After the expansion of the biggest battery project in world, milestones have been recorded for three more major solar-plus-storage and standalone battery storage projects in California, Hawaii and Florida.
Major US renewables investor Capital Dynamics has spun off its US clean energy infrastructure arm and merged it with its former asset management affiliate to create Arevon Energy, a new multi-gigawatt solar and energy storage platform.
Augmentation at the Vistra Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility in California has been completed, with the world’s biggest battery energy storage system (BESS) now at 400MW / 1,600MWh.
Users of US solar price comparison site EnergySage are increasingly drawn towards battery storage through concerns around having enough power in emergency situations, with 70% of users now requesting storage with their solar quotes.
The California Energy Commission has approved rules that would require new buildings, including multi-family housing and commercial structures, to be equipped with solar and battery storage.
The cost of battery energy storage in the US fell by 72% between 2015 and 2019 and utilities in the country are set to bring 10,000MW of new grid-connected capacity online in the next two years.
Financing has been secured for two projects that will add nearly a gigawatt-hour of battery storage at California solar power facilities this year, by renewable energy company Terra-Gen and private asset management firm Capital Dynamics.
California’s government has issued a roadmap for the US state to achieve its long-term goal of 100% clean energy, while an immediate State of Emergency has been declared over concerns the electric system will struggle under heat waves this summer.