The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has launched a US$280 million initiative to help low-income residents of the state install battery storage and solar panel systems.

This year’s Winter Storm Uri caused havoc in Texas, particularly in the energy sector, where extreme weather and a resultant set of generation problems and transmission grid issues led to loss of power and even loss of life across the US state. Ricardo F. Rodriguez, a senior consultant from analysis and research group Guidehouse looks at another aspect of the situation: the impact on the state’s telecommunications infrastructure and how battery energy storage could provide a greater degree of certainty and resilience to this vital network.

US utility Southern California Edison (SCE) is looking to acquire distributed energy projects to help strengthen the grid in the Goleta area of Santa Barbara, California.

Total Energy Ventures to support AutoGrid’s flexibility management applications for residential, commercial and industrial customers, joining quartet of venture capital firms that committed US$20 million in May.

Sunverge, a California-based provider of distributed energy storage and control systems, has closed a US$15 million funding round that it said would support its expansion.