This Program Pays Nonprofits to Take the Time to Consider Solar
The Solar Upgrading Nonprofits (SUN) program, backed by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and Resonant Energy, offers nonprofits financial stipends and technical assistance to evaluate solar projects before the federal Investment Tax Credit expires. In its first 2025 round, SUN engaged 23 organizations, with five moving forward to install 1.5 MW of capacity—double the phase goal. The program’s second round launched in March, targeting a July 4 2026 construction deadline to preserve the 30‑50% tax credit. A case study shows Grow Associates securing a $500,000 grant for a 162‑kW array, saving $72,000 annually.
Xcel Minnesota Is Building a First-of-Its Kind Virtual Power Plant
Xcel Energy announced Capacity*Connect, a $430 million initiative to install up to 200 MW of customer‑site batteries across Minnesota. The utility will own and operate the virtual power plant, a first in the United States, deploying 1‑ to 3‑MW units over the...
Bay Area Startup Introduces Flat-Rate, Single-Room Heat Pumps
San Francisco startup Merino Energy launched the Merino Mono, a through‑the‑wall, single‑room heat pump priced at a flat $3,800 including professional installation. The unit installs in under an hour, draws 900 watts from a standard 120‑volt outlet, and serves spaces up to...
Trump’s Offshore Wind Opposition Was Never Really About the Whales
The Trump administration has repeatedly invoked whale protection to oppose U.S. offshore wind, despite no evidence that turbines threaten marine mammals. Last week, a Trump‑appointed “God Squad” voted unanimously to exempt Gulf of Mexico oil and gas projects from Endangered...
Where Does Balcony Solar Stand in Your State?
Balcony solar, a DIY plug‑in photovoltaic kit, is gaining legislative attention across the United States. Roughly half of the states are evaluating bills that would allow residents to install these systems without utility permission or subsidies. Maine became the latest...
Canary Media Is Turning 5!
Canary Media celebrates its fifth anniversary, marking half a decade of dedicated clean‑energy journalism. Since launching in 2021, the nonprofit newsroom has chronicled the rapid acceleration of the energy transition, from the Inflation Reduction Act’s boom to policy setbacks under...
How a Community Solar Breakthrough Took Shape in Illinois
Illinois utility ComEd has pioneered a flexible interconnection program that fast‑tracks community solar projects, adding more than 50 MW in its first year. By allowing solar farms to curtail output during rare grid‑constrained hours, the approach sidesteps expensive grid upgrades and...
This Spring Has Been a Record Season for Renewables
Spring 2026 has become a record‑breaking season for U.S. renewables, highlighted by Texas ERCOT’s all‑time wind peak of 28.7 GW on March 14 and multiple solar records across major ISOs. The nation added 26.5 GW of utility‑scale solar and 5.7 GW of wind in...
Iran War Could Spur Europe to Double Down on Renewables — Again
The Iran war has halted Qatar’s liquefied natural gas output, sending EU gas prices soaring and reviving the bloc’s energy‑security alarm. EU energy chief Dan Jørgensen urged member states to accelerate renewable construction, echoing the post‑Ukraine‑invasion push. Between 2021 and 2025...
Nation's Largest Urban Battery to Take Center Stage Near San Francisco
Arevon has broken ground on the Cormorant Energy Storage Project in Daly City, a 1‑gigawatt‑hour, 250‑megawatt battery built from 250 Tesla Megapack 2 XL containers on an 11‑acre urban lot. The facility, slated to start operating in about a year, will be...
Green Steel Is the Way Forward for Indiana, Former Steelworkers Say
Former steelworkers in Northwest Indiana, now members of Gary Advocates for Responsible Development, are urging a shift from coal‑based integrated mills to cleaner direct‑reduced‑iron (DRI) and electric furnace technologies. A joint report by Indiana University and 5 Lakes Energy estimates...
Next-Generation Geothermal Needs More than a Technology Revolution
Next‑generation geothermal is emerging as a cornerstone of the United States’ clean‑energy strategy, with enhanced systems that combine deep drilling and hydraulic fracturing attracting billions in investment. A flagship 500‑megawatt plant in Utah is set to begin commercial output this...
What if Duke Energy Shared the Burden of Fuel Costs with Its Customers?
Fuel‑cost sharing proposes that Duke Energy’s investors absorb a portion of volatile fuel expenses, lowering bills for North Carolina ratepayers. A Rocky Mountain Institute model shows a 10% cost‑sharing rule could have saved customers about $100 million between 2021‑2023 while giving...
Will California Fund or Kill Its Thriving Virtual Power Plant Program?
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration is weighing whether to end the four‑year‑old Demand Side Grid Support (DSGS) virtual power plant program, which now supplies over 1 GW of capacity and offsets peak demand comparable to San Francisco’s load. Lawmakers and clean‑energy advocates...
