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Michelle Lewis

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Michelle Lewis is a writer at Electrek. She lives in Massachusetts. She has previously worked for Fast Company, the Guardian, News Deeply, Time, and others. Message Michelle on Bluesky..

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Sunrun + NRG launch a virtual power plant to ease Texas power demand

US's largest virtual power plant energy storage

As Texas braces for tighter power margins and record demand on the ERCOT grid, Sunrun and NRG Energy are transforming home batteries into a giant virtual power plant. The two companies are integrating more home battery storage into the grid and tapping those batteries when the state needs power the most.

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Ford to convert EV battery plants to make battery storage for data centers

Ford battery storage

Ford is jumping into the battery energy storage business, betting that booming demand from data centers and the electric grid can absorb the EV battery capacity it says it’s not using.

To achieve this, Ford plans to repurpose its existing EV battery manufacturing capacity in Glendale, Kentucky, into a dedicated hub for manufacturing battery energy storage systems.

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Battery storage hits $65/MWh – a tipping point for solar

solar battery storage

Turning cheap daytime solar into electricity you can actually use at night just got a lot cheaper. A new analysis from energy think tank Ember shows that utility-scale battery storage costs have fallen to $65 per megawatt-hour (MWh) as of October 2025 in markets outside China and the US. At that level, pairing solar with batteries to deliver power when it’s needed is now economically viable.

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From $189 a month: 5 of the best EV lease deals in December 

2025 BMW i4

Yes, Virginia, there are still great EV lease deals to be had in December. Hyundai continues to offer EV leases for under $200 a month, and the BMW i4 can be leased for the same price it was when the federal tax credit was still in effect. With 2025 models disappearing fast, this might be your last shot to snag a year-end lease deal on an EV. Check out the standouts below.

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FERC: Renewables made up 88% of new US power generating capacity to Sept 2025

Puerto Rico solar storage

Newly published data from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), reviewed by the SUN DAY Campaign, reveal that solar accounted for over 75% of US electrical generating capacity added in the first nine months of 2025. In September alone, solar provided 98% of new capacity, marking 25 consecutive months in which solar has led among all energy sources.

Year-to-date (YTD), solar and wind have each added more new capacity than natural gas has. The mix of all renewables remains on track to exceed 40% of installed capacity within three years; solar alone may be 20%.

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National Grid taps AI to combat rising wildfire risk in the Northeast

National Grid Rhizome AI

National Grid is rolling out new AI tools to get ahead of increasing wildfire risk across the Northeast. The utility is partnering with Washington DC-based Rhizome, a grid resilience planning company, to identify and prevent potential ignition threats across its transmission and distribution networks in Massachusetts, New York, and the UK.

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EIA: Solar + storage soar as fossil fuels stall through September 2025

EIA solar storage

US Energy Information Administration (EIA) data released on November 25 and reviewed by the SUN DAY Campaign reveal that, during the first nine months of 2025 and for the past year, solar and battery storage have dominated growth among competing energy sources, while fossil fuels and nuclear power have stagnated.

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Here are 8 tips for the best EV winter range and performance

EV winter

Whether you’re a seasoned EV driver in cold climates or this is your first winter driving an electric vehicle, there’s always more to learn about how to get the best range and performance from your EV when the temperatures drop.

Electrek asked two experts for smart winter EV driving advice. This is what Richard Reina, product training director at CARiD.com, and Casey Donahue, CEO of Optiwatt, a residential managed charging platform in North America, had to say.

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