Grid edge
Can customers' batteries, thermostats and EV chargers keep California's grid up and running?
AutoGrid and Clean Power Alliance are harnessing the full range of home energy devices for a new virtual power plant.
By Jeff St. John .
Grid edge
Grid edge
California’s patchwork push to scale up virtual power plants
The state has created more ways for solar-and-battery-equipped homes to get paid to help the grid — but not enough to save the crashing rooftop solar market.
By Jeff St. John .
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Energy efficiency
BP acquires Blueprint Power to tap the grid-balancing capability of big buildings
The startup has 13MW of flexible energy in its NYC portfolio and is looking to expand.By Jeff St. John .
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Grid edge
Google Nest thermostats will soon help you use more — and even buy — clean energy
Nest Renew can align home energy use with cleaner grid power and fund new wind and solar for $10 a month. Will consumers buy in?By Jeff St. John .
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Clean energy
What's the trick to keep grids humming along on solar, wind and batteries alone?
A Department of Energy program is testing a new type of "grid-forming" inverter that could make it possible.By Jeff St. John .
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Climatetech finance
Energy storage leader Fluence preps for old-school IPO, bucking SPAC trend
The grid-scale battery sector is poised for massive growth. Fluence is playing a major role — but it has a lot of competition.By Jeff St. John .
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EV charging
New York City needs a lot of EV chargers. How can its power grid support them all?
Startup Revel's Brooklyn superhub is the first of many charging centers NYC will need to meet its EV goals. Can it be replicated at scale?By Jeff St. John .
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Utilities
Alphabet's R&D hub is marshaling its computing muscle to model fast-changing electrical grids
X (formerly known as Google X) wants to virtualize power grids to speed clean energy adoption. Will utilities and grid operators get on board?By Jeff St. John .
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Opinion
Making rural minigrid economics work for investors
CrossBorder Energy Access is bundling small-scale village power systems in Africa to unlock a multibillion-dollar electrification opportunity.By Olubunmi Olajide .
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Energy equity
Newsletter: When lack of power turns deadly
In the U.S. and abroad, substandard grid infrastructure can be a life-and-death matter.By Julian Spector .
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Opinion
Minigrids could bring power to half a billion people in Africa and Asia
Small solar-and-battery systems can reach communities without grid connections. Public-private partnerships are key to making it happen.By William Brent .
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