This edition of news in brief from around the world in energy storage focuses on virtual power plant action in the US.

Ohio Power Siting Board has given approval to a large-scale standalone battery energy storage system (BESS) project for the first time.

Distributed energy resource (DER) platform Voltus and Highland Electric Fleets have partnered to deliver grid reliability services to the PJM, US, market using electric school buses and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology.

Vanadium redox flow battery company CellCube and power electronics company G&W Electric have launched a microgrid solution for the US market, starting with a project at the latter’s HQ in Illinois, US.

LS Energy Solutions has delivered the first units of its new all-in-one energy storage system (ESS) solution.

A residential virtual power plant (VPP) programme in Maryland has received regulatory approvals, enabling a partnership between technology provider Sunverge and utility Delmarva Power to get started on the project.

Battery storage projects may be either standalone or colocated with renewable generation and must account for 20% of nameplate capacity if colocated.

Financial backing to support early development phases in battery storage and renewable energy projects has been found by Momentum Energy Storage Partners, a project development company launched by DNV GL’s former energy storage lead for the North Americas region.

Approval has been given to the compliance plans of two more US RTOs and ISOs to be filed under FERC Order 841, the ruling set by the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) designed to open up regional grid operators’ wholesale markets to electricity storage.