• April 09, 2026

California is taking measures to approve virtual power plants (VPPs) to compete in the statewide reliability market. The Senate Energy, Utilities, and Commerce Committee voted today to approve the Clean Local Electricity Act (SB 913). Proposed by Senator Josh Becker (Menlo Park), SB 913 will provide more opportunities for solar rechargeable batteries, electric vehicle chargers, heat pumps, and other on-site energy devices to participate in California's resource adequacy program, helping to meet peak demand and reduce costs for everyone. Californians are struggling to cope with rising electricity bills, and we need to use our power grid more intelligently and cost effectively, "Becker said. We should not always build expensive new infrastructure to meet the demands of several peak periods, but should better utilize the resources already available at home. Millions of Californians already have tools such as smart thermostats, home batteries, and electric vehicles that can help support the power grid. SB 913 ensures that we can use these resources to reduce costs, minimize pollution, and improve reliability. ” The current CPUC program aims to ensure that the state has sufficient power generation capacity to meet peak energy demand, and to utilize alternative solutions to traditional power sources during periods of maximum demand, excluding most of California's growing customer on-site battery packs. CPUC does not calculate any electricity output from the customer site to the grid. Batteries in homes and businesses can only earn points for reducing customers' personal electricity consumption, and there are no incentives for the device to send electricity back to the grid. This limits the ability to create virtual power plants, which can replace more expensive and frequently polluting power plants to provide peak power generation. SB 913 provides a common sense solution that enables customer battery networks to provide more energy to VPPs. It requires CPUC to consult with CAISO and the California Energy Commission to develop a method for providing credit for energy output from customer devices to the grid. Jon Hart, Director of Policy at CALSSA, said, "Utilizing solar rechargeable batteries and other customer devices at the cheapest option is an important strategy to make energy affordable in California." "California currently has 300000 solar rechargeable batteries installed in garages, campuses, and farms across the state, with an additional 2000 added every week. They have already lowered costs for everyone, but we are not fully utilizing them. This year, the legislative body will also consider the Electricity Utilization Act (AB 1975) proposed by Congressman Nick Schultz (Burbank). The bill will require utility companies to better utilize the grid capacity already built and paid for in the state, thereby helping to lower energy prices in California. Traditionally, whenever utility companies estimate that they may need to provide more energy, they ...

• April 08, 2026

KWh Analytics has launched a data sharing pilot program to reward the efforts of renewable energy assets in mitigating extreme weather. KWh Analytics is expanding its risk modeling capabilities by utilizing data from solar projects that employ advanced resilience measures beyond the information typically captured in standard insurance submissions. The initial focus of this pilot was to improve the capture method of project level elastic data and forward it to insurance companies. The advancement of tracker technology, including 70 ° loading function, automatic loading program, and continuous increase in historical loading performance data, has created new opportunities for insurance companies to have a clearer understanding of asset design and operation before adverse weather events occur. Compared to baseline assumptions and storage protocols, modeling these elastic configurations can significantly reduce the average annual losses and insurance premiums at the portfolio level. Projects that include additional risk mitigation measures, including thicker tempered glass modules, can further reduce losses. For solar energy developers participating in collaborative remote information processing programs, Nextpower will share real-time and historical hail storage performance data to achieve a more dynamic and evidence-based view of project risks. By integrating these operational data into its proprietary risk modeling platform, kWh Analytics can better assess how system design and operational readiness affect expected losses. This method reflects the use of remote information processing in the automotive insurance industry, where driving behavior data is shared with insurance companies to better align premiums with actual risks. Jason Kaminsky, CEO of kWh Analytics, stated, "Extreme weather remains a significant factor contributing to utility scale solar losses, and the industry is rapidly advancing the management of these risks." "By integrating real-world data, including storage performance from Nextpower tracking systems, we can more closely link insurance structures with demonstrated resilience, encourage investment in asset protection, and enhance the long-term financing capabilities of solar projects. ” In the kWh Analytics solar risk assessment 2024, Longroad Energy and Nextpower released a case study showing that actively retracting 75 ° can reduce the probability of damage from actual events in 2022 by 87% compared to 60 ° retraction. Jyoti Jain, Head of Software Product Management at Nextpower, said: "We are pleased to collaborate with kWh Analytics on this groundbreaking program, which will bring greater transparency and accuracy to solar asset risk assessment. ”By allowing customers to share validated storage performance data from our NX Horizon tracker with Hail Pro technology, we are achieving a transition from modeling assumptions to real-world evidence. This insight enables insurance companies to reward projects that are truly designed...

