Advanced Microgrid Solutions (AMS) and Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) have been awarded a US$3.24 million grant from the Department of Energy (DOE) to demonstrate the use of energy storage to stabilise high penetrations of solar energy into Texas’ electric grid.

Elon Musk’s electric vehicle and storage company Tesla has officially changed its name from ‘Tesla Motors’ to ‘Tesla Inc’ according to a new regulatory filing.

While Brexit – the impending departure of the UK from the European Union – looms, bringing uncertainty into the country’s economy and international relationships, the role energy storage will play in a decentralised, low(er) carbon and more flexible energy system at least seems a little more assured than it did before.

Tucson Electric Power (TEP) has touted its efforts at reinforcing its grid with three separate energy storage projects.

Nidec ASI has been selected as supplier of batteries to a 49MW energy storage project in the UK by EDF, which will help balance the grid and generate revenues until at least 2035.

A 20MW energy storage project set to be completed by March will use gas/diesel fired generation to deliver millions of pounds in revenue from balancing services to the national transmission network.

Engineering multinational Siemens will collaborate with Eos Energy Storage, maker of zinc hybrid cathode-based battery systems, on the integration, installation and servicing of energy storage systems.

News in Brief: Tesla’s Powerpack 2 is installed in a utility-scale project for SCE, Texan utility CPS opens EPC bids for a large-scale solar-plus storage project and Eguana and LG Chem expand their storage partnership.

Project funding for energy storage jumped to US$820 million in 2016 from just US$30 million in 2015, while Sonnen was revealed as the energy storage company to raise the most VC funding this year.

New York’s chief economic development agency Empire State Development is launching a battery cell assembly facility in Eastman Business Park (EBP), Rochester, which will serve battery and capacitor companies, in collaboration with the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium (NY-BEST).