Electric utility

Just in time for this weekend’s wicked weather, Duke Energy has powered up a 50 MW grid battery at the former Allen coal plant — a major infrastructure upgrade that could help stabilize the grid and drive down energy costs across the Carolinas.

Through the Exelon Foundation, local utility Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) has granted $250,000 to Civic Works’ Baltimore Shines solar initiative to support no-cost rooftop solar installations for low- and moderate-income homeowners.

Rather than straining the grid, the batteries in EVs can actually help to stabilize the energy grid under heavy loads. PG&E gets that, and to encourage participation in its growing V2G programs, the utility is offering GM Energy customers in its territory up to $4,500 toward qualifying home battery systems.

Waev Inc. has just unveiled the GEM eX, a new electric utility vehicle designed to bridge the gap between street-legal low-speed vehicles (LSVs) and true off-road work machines. The company calls it the most versatile electric work UTV yet.

Time-of-use electricity plans are hardly a new concept, but what makes Octopus Energy’s new time-of-use plan, OctopusFlex, great is that it’s ridiculously simple.

Fluence Energy has officially started production at its new factory in Goodyear, Arizona, where it’s now cranking out steel enclosures and battery management system (BMS) hardware for its grid-scale energy storage systems.

After £220 million financing raise to fund its 400/800 MW battery energy storage project in Eccles, Zenobē investment in Scotland reaches the £750 million mark – one of the largest BESS investments in all of Europe (so far).

On today’s episode of Quick Charge, Southern Company’s Tom Canada talks us through the utility’s new, six-month pilot program that aims to overcome some of the perceived barriers to EV adoption by demonstrating the transformative potential of EV adoption in commercial fleets.

New England energy company Avangrid announced plans to purchase 130 new diesel-electric hybrid bucket trucks as part of a larger procurement plan to electrify the utility service fleets of its subsidiary companies.

California utility SoCal Edison, one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, is helping reduce its own carbon footprint by adding 280 Chevrolet Silverado electric pickup trucks to its service fleet — part of a larger strategy to transition its entire vehicle fleet to electric by 2030.

The Windsor, Ontario utility says it’s driving towards a more sustainable future after adding a dozen new electric vehicles to its fleet – including a state-of-the-art, 55-foot Terex electric bucket truck.

Vermont’s largest utility, Green Mountain Power (GMP), wants to install battery storage for all 270,000 of its customers by 2030.

Arcimoto is famous for its three-wheeled, fun-mobiles aptly named the FUV (Fun Utility Vehicle). Now the company is getting its hands dirty with a bit more of a work-oriented version that they’ve dubbed the new Arcimoto MUV (Modular Utility Vehicle).

Protected bike lanes — or cycling paths that are physically separated from roadways to keep cars away from more vulnerable micromobility vehicles — are becoming increasingly demanded by a growing population of bike commuters in the US. And in one case, they’re finally being enabled by a surprising source: a cute little electric mini-street sweeper.

Groupe ADP, the French company that operates Paris area airports, is running a trial of autonomous electric vehicles (EV) transporting luggage in the Charles de Gaulle platform – the biggest in Europe now that Brexit has turned Heathrow into a mid-Atlantic outpost.

California’s Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today launched the Community Microgrid Enablement Program. The program will help communities identify, design, and build permanent, multi-customer microgrids that serve critical facilities and vulnerable customer groups.

US energy company Con Edison has announced the development of the country’s first fully electric bucket truck. Its partnership with manufacturers Lion Electric and Posi-Plus will deliver the zero emission utility vehicle truck next year. The bucket truck is a recognizable symbol of electric work. It is now the latest heavy-duty utility vehicle to see an electrified revamp.

A number of utilities in the US Southeast want to create the Southeast Energy Exchange Market (SEEM). They filed a proposal to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in February, and they want an approval by May 13. The nonprofit advocacy group the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) explained why SEEM isn’t a good move for the transition to green energy or reducing energy costs.

The funny thing about utilities is, the vast majority of the population don’t know a lot about them, yet they directly affect every single person who uses the energy the utilities sell – and that’s why this is important.

States, cities, and utilities from coast to coast are expanding programs to encourage EV adoption and new charging infrastructure. The pause in driving and pollution during the pandemic is urging authorities to promote electric cars. These local efforts come as the federal government weakens emissions standards.

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US utility companies are borrowing big because interest rates are so low. Investors are keen to buy utility bonds because they offer safe and strong returns.

So the bond cash — a record $90 billion in 2019 — is resulting in utility companies making more green energy investments.

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Have you ever thought, “You know what I need…a pickup truck that I can pedal like a bicycle”?

Yea, me neither. But I recently got the chance to test one out anyways, and now I realize what I’ve been missing in my life. The XCYC Pickup is a ridiculous e-bike that actually works really well and may just be the answer to urban cargo solutions.

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