Startup raises $7M to trim solar farm vegetation with robots
A startup using autonomous robots for solar farm vegetation management has raised $7 million in seed funding. Swap Robotics operates a “robotics-as-a-service” model that aims to reduce operational costs compared to traditional solar vegetation management techniques like sheep grazing or diesel-powered lawn mowing. SOLV Energy, a leading engineering, procurement, and construction firm, led the funding […]
Read MoreCSI Energy Storage to supply Aypa Power project in California
CSI Energy Storage, a unit of Canadian Solar, said it will provide 487 MWh of its SolBank energy storage products to Aypa Power, a Blackstone portfolio company that develops, owns and operates utility-scale energy storage and hybrid renewable energy projects across North America. The energy storage products will be used to support a standalone energy […]
Read MoreMISO planning efforts favor transmission owners, not flexible load providers
Even though the Midcontinent Independent System Operator CEO’s testimony to Congress in October 2019 states: “MISO is fuel and policy-neutral,” studies by the grid operator favor transmission owners, not distributed energy resource providers. The federal regulator envisioned a neutral umpire role for grid operators. To implement the Federal Energy Regulatory Commissions Order 2222 on the […]
Read MoreLuminia acquires 218 MW Northeast portfolio
Luminia, a community solar financing and technology platform, has agreed to acquire developer New Hampshire Solar Garden and its 218 MW portfolio in the Northeast. New Hampshire Solar Garden founder Andrew Kellar has joined Luminia is the company’s vice president of development. He will lead Luminia’s internal origination strategy, both directly and in partnership with […]
Read MoreAEP sells its wind and solar renewable energy portfolio for $1.5b
American Electric Power said it agreed to sell its 1,365 MW renewables portfolio to IRG Acquisition Holdings, a partnership owned by Invenergy, CDPQ and funds managed by Blackstone Infrastructure, at an enterprise value of $1.5 billion including project debt. The sale is expected to close in the second quarter. At the closing, AEP is expected […]
Read MoreGulf of Mexico may be next up for offshore wind leases
The Department of the Interior proposed what it said would be the first-ever offshore wind lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico. The Proposed Sale Notice (PSN) includes a 102,480-acre area offshore Lake Charles, Louisiana, and two areas offshore Galveston, Texas, one comprising 102,480 acres and the other comprising 96,786 acres. The Bureau of Ocean […]
Read MoreDOE ramps up spending for offshore wind transmission
The Energy Department announced what it said are new investments in its bid to secure U.S. leadership in floating offshore wind development by advancing offshore wind transmission planning, research and technology, and partnerships. DOE said that two-thirds of U.S. offshore wind resource are located in deep-water areas that require floating platforms. It said its latest […]
Read MoreDuke Energy to spur fleet electrification with microgrid charging depot
If you build it, they will… charge? Duke Energy has plans to test and accelerate commercial fleet electrification by building a microgrid-integrated charging depot at its innovation center in North Carolina. The charging depot, located at Duke Energy’s Mount Holly Technology and Innovation Center, is designed to allow fleet operators to experience a commercial-grade fleet […]
Read MoreCould this wind turbine tower design revolutionize the industry? Major players hope so
The first wind turbine tower manufactured using a spiral welding technique is now in commercial operation. Proponents of the new approach say it could revolutionize onshore wind deployment by offering onsite, modular assembly, eliminating costly transportation costs. Keystone Power Systems and GE did not identify the customer or location of the wind farm. Keystone Power […]
Read MoreNew Jersey brownfield redeveloped as 17 MW solar farm
A former contaminated industrial site in New Jersey has been remediated and redeveloped as a 17 MW solar farm. The fixed-tilt solar array was constructed in two phases on a site that previously housed a paper mill complex in Holland. The project was originally developed by CEP Renewables and acquired by NJR Clean Energy Ventures […]
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