• April 07, 2026

The 117 megawatt Dodson Creek solar project, located in Highland County, Ohio, has begun commercial operations for the Geranium Power. Together with our community members and project partners, we are proud to expand our commitment to the state of Ohio, "said Andy Cukurs, Chief Operating Officer of Jeronim Power. With Dodson Creek, our operating portfolio in Ohio has reached a total of 675 megawatts, which is equivalent to bringing over $240 million in economic benefits to local and state residents throughout the entire operational lifecycle of our portfolio. ” During the construction period, Dodson Creek employed 125 construction workers during peak hours. The project is undertaken by EPC partner Kiewit Power Constructors. Brian Koller, Vice President of Kiewit Power Constructors, said, "We are pleased that the Dodson Creek solar project is now in commercial operation, which reflects our strong partnership with GeranioPower and the Highland County community. ”Kiewit is proud to successfully deliver this project and support Ohio's clean energy future and long-term economic growth. ” Dodson Creek uses 7 series modules developed and produced by First Solar, which has a manufacturing and research center in nearby Perrysburg. We are proud that our 7-series technology is helping power the Dodson Creek solar project, "said Mounir El Asmar, Strategic Account Manager at First Solar. This milestone reflects the strength of our partnership with GeranioPower and emphasizes how true American solar technology can drive economic growth while meeting the country's demand for affordable energy. ” In its first 20 years of operation, Dodson Creek is expected to generate approximately $21 million in new tax revenue for Highland County and local townships, school districts, and emergency service areas. In addition, Ronnie announced a commitment to donate $585000 to Highland County charities and organizations through a dedicated charitable fund.

• April 03, 2026

Burns&McDonnell have started building a 260 megawatt/1040 megawatt hour battery energy storage system for Georgia Power Company in the outskirts of Wardley, Georgia. The project has been approved by the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) and is located next to the existing third-party owned Wadley solar facility, close to the existing transmission infrastructure. The new Wadley BESS is an asset owned by the company that enhances the power grid and the growing renewable energy in the region. The project is expected to be completed in 2027. Kerry Bridges, Regional Director of Georgia Power Company, stated, "At Georgia Power Company, our collaboration with the Georgia PSC and other stakeholders is key to making the necessary investments to establish a reliable and resilient power grid. ”With the construction of the 260 MW BESS in Jefferson County, we are able to better serve our customers and support the development of Georgia today. As we expand our energy structure to include more renewable energy, these batteries will play a valuable role in helping to ensure reliability and flexibility, especially in situations where renewable energy is not availableBurns&McDonnell have started building a 260 megawatt/1040 megawatt hour battery energy storage system for Georgia Power Company in the outskirts of Wardley, Georgia. The project has been approved by the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) and is located next to the existing third-party owned Wadley solar facility, close to the existing transmission infrastructure. The new Wadley BESS is an asset owned by the company that enhances the power grid and the growing renewable energy in the region. The project is expected to be completed in 2027. Kerry Bridges, Regional Director of Georgia Power Company, stated, "At Georgia Power Company, our collaboration with the Georgia PSC and other stakeholders is key to making the necessary investments to establish a reliable and resilient power grid. ”With the construction of the 260 MW BESS in Jefferson County, we are able to better serve our customers and support the development of Georgia today. As we expand our energy structure to include more renewable energy, these batteries will play a valuable role in helping to ensure reliability and flexibility, especially in situations where renewable energy is not available.

• April 02, 2026

A solar panel assembly plant located in University City, Texas, which has been in preparation for many years, has now officially started operation, but with one change - all offline solar panels will be used for projects developed by the parent company. The first production line of US Modules can produce 400 MW of utility scale solar panels annually. The second production line will be put into use this summer, and the 150000 square foot factory has space to expand to an annual output of 1.4 gigawatts. US Modules is supported by Kerry International Group (CIG), a holding company focused on sustainable energy and real estate infrastructure. In addition to private airlines and luxury real estate companies, CIG also sponsors solar energy projects. The company has over 3.5 gigawatts of utility scale solar projects under active development, and CIG requires solar panels manufactured in the United States that meet FEOC standards. We have 100% ownership and control in the United States, "Charles Carey, founder of US Modules, said in an interview with Solar Power World. Our family office owns most of these projects without external influence, which is our focus on the US module CIG and its independent power producer SMYX Energy have completed some medium-sized projects in Texas, and Carey stated that larger projects will be launched on ERCOT by the end of this year, with some panels provided by US Modules. The company is currently producing 545W PERC panels. US Modules currently has 50 employees and is recruiting more staff for additional shifts. Carey stated that there is no need to worry about a slowdown in the growth of US components, as the demand for CIG is higher than the current supply.

