September 17
Xcel Energy Introduces Incentive Programs for EV Drivers
Top consumer smart energy news hand-selected and brought to you by the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative.
Member News
Xcel Energy has introduced a suite of EV charging programs for its customers in Colorado. These new programs are part of the company’s Colorado Transportation Electrification Plan and Xcel Energy’s EV vision to power 1.5 million EVs on the road in the states it serves by 2030. The Minneapolis-based company provides energy to eight states including Minnesota, Colorado, Michigan, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin.
Cell phones. Data plans. Movie and music streaming. Home energy bill? The subscription craze has finally reached electric utilities in the U.S. At least three companies are testing a new billing model that charges users a flat monthly rate regardless of how much electricity they consume. Utilities are hoping it ushers in the era of a more efficient, greener grid.
San Antonio municipal utility CPS Energy is partnering with a solar firm and global automobile group to develop a large-scale energy storage testing project from recycled electric vehicle batteries. The memorandum of understanding between CPS, OCI Solar Power and Hyundai Motor Group aims to build the utility-scale system in exactly one year.
Enervee has announced the rollout of Eco Financing™, an innovative program to make it easy and affordable to purchase energy-efficient appliances. The program is launching in partnership with fintech lender One, the State of California and Southern California Gas Company. Enervee is also partnering with major retailers, including Best Buy, which will provide end-to-end delivery, installation and haul-away services.
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Industry News
In the second quarter, 345 MW of new energy storage systems were brought online – a 162 percent increase over the second quarter of 2020. It was the second-largest quarter on record by MW for U.S. energy storage additions, according to the U.S. Energy Storage Monitor, an industry report put out by to Wood Mackenzie and the U.S. Energy Storage Association.
Second-quarter prices for utility-scale solar have increased six percent year-over-year, according to a U.S. Solar Market Insight report released Tuesday by Wood Mackenzie and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). Supply chain constraints, increased shipping costs and rising prices for key commodities such as steel appear to be the primary drivers of rising prices.
Some companies commercialize novel chemistries or engineer elaborate physical contraptions to store electricity. California company B2U Storage Solutions builds cheaper grid batteries by repurposing used EV batteries. That approach, known as second-life batteries, has been talked about for years. Numerous pilot projects and demonstrations have been funded. But it’s generally framed as something that requires years of research before it will be ready for prime time.
A new joint venture between Boston-based BlueWave Solar and European photovoltaics firm Ciel et Terre is poised to bring floating solar panels to the ponds and reservoirs of Massachusetts for the first time. Supporters say the plan has the potential to mitigate ongoing concerns about finding enough space for clean energy development.
