Batteries

Recycling renewables

Fire, delays, and financial woes: Battery recycling had a rough 2024

Recycling startups like Ascend Elements and Redwood Materials still notched some wins in the mission to turn old electric vehicle batteries into new ones.

By Julian Spector . 10 December 2024
Batteries

Duke Energy to knock down coal plant and build its biggest battery yet

Large grid batteries are finally coming to North Carolina, the nation’s fourth largest solar power producer.

By Julian Spector . 3 December 2024
Long-duration energy storage

The biggest grid storage project using old batteries is online in Texas

Startup Element Energy set out to prove that second-life batteries could deliver cheaper energy storage safely and at scale.

By Julian Spector . 21 November 2024
Electric vehicles

A new generation of cheaper batteries is sweeping the EV industry

A form of lithium-ion battery called LFP is becoming increasingly popular among automakers due to its advantages on cost, safety, and materials.

By Tim Stevens . 12 November 2024
Batteries

Moment Energy plans to mass-produce grid storage from used EV batteries

The Canadian startup repackages electric-vehicle batteries for commercial customers. Now it’s got $20 million from the DOE to build its first gigafactory in Texas.

By Julian Spector . 5 November 2024
EV charging

New York City tests a solar-powered electric-school-bus microgrid

Utility Con Edison and school-bus operator First Student see bus-charging depots equipped with solar and batteries as a win-win that supports the power grid.

By Jeff St. John . 4 November 2024
Virtual power plants

Hundreds of New Yorkers got free batteries to help clean up the grid

A novel collaboration between solar installer Sunrun and utility Orange & Rockland shows how New York could tap household solar generation to advance climate goals.

By Julian Spector . 30 October 2024
Batteries

A Massachusetts town uses batteries to help its grid — and its schools

Batteries can serve double-duty, shoring up the grid and providing backup to buildings when the power goes out. This project shows how.

By Jeff St. John . 7 October 2024
Transmission

Why won’t PJM let batteries and clean power bolster a stressed-out grid?

The country’s biggest grid operator is preventing developers from adding batteries to existing projects that have extra grid space, in defiance of a federal mandate.

By Jeff St. John . 3 October 2024
Clean energy

Solar and batteries are helping Texas weather heat waves. Here’s how.

Relentless heat has caused Texas to keep breaking electricity-demand records this summer. Good thing solar and batteries are breaking records, too.

By Jeff St. John . 28 August 2024