August 7
REC Turns to Smart Device Tech as Demand Grows
This week's top smart energy news, curated by the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC).
Member News
As power supply costs climb and electricity demand grows rapidly across Virginia, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) is turning to smart device technology to ease the strain on its grid. REC and Virtual Peaker announced a new partnership to launch a program that will let REC members enroll smart thermostats, batteries, EV chargers and EVs as tools to support grid reliability.
ComEd is joining with commercial rooftop solar developer Solar Landscape and U.S. self-storage operator Public Storage to jointly develop 60 rooftop community solar projects across northern Illinois in the next two years. Together, the projects will deliver 44 MW of community solar energy to boost grid capacity and create opportunities for customers to lower their energy costs.
Texas public power utility CPS Energy is expanding access to solar power for thousands of customers through its Community Solar Program, selecting Big Sun Solar (BSS) to build and operate up to 50 MW of new solar generation, marking another milestone in the utility’s Sustainable Tomorrow Energy Plan (STEP), the utility said last week.
Minnesota Power recently began construction on the 85-MW Boswell Solar project, located at the Boswell Energy Center site in Cohasset. The Boswell Solar project sits on about 500 acres of company owned and leased land. When finished, it will consist of more than 178,00 solar modules. It is expected to be online in mid-2027.
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Industry News
Customer-sited energy storage devices will be among the assets cleared to participate in a two-year, technology-neutral virtual power plant program administered by electric distribution companies in New Jersey beginning next year, the state Board of Public Utilities said. The “explicitly transitional” two-year program would evolve into a market-based, open-access VPP tariff from 2029 onward, according to the straw proposal.
Construction is underway on a $1.7 billion solar and battery storage project in Texas that will turn existing coal mining land into a hub of clean energy generation. Panamint Capital announced last week that it broke ground on the 1.2 GW Big Rooter Power solar farm in Bremond, about halfway between Dallas and Houston.
Green Mountain Power said its virtual power plant of clean, stored energy has saved its ratepayers an estimated $6 million during peak energy use this summer. GMP said its stored energy network reduced peak energy use by 90 MW during July’s extreme heat event. The company said during multi-day or prolonged periods of extreme heat, energy use soars as cooling needs increase.
When the power goes out, a home battery can keep you going. Energy storage, often paired with rooftop solar, has taken off in the U.S. in recent years as households look for ways to lower their utility bills and stay comfy during grid blackouts. But professionally installed partial- and whole-home battery systems aren’t right for everyone.
