California utilities CPA and SCE have issued requests for microgrid and power resiliency projects using energy storage as the state continues to adapt to an increased risk of power shutoffs.

Investor-owned utility SDG&E and the City of San Diego are launching a dozen microgrid projects with energy storage across San Diego, California, following similar announcements elsewhere in the state.

For this third instalment of our look back at 2021, we’ve something of a mixture of views from around the industry.

Whether connected to a main electricity grid or not, commercial and industrial (C&I) microgrids are increasingly able to offer resilient and independent power supply and — perhaps more importantly — electricity cost reductions.

New HOrizons Ahead (NHOA), the e-mobility and energy storage company formerly known as Engie EPS, has set itself targets to install 1.7GWh of energy storage by 2025 as part of a new strategic ‘Masterplan’.

US power and energy infrastructure developer, investor and operator LS Power has bought up GI Energy, a provider of clean energy solutions for commercial and industrial (C&I) customers with projects spanning the east and west coasts.

How do electric grids that were state-of-the-art in the 19th Century remain stable and resilient through 21st Century climate disasters and other problems? They don’t, says Catherine Von Burg, CEO and co-founder of distributed battery energy storage company SimpliPhi Power – but giving people the power to be independent can be a solution fit for the future.

Specific recommendations from a prominent industry group for tax reforms and other changes to support energy storage were not included India’s Union Budget for 2021-2022, but certain aspects of the budget such as the promotion of domestic self-reliance have been welcomed by it.

A large-scale vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) demonstration project in California which has been providing grid services on a commercial basis will now also trial the use of the technology for microgrid applications.