The Trump administration’s latest attack on an offshore wind project could make New England’s electricity less reliable and more expensive. Late last month, the administration halted work on the nearly complete Revolution Wind project off the coast of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, citing dubious “national security” reasons. State governors, labor leaders, and even New England … Continue reading “Halting Revolution Wind could be a disaster for New England’s grid”
Written by Electric Vehicles Magazine
The batteries inside electric vehicles can do a lot more than power a car. They can back up homes, schools, and businesses during power outages. They can soak up grid power when it’s plentiful and cheap and send it back when it’s scarce and costly. And they could eventually provide enough reliable power to allow utilities to … Continue reading “How Massachusetts is trying to turn EVs into grid batteries”
Written by Electric Vehicles Magazine
Photo: Enel North America The US installed 50 gigawatts (GW) of new solar capacity in 2024, the largest single year of new capacity added to the grid by any energy technology in over two decades. That’s enough to power 8.5 million households. According to the US Solar Market Insight 2024 Year in Review report released today by … Continue reading “Solar adds more new capacity to the US grid in 2024 than any energy source in 20 years”
Written by Electric Vehicles Magazine
“We are at a point in transition where we have to get even more precise,” said Delurey. “That precision is crucial for affordability. How do we make sure we build exactly what we need? No more, no less.” Transmission, storage, and efficiency Last year, companies hoping to build new high-voltage transmission in Illinois backed a proposal for creating … Continue reading “After groundbreaking bills on jobs and solar, Illinois tackles the grid”
Written by Electric Vehicles Magazine
Los Angeles is a hub of freight activity—and (not coincidentally) the home of the worst ozone pollution in the nation. Electrifying trucks in La-la Land will deliver an outsize benefit in emissions reduction. The city needs many more chargers suitable for medium- and heavy-duty EVs, and managed charging, which maximizes the number of trucks that … Continue reading “Los Angeles case study: how to prepare the grid for electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks”
Written by Electric Vehicles Magazine
Can thousands of houses equipped with remote-control thermostats and other devices mimic what big power plants do for utility grids? EnergyHub, a software and services company that operates virtual power plants (VPPs) for about 70 utilities in 30 states, says yes — and it has a trove of data from three major U.S. utilities that shows how … Continue reading “Fine-tuning how homes can help the grid as 'virtual power plants'”
Written by Electric Vehicles Magazine
Texas project installed, manufacturing in the works When we first spoke in late 2022, Stratakos planned to build the Texas plant in 2023 and start shipping the remainder of its battery stockpile in 2024. The actual installation process turned out to be “a learning experience,” Stratakos told me last week, meaning it took longer and cost more … Continue reading “The biggest grid storage project using old batteries is online in Texas”
Written by Electric Vehicles Magazine
Brian Fitzsimons, CEO of GridUnity, doesn’t think his company alone can solve the grid interconnection backlog that’s holding back the U.S. energy transition. But he’s sure that its software is a lot better than the combination of paper, spreadsheets, and email that most grid operators use right now. In fact, he claims his firm’s software can shave … Continue reading “This DOE-backed software is helping to unclog the grid”
Written by Electric Vehicles Magazine
Photo by Miguel Á. Padriñán on Pexels.com Georgia utility Southern Company is teaming up with Georgia Tech and Smart Wires to roll out a US Department of Energy (DOE)-backed project aimed at boosting Georgia’s electric grid. The initiative, which kicks off in 2025, will bring advanced power flow control (APFC) and dynamic line rating (DLR) … Continue reading “Georgia Tech and Smart Wires to upgrade Georgia’s grid with grid-enhancing tech”
Written by Electric Vehicles Magazine
It turns out that the crisis wasn’t so dire. Of the 360 substations that were reported down, most “were out because of damage to the transmission system that supplies them with power, not necessarily damage to all those substations,” said Brooks, the Duke Energy spokesperson. But even a handful of destroyed substations is no small matter. … Continue reading “Hurricane Helene could force local utilities to rethink grid resilience”