1. Google, Intersect Power to develop co-located energy parks with $20B of renewables, storage

Learning: "Google will buy power for planned data centers to be co-located in energy parks with $20 billion in renewable energy and energy storage to be built by Intersect Power...

The first phase of the first co-located clean energy project is expected to be operational by 2026 and fully complete in 2027, Google said, adding that it expects to disclose the project’s site soon."

Implication: "Intersect Power owns 2.2 GW of operating solar and 2.4 GWh of battery storage in operation or construction, according to the Houston-based renewable energy developer. It expects it will break ground on 4 GW of solar and 10 GWh of battery storage next year. It is also developing an energy park in the Texas Panhandle...

Energy parks — such as those envisioned under the Google initiative with Intersect Power — can serve large loads like data centers and also provide grid services, but they face regulatory challenges, including uncertainty surrounding the tariffs for co-located load, according to the report...

Energy parks serving large loads can bring a range of benefits, including equipment savings, the leveraging of tax credits with local economic development benefits, and the ability to expand projects over time, according to Energy Innovation. They can also give data centers access to power supplies more quickly than by buying power from new grid-connected resources."

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2. A New Way to Fix Energy Grid Bottlenecks for EV Charging: Flexible Connection

Learning: "EV charging hubs sometimes have to wait years to connect to the grid. PG&E’s Flex Connect pilot program could help break that logjam in California."

Implication: "The big payoffs from flexible interconnection won’t just flow to EV charging sites and other major power-using customers. Standardizing the practice could help reduce costs for PG&E customers at large...

The more that EV charging hubs can use flexible interconnection to start serving customers, the more utilities can increase electricity sales without blowing out their grid budgets. "

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3. Rivian to open its charging network to all EV drivers

Learning: "Electric vehicle maker Rivian opened the first of its next-generation EV charging locations, which will be accessible to drivers of all compatible EVs..."

Implication: "The new Rivian Adventure Network chargers debuted at the company’s Joshua Tree Charging Outpost in California with additional charging locations planned in Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Montana, Pennsylvania, Michigan and New York."
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4. Texas task force aims to ‘tear down barriers’ to virtual power plant pilot as participation lags

Learning: "The Electric Reliability Council of Texas is considering doubling the size of a virtual power plant pilot project, in addition to making a slate of other changes aimed at growing the underutilized program."

Implication: "The aggregated distributed energy resource pilot, or ADER, launched in 2022 with a goal to harness 80 MW of flexible resources, primarily batteries, on the ERCOT grid. But so far only Tesla and Bandera Electric Cooperative have brought aggregations to the grid, accounting for about 15 MW.

The ADER project aims to evaluate the participation of aggregated distributed resources in the ERCOT wholesale market, but experts say initial limits on the program have kept it from achieving its goals."

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5. Hydrogen start-ups accelerate clean energy innovations

Learning: "The global hydrogen market is experiencing rapid growth, fueled by increasing demand for sustainable energy solutions, supportive government policies and advancements in hydrogen technology."

Implication: "Start-ups in the sector are addressing critical challenges such as hydrogen production efficiency, storage, distribution, and application in industrial and mobility sectors."