Energy storage

Tesla’s battery business is booming

Though its EV business is contracting, the company’s energy storage segment is growing fast, helping it reap the benefits of surging demand for batteries.

By Dan McCarthy . 24 July 2024

Batteries

Chart: Lithium-ion battery prices are falling again

Covid disruptions broke what seemed like an inexorable trend of annual battery price declines. But this year, average pack prices fell 14% to a new record low.

By Julian Spector, Dan McCarthy . 8 December 2023
Energy storage

Will this startup finally crack the code on flow battery tech?

Germany's CMBlu just pulled in a 100-million-euro investment, is ramping up manufacturing and has contracts with major utilities. Can it succeed where others have failed?

By Julian Spector . 13 November 2023
Clean energy

Kauai became a clean energy leader. Its secret? A publicly owned grid

Making the island’s utility a cooperative resulted in cheaper and cleaner power. It could hold lessons for communities around the country debating local utility control.

By Julian Spector . 7 November 2023
Long-duration energy storage

Why Energy Vault went from disrupting batteries to selling them

The buzzy startup raised a record $110M back in 2019 to transform grid storage with novel long-duration tech, but now it's embracing industry favorite lithium-ion.

By Julian Spector . 16 October 2023
Energy storage

Grid batteries have never been more abundant — or more useful

This summer, batteries bolstered the heat-battered grids of Texas and California, underscoring the tech’s value as a low-carbon way to keep the lights on.

By Julian Spector . 2 October 2023
Batteries

Is graphene a cleantech supermaterial? This startup thinks so

Lyten recently raised $200M to scale up production of batteries made with graphene, a material that’s light, strong, conductive — and elusive.

By Eric Wesoff . 25 September 2023
Batteries

Chart: The remarkable rise of California’s grid battery capacity

In 2020, California had 500 megawatts of grid battery storage. Now, just three years later, it has over 5,000 megawatts.

By Julian Spector, Maria Virginia Olano . 22 September 2023
Batteries

Looking for some home energy storage? You’ve never had so many choices

The once-tiny residential battery market is attracting dozens of new entrants, including recognizable consumer brands like Anker, Duracell and Energizer.

By Julian Spector . 21 September 2023
Solar

The fight over California community solar: 'It's everyone vs. utilities'

Α broad and unlikely coalition has united behind a proposal that would finally let community solar flourish in California. Utilities are trying to stop it.

By Jeff St. John . 5 September 2023
Energy storage

Texas hooked up its first virtual power plants to help the grid

Select customers now have the power to participate in Texas energy markets with their own devices — and to get paid for doing so.

By Julian Spector . 31 August 2023