ORISON
Nanalyze: 10 Companies Selling Home Batteries
…Orison received a lot of press for being one of the first home batteries to plug directly into an outlet, alleviating the need for expensive installation. Using the cloud to access their own network, Orison units automatically store energy when rates are low and use stored energy when rates are higher.
ENERGY STORAGE
Solar Industry: N.Y. Energy Storage Jobs Surge 30% Over Four Years
Jobs in New York’s energy storage sector have grown to approximately 3,900 – a 30% increase from 2012 through 2015, according to a new report from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The agency says New York’s commitment to clean energy helped spur this strong growth, and storage will advance the state’s 50% by 2030 clean energy standard, as storage technology can save power generated from solar, wind, and combined heat and power (CHP) systems for later use…
Orison: What to Do About Increased Electricity Costs
While many utilities use or offer a TOU rate plan to customers, the model affects customers differently according to region and the individual electrical situations of the customers. A Clean Energy Group blog post by project manager Seth Mullendore, recently addressed how Hawaii’s new TOU pilot program, involving 5,000 participants, will negatively affect customers financially.
Boulder County News: Boulder senator seeks to protect consumers’ energy storage rights
Colorado should protect consumers’ rights to install electricity storage systems on their own properties, says Boulder Democratic Sen. Steve Fenberg. Fenberg has introduced a bill he said would prohibit utilities from charging discriminatory or burdensome fees or impose unreasonable requirements on residential and small-commercial customers who want to install batteries or other systems to store electricity that they can tap for later use or in the event of power outages…
Renewable Energy World: China to Take Leadership Position on Energy Storage in East Asia-Pacific Region, World Bank Says
China likely will become the largest energy storage market in the East Asia & Pacific region, with a potential to install about 9 GW of utility-scale and behind-the-meter systems in 2025, according to the World Bank. In its latest report on energy storage trends and opportunities in emerging markets, World Bank said that the Chinese economy has been opening to foreign investment and free market forces over the past several decades, and this trend is accelerating…
Computerworld: Energy storage will increase 40-fold in developing countries
Over the next eight to nine years, energy storage capacity in developing countries is expected to skyrocket from 2 gigawatts (GW) today to more than 80GW, according to a new report by the World Bank Group. The report, “Energy Storage Trends and Opportunities in Emerging Markets,” indicates the annual growth in energy storage capacity will exceed 40% each year over the next decade…
UTILITIES
San Diego Business Journal: SDG&E Proposes 90,000 Electric Charging Stations
… San Diego Gas & Electric announced it has filed proposals with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to install tens of thousands of electric charging stations in an effort to contribute to a state-mandated reduction of carbon emissions. The business said the stations would encourage the use of zero-emission electric vehicles, which reduce carbon emissions. Half of all carbon emissions in San Diego come from transportation, SDG&E said…
Utility Dive: Indiana bill seeks to eliminate net metering by 2027
A Republican senator in Indiana has introduced a bill to end net metering by 2027, replacing it with a system requiring solar customers to sell all the energy they produce to the utility, and purchase it back as needed. A previous attempt to cut net metering failed to reach a vote after solar advocates objected and called for more study last year…
POLICY
Utility Dive: Trump infrastructure priority plan includes transmission, wind, energy storage
A 50-item list of infrastructure priorities compiled by the Trump administration and released by McClatchy and the Kansas City Star includes provisions for transmission expansion, wind and energy storage, among other power sector projects. It is not clear if the $137 billion wish list is a draft or final version, the outlets reported, but is similar to an earlier list the transition team provided to the National Governor’s Association for review…
Bloomberg: Trump Picks LaFleur as Chairman of U.S. Energy Regulator, Sources Say
President-elect Donald Trump plans to name Cheryl LaFleur chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, an agency charged with overseeing the nation’s power grid and deciding on multibillion-dollar energy projects, two people familiar with the situation said. The decision to name LaFleur may be announced during Trump’s first days in office, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information isn’t public…
Utility Dive: Massachusetts lawmakers float aggressive bill mandating 100% renewables by 2035
Three Democratic lawmakers in Massachusetts have proposed a bill that would require the state use 100% renewable energy by 2035, but then goes further to eliminate fossil fuels from the heating and transport sectors as well. The proposal calls for phasing out the use of fossil fuels in Massachusetts entirely 2050, while requiring the transportation sector to run on 50% renewables in the same timeframe…
BBC News: Scotland sets 50% renewable energy target
Half of Scotland’s heat, transport and electricity energy needs will be met by renewables by 2030 under plans published by the Scottish government. The draft Scottish Energy Strategy sets out a vision for the transition away from oil and gas dependency and towards a low-carbon economy by 2050…Last week, the Scottish government set a new target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 66% by 2032…
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Forbes: U.S. Solar Energy Employs More People Than Oil, Coal And Gas Combined [Infographic]
In the United States, more people were employed in solar power than traditional coal, gas and oil energy combined last year. According to a new report from the U.S. Department of Energy, solar power employed 43 percent of the Electric Power Generation sector’s workforce in 2016, while fossil fuels combined accounted for just 22 percent…
OilPrice.com: Why 2017 Could See A Renewable Energy Boom In The Middle East
…Within a few decades, the Middle East may be known for exporting something other than oil. Likewise, if these energy producers continue switching their primary focus from crude to renewables demand and price of oil could fall significantly. Investors should contemplate shorting crude futures while buying stock in these Middle Eastern and European utility companies.
