal-based project
Cleveland-Cliffs plans to use federal funding originally intended for cleaner steelmaking to instead support a coal-based technology project in Ohio, extending reliance on polluting methods.
Policy & Regulation
States Push Virtual Power Plant Legislation to Boost DER Adoption
New Jersey, Virginia, and Illinois are advancing VPP-focused legislation and regulations to accelerate adoption of aggregated distributed energy resources. The moves aim to unlock potential benefits from managed DER networks.
Grid & Networks
PJM defers data center grid costs to state regulators
PJM Interconnection says states and utilities must manage how data centers secure grid capacity to prevent cost increases for other customers across its 13-state region.
Policy & Regulation
Federal court blocks EPA's termination of $20B green bank funding
A federal appeals court ruled the EPA acted improperly in terminating billions in green bank financing, potentially leading to a Supreme Court challenge of the Trump administration's action against a Biden-era climate program.
Nuclear
Microreactor startup Valar Atomics raises $1B in Series B funding
Valar Atomics, a three-year-old microreactor developer, raised $1 billion in Series B funding. Investors are betting on regulatory changes that could enable the company's first large-scale atomic projects.
Policy & Regulation
Data center energy demand emerges as key Wisconsin governor race issue
Data centers and their power sources have become a central campaign topic in Wisconsin's Democratic primary for governor, rising from relative obscurity a year ago.
Energy
Massachusetts promotes backyard homes as housing solution
Massachusetts is encouraging accessory dwelling units as a strategy to address housing needs and support climate goals. A Northborough couple downsized by building a smaller home on their property rather than relocating.
Energy
Geothermal company acquires failing New Mexico power plant
Zanskar purchased a New Mexico geothermal facility in 2024 whose shallow wells were rapidly losing heat and struggling to operate. The company aims to revive the underperforming plant.
Solar
Virginia explores agrivoltaics to balance solar growth with farmland preservation
Virginia is developing solar-farming combinations to address rising energy demand from data centers while combating rapid farmland loss. The approach could help meet power needs without increasing fossil fuel generation.