North America News

Latest news and developments from North America region

• US EIA reports large-scale battery storage capacity up 35 per cent in 2020

  August 25, 2021
  According to a recent report by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), the US’s battery power capacity grew by 35 per cent in 2020, reaching 1,650 MW by end-2020, and so has tripled in the last five years.

• America's Clean Power Association and US' ESA announce merger [free access]

  August 24, 2021
  In a recent development, the American Clean Power Association (ACP) and the US Energy Storage Association (ESA) announced that ESA’s member companies approved the merger to join ACP from January 1, 2022.

• FERC approves proposal to divide Exelon into two independent power companies

  August 24, 2021
  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved a transaction to effectively divide Exelon into two independent, publicly traded companies. Exelon—headquartered in Chicago, Illinois—is involved in power generation, transmission, distribution, and natural gas distribution.

• Appalachian Power announces Hillman Highway─Saltville Transmission Line Rebuild Project

  August 24, 2021
  Appalachian Power—a unit of American Electric Power (AEP)—has announced the Hillman Highway─ Saltville Transmission Line Rebuild Project, which involves the installation of new poles and improved lines, and is expected to boost power reliability for customers in the Washington and Smyth counties.

• Biden Administration plans to revive concept of ‘national interest’ transmission corridors

  August 23, 2021
  In the wake of the Biden Administration’s proposed Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework, which aims to expand the country's electric grid and bolster existing and new clean energy technologies, President Biden also plans to give a more decisive role to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in the siting of transmission projects.

• Vistra completes expansion of BESS at flagship California facility

  August 20, 2021
  Texas-based energy company—Vistra Energy—recently completed construction on Phase II of its Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility.

• Jan De Nul to install inter-array cables at Massachusetts OWF [free access]

  August 19, 2021
  The Jan De Nul Group, together with JDR Cable Systems as a subcontractor, will supply and install inter-array cables for the Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind farm in Massachusetts.

• EDF Renewable Energy proposes solar plus storage project in upstate New York

  August 18, 2021
  EDF Renewable Energy—a subsidiary of EDF Energies Nouvelles—has recently proposed a solar plus storage project, called Rich Road Solar, in upstate New York.

• Alberta regulators approve transmission project to support renewables

  August 17, 2021
  Alberta regulators have recently approved the development of a transmission line in the central-east portion of the province, an area witnessing a boom in renewable energy development.

• PSE&G views offshore wind infrastructure opportunities, closer to fossil fuel fleet sale

  August 13, 2021
  Public Service Enterprise Group’s (PSEG) subsidiary—Public Service Electric & Gas (PSE&G)— plans to seize on a significant opportunity to invest in offshore wind infrastructure in New Jersey, and is closer to making an announcement on the sale of its fossil generation fleet.

• FERC signs off on PJM’s new rules to boost renewables, storage capacity

  August 12, 2021
  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on July 30, 2021 accepted new capacity market rules proposed by PJM Interconnection (PJM) that aim to more accurately value the grid reliability contributions of renewable and energy storage resources.

• ACORE stakeholders call for inclusion of investment tax credit in budget reconciliation package

  August 11, 2021
  Various diverse stakeholders from the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE)—a national non-profit organisation working towards the transition to renewable energy, including environmental organisations, electric utilities, renewable energy companies, transmission developers, business associations, labor unions and clean energy trade associations—requested the inclusion of an investment tax credit (ITC) for regionally significant transmission in the House Ways and Means Committee’s (one of the oldest committee of the US congress and the chief tax-writing committee in the House of Representatives) budget reconciliation package.

• Recurrent Energy signs deal with PG&E for energy storage capacity [free access]

  August 10, 2021
  Recurrent Energy—a utility-scale solar and energy storage project developer—has recently signed a 15-year resource adequacy agreement with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), to provide 150 MW/600 MWh of energy storage in Phase 2 of the Crimson project.

• Fortis begins negotiations with Ontario IESO for Lake Erie Connector contract

  August 6, 2021
  Fortis Inc.-owned ITC Holdings Corporation has started negotiations with the Ontario Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) for a contract on the Lake Erie Connector transmission project.

• Groups call on DoE to draw roadmap for TVA to shift to renewables

  August 5, 2021
  A coalition of 80 groups representing energy justice interests are urging the US Department of Energy (DoE) to release a roadmap detailing how the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) could transition to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030.

• WEIM posts record benefits, takes steps towards RTO formation

  August 5, 2021
  According to the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), the real-time energy market covering parts of ten states in the West accrued a record USD132.7 million of cost savings during the second quarter of 2021 for participating utilities and grid operators.

• US Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill focuses on transmission provisions, disappoints on EVs

  August 4, 2021
  Days after announcing consensus on Biden Administration’s proposed Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework in July, 2021, the US Senate released the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill that could help expand the country's electric grid and bolster existing and new clean energy technologies.

• FERC Chairman, Commissioners discuss changing energy landscape at House hearing

  July 30, 2021
  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) Chairman and other commissioners recently appeared before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy to discuss FERC’s role in the ongoing transformation of the nation’s energy sector.

• US senators reach over USD1 trillion deal on Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework

  July 29, 2021
  A bipartisan group of US senators reached a deal on July 28, 2021 to move ahead on a more than USD1 trillion infrastructure package that could ease the buildout of the nation's electric grid and provide funds for clean energy research.

• Wärtsilä to equip two grid-connected energy storage systems in Texas

  July 28, 2021
  Helsinki-based technology group Wärtsilä will supply two energy storage projects in Texas—Madero and Ignacio—with its energy storage technology.