Three virtual power plant (VPP) programmes have been announced in California and Colorado. Two of them will use Tesla’s Powerwall battery. Another is attempting to change customer habits to save energy and money.

Oil and gas major TotalEnergies has taken a final investment decision (FID) and started construction on a further six BESS projects in Germany, with Saft to provide the battery technology.

Fluence will use its AI-powered bidding optimisation software Mosaic to co-optimise Gentari’s 172MW Maryvale solar+BESS site in Australia.

Subsidiary of Nofar Energy, Nofar USA and subsidiary of Hanwha Qcells, Qcells USA, have signed an agreement to develop and construct 2 battery energy storage system (BESS) projects in Texas totalling 350MW/700MWh.

Another roundup from the world of energy storage, with news from SMA, Canadian Solar’s e-Storage and Trina Storage.

LG Energy Solution has confirmed that it will manufacture the batteries for a 263MW/900MWh BESS project in Poland at its plant in Wroclaw, in the southwest of the country.

Squadron Energy is seeking approval from the Australian government’s EPBC Act to develop a 1,000MWh BESS in New South Wales.

Equis Australia claims it has secured New South Wales’ first merchant BESS debt financing for a 500MWh BESS in Australia.

According to the Q1 2025 US Energy Storage Monitor from Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables and the American Clean Power Association (ACP), energy storage installations surpassed 12GW in 2024.

Dr Emi Gui of the Monash Energy Institute believes there’s a void in the market for an entity to drive Australia’s community batteries.