Landis+Gyr announced an agreement with Kissimmee Utility Authority to supply advanced metering infrastructure and a meter data management system to support the Florida utility's 74,000 customers. As part of the agreement, Landis+Gyr will deploy its Gridstream AMI solution, including network infrastructure and 80,000 residential and commercial meters. Data from the system will be processed with Landis+Gyr’s MDMS software supporting relevant operations and customer information systems.

The launch of Duke Energy’s North Carolina solar rebate program has started strong, with more than 1,500 people applying for the incentivized chance to install solar systems at home or work. The rebate opened July 9, and all customers in the state are applicable. The company intends to run the program for five years and put up $62 million to see it done.

SMUD is rolling out a new battery storage incentive program for customers. Since July 1, SMUD has been offering residential customers $300 to aid in procuring battery systems aimed at reducing peak demand. While the incentive is only a fraction of the $7,000 to $12,000 it may cost customers to install a battery system, SMUD views it as a tangible sign of its commitment to an evolving technology that may transform the power industry in the coming years.

Community solar could supply 1.7-2.6 percent of all electricity consumed by the U.S. in 2030 if all states were to establish policy-enabled community solar markets, according to a report by GTM Research. The report points to a large gap in solar accessibility, noting between half to three-fourths of Americans cannot access traditional rooftop solar. Community solar is a potential way to grant access to 50 million U.S. households that are classified as low-to-moderate income residences.

In 2014, New York City’s energy utility, Con Edison, realized was facing a looming problem. In just a matter of years, demand for power would outstrip what the electrical grid could provide. Especially in parts of Brooklyn and Queens where populations were once smaller and more spread out, Con Edison’s energy systems were not designed to support and distribute large amounts of power, the need for which will only increase as climate change makes summers hotter and winters more unpredictable.

Honda has partnered with eMotorWerks to offer southern California drivers of its Fit EV a service which can help them determine the most environmentally-friendly charging times – while possibly earning monetary incentives to move that demand off-peak. Honda says its new SmartCharge beta program will offer EV customers an app that computes the ideal time to charge a vehicle, taking into account the driver's schedule and the availability of renewable energy.