• April 01, 2026

Terrasmart is a turnkey solar bracket technology company that has launched the Peak Production Package for its proprietary PeakYield solar tracker software. PeakYield aims to improve tracker performance, minimize downtime, protect sites from weather events, and simplify operational troubleshooting. PeakYield takes into account the uneven surface and cloudy sky conditions of the project site, and has the ability to trace and locate radiated light. It displays real-time array production data and provides remote access to tracker sites, with the option to locate the array line by line. The software has been validated by the international product testing and certification body DNV. According to reports, Terrasmart's performance has improved by 5% compared to previous tracker software models. Peak production packages can be deployed in utility or distributed generation scales. Ashton Vandermark, Vice President of Software Solutions at Terrasmart, said, "PeakYield is renowned for its industry-leading yield optimization, and we are proud of it. The Peak Production Package is built on this basis and has undergone complex enhancements to further maximize production. ”In addition to its validated energy production advantages, the peak production package also opens up new opportunities for projects that typically do not have access to such high-level technology, especially the additional production increase of distributed generation scale solar sites. In fact, when modeling energy production during the financing phase, we have already utilized the additional energy benefits obtained from terrain information backtracking. The Peak Production Package made its debut one month after parent company Gibraltar sold Terrasmart's system business power balancing to GameChange Solar. Gibraltar stated in a press release that it also plans to sell Terrasmart's shelving business.

• March 30, 2026

Due to the expansion of statutory protections and the implementation of new safety regulations, the development and construction of Massachusetts Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) have become more feasible. Energy storage is known as the 'Swiss Army Knife' because it enables a wide range of applications, including peak shaving, grid stability, and distributed generation integration. Despite the wide range of applications and increasing energy demand of battery energy storage systems, their development still faces significant obstacles. Local security issues and inconsistent municipal permit procedures often result in project delays or disruptions. Despite these challenges, energy storage remains crucial for the Commonwealth's clean energy transition, with the 2024 Clean Energy Act requiring energy storage to reach 5000 megawatt hours by 2030. A major turning point in the development of BESS is the ruling made by the Massachusetts Land Court in 2025 regarding the Daksbury energy storage project. The case argues that federal "solar power supply" applies to independent BESS systems. Solar Energy Terms and Conditions: No zoning regulations or bylaws shall prohibit or unreasonably regulate the installation of solar energy systems or the construction of buildings that facilitate the collection of solar energy, unless necessary to protect public health, safety, or welfare The court believes that the purpose of the legislative body formulating solar energy provisions is to promote solar power generation, and the regulation explicitly includes structures that support or promote the use of solar energy, including the construction of independent BESS facilities. The court rejected the argument that BESS facilities must only store solar power in order to qualify for protection under the Dover Amendment's solar energy clause, expanding the scope of protection to such storage systems and further inferring that BESS structures comply with the meaning of the solar energy clause. Therefore, municipal authorities cannot prohibit or unreasonably regulate such systems. Daksbury's decision is in line with long-standing precedents supporting renewable energy infrastructure in Massachusetts, including in Tracer Lane II Realty, LLC v. Waltham, where the Supreme Court held that restricting solar development without a reasonable purpose to protect public health, safety, or welfare violated the solar provisions of the Dover Amendment. In the past few years, applying for permits instead of installation has been a real obstacle to the development of BESS. Daksbury eliminated a certain degree of complexity by forcing the municipal authorities to establish BESS requirements that are essentially the same as those for solar energy. After the summer of 2025, Massachusetts will work together to standardize the licensing process for all BESS systems. This takes the form of a new zoning charter, which explicitly mentions cases such as Daksbury and Tracking Lane, providing a fram...

• March 27, 2026

A new report from several industry groups in the United States states that millions of homeowners face unnecessary barriers in owning rooftop solar and battery projects.  Frontier Group、 The Environmental Research and Policy Center and Permit Power in the United States have released the "Solar Licensing Scorecard," which evaluates solar licensing policies in all 50 states and recommends modifications to make residential rooftop solar and battery more feasible. Home solar energy and batteries can reduce household electricity bills by over 80%. However, due to the high cost of red tape, the savings from rooftop solar energy are out of reach for many people, "said Nick Josefowitz, founder and CEO of Permit Power. If American households can install rooftop solar energy and household batteries at the same price as households in other countries, it will enable millions of households to install rooftop solar energy and reduce utility bills. Permit Power stated in a press release that bureaucratic barriers in solar licensing may increase the cost of residential solar projects by $6000 to $7000. The Rocky Mountains National Laboratory (formerly the National Renewable Energy Laboratory) estimates that 10% to 20% of residential solar projects that have obtained construction permits are still unfinished. Out of the 50 states rated on the Solar License Scorecard, only four states scored higher than "D" - California (B), Texas (B), New Jersey (C), and Colorado (C). No state has received an "A" rating. The rest will receive the title of "D" or "F". These levels are determined based on how each state handles residential project permits: do they reduce costs and simplify processes? Are these processes standardized across the state? Do they use licensed software? New Jersey Senators John McKeon and Asma stated, "This report clearly states that cutting solar licensing red tape is a low-cost way to help households lower their electricity bills." Robert Karabin Chuck said in a joint statement. Through bipartisan legislative action, New Jersey has passed practical reforms that save time and money for homeowners, installers, and local governments. This is one of the most direct and cost-effective steps that states can take to strengthen the power grid while providing real relief for taxpayers. In a recent report, Permit Power estimated that by simplifying residential solar permits, the country could save customers $1.2 trillion in utility costs. Emily Rusch, Senior Director of the State Office at the Center for Environmental Research and Policy in the United States, said, "Millions of Americans hope to provide their homes with sufficient and reliable solar energy; most states have done little to adopt common sense licensing practices to reduce costs and delays. Unreasonable red tape has placed a burden on residents, installers, and local authorities. States should 'move towards solar energy' as quickly and smoothly as possible without compromising health and safet...

• March 26, 2026

Maximo, a solar robotics company incubated by AES, has successfully installed 100 MW solar panels in the AES Bellefield project, a 1GW project under construction in Kern County, California. Maximo President Chris Shelton said, "Reaching 100 MW is an important milestone for Maximo and robotics technology to play a role in solar energy construction. It indicates that on-site robotics technology can go beyond experimentation and provide consistent results on a utility scale. As solar energy deployment accelerates globally, technologies to improve installation speed, quality, and reliability will become increasingly important.  ” The Bellefield project has evolved from a single robot to a coordinated fleet consisting of four Maximo robot units running in parallel. The peak device installation rate reached 474 modules per day, with Maximo's direct staff installing up to 24 modules per person per hour. Due to the optimized integration between robot placement, skilled fastening technicians, and union team members, this is 60% higher than the traditional method of 10-15 modules per hour in the region. NVIDIA technology supports the development and preparation of the Maximo robot fleet deployed in California. With the help of NVIDIA AI infrastructure, NVIDIA Omniverse library, and NVIDIA Isaac Sim open robot simulation framework, the Maximo team is able to develop, test, and refine robot functionality through physics based simulation and AI driven modeling before deploying updates on site. The combination of artificial intelligence, vision, robotics technology, and simulation driven engineering has shortened development and validation time, and increased confidence in on-site performance as robot fleets expand. NVIDIA Energy Senior Director Marc Spieler said, "Physical AI is a powerful force in accelerating the construction of real-world energy infrastructure. ”By combining artificial intelligence infrastructure, simulation, and edge artificial intelligence, Maximo and other platforms demonstrate how physical artificial intelligence can help accelerate solar panel installation while maintaining high reliability in complex environments. ” Amazon Web Services (AWS) provides support for the development, deployment, and operation of Maximo's AI driven on-site systems. AWS provides scalable computing, automated software delivery, and advanced data analytics (including real-time construction intelligence) to enable Maximo to collect operational robot data and continuously improve performance. Innovation in carbon free energy development is crucial for meeting the world's growing energy demand, "said Amazon's Chief Sustainability Officer, Callahurst. By combining artificial intelligence and robotics technology, Maximo and other technologies demonstrate how we can accelerate the transition to carbon free energy while improving safety and efficiency. Amazon is proud to support projects that push the boundaries of sustainable infrastructure possibilities