Arizona Cuts Key Renewables Policy as Clean Energy Market Takes Off
Arizona’s elected Corporation Commission voted unanimously to eliminate the state’s renewable portfolio standard, which required 15% clean electricity by 2025. The repeal is justified by commissioners as a cost‑saving measure, yet utilities remain locked into long‑term renewable contracts that may...
Many Homes Already Have the Power to Electrify, Study Finds
A recent Peninsula Clean Energy pilot demonstrated that typical 100‑amp residential panels can handle full home electrification, even in cold climates, without costly service upgrades. The nine‑home study replaced gas and propane appliances with efficient electric models for low‑income households,...
My City’s Two Wind Turbines Are Shutting Down. Here's What We're Losing.
Gloucester, Massachusetts will decommission its two remaining on‑shore wind turbines after roughly 13 years of operation. The turbines had supplied between 50% and 70% of the city’s municipal electricity under a 25‑year power purchase agreement and generated annual revenues that...
Maine Tries Again to Unlock Wind Energy. This Time, It Has Help.
Large‑scale on‑shore wind could finally launch in Maine after years of stalled attempts, as regulators in five New England states evaluate proposals for up to 1.2 GW of capacity in northern Maine. The multistate collaboration, backed by RENEW Northeast, aims to...
Virginia Set to Enact a Flurry of Laws Boosting Cleaner, Cheaper Power
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger is poised to sign a suite of bills that expand solar generation, accelerate battery storage, and improve grid utilization to curb soaring electricity costs. Key measures include Senate Bill 347, which blocks outright bans on large‑scale...
What’s Next for Ohio’s Former Green Steel Project? More Coal, It Seems.
Cliffs Iron & Steel has abandoned its hydrogen‑based direct‑reduced‑iron (DRI) plan for the Middletown, Ohio mill, opting instead to refurbish the existing coal‑fired blast furnace and add a 70‑megawatt cogeneration plant that burns blast‑furnace gas. The shift follows the Trump...
‘We’re Harvesting the Sun’: A Huge Solar Project Grows in California
The Westlands Water District unveiled the Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan, a 21‑gigawatt solar‑plus‑battery project spanning 136,000 acres in California’s Central Valley. The initiative aims to convert fallowed, water‑scarce farmland into clean‑energy “crops,” financing a new 500‑kilovolt transmission network to deliver...
Where in the World Is Clean Energy Technology Made?
Clean energy manufacturing is overwhelmingly dominated by China, which now accounts for over 90% of global solar capacity, 83% of battery production, and roughly three‑quarters of wind‑technology output. The country also produces about two‑thirds of the world’s electric vehicles, leveraging...
Balcony Solar Bill Gains Momentum in Illinois
Illinois’ Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee approved a plug‑in solar bill that would let homeowners install up to 1,200‑watt “balcony solar” systems without interconnection agreements or fees. The legislation also bans HOA or landlord restrictions on units of 391 watts...
Did Fake Comments Sink SoCal Clean Heat Rules? Advocates Want Answers.
Southern California regulators rejected a landmark clean‑heat rule that would have pushed electric heat pumps and phased down new gas heaters, after receiving more than 20,000 public comments opposing the proposal. An investigation by the Los Angeles Times found that...
Sky-High Oil Prices Are About to Hit Puerto Rico’s Grid
The ongoing Iran‑Israel conflict has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, pushing global crude to around $100 a barrel. Puerto Rico, which generates roughly 60 % of its electricity from aging oil‑fired plants, will see its regulated power rates rise when...
Which States Have the Most Grid Batteries?
California (15.2 GW) and Texas (14 GW) remain the top U.S. grid‑battery markets, but Arizona’s utility‑scale storage more than doubled to 4.7 GW in 2025, moving it into third place. California added 29% capacity while Texas grew 69% last year, yet Arizona’s percentage...
Trump Admin Courts Westinghouse Rivals Amid Slow Talks on New Nuclear
Westinghouse reached a global settlement with South Korea's Kepco that bars the APR‑1400 reactor from being built in the United States, while the Trump administration is quietly negotiating Korean investment in an American nuclear project. High‑ranking DOE officials met Korean...
Clean Cement Startup Sublime Cuts Jobs After Trump Pulled Funding
Sublime Systems, an MIT‑spun low‑carbon cement startup, announced layoffs affecting roughly two‑thirds of its 90‑person staff after the Trump administration rescinded an $87 million Department of Energy grant. The funding pull forced the company to pause construction of its Holyoke, Massachusetts,...
Illinois to Data Centers: Bring Your Own Renewables and Skip the Line
Illinois lawmakers have introduced the Protecting Our Water, Energy, and Ratepayers (POWER) Act, which would let data centers that procure their own clean power receive fast‑track grid interconnection and guaranteed service. The bill also obliges facilities to pay for transmission...
Draft Bill Would Let Utilities Own Nuclear Plants in Ohio
Ohio’s House Bill 15, which barred utilities from owning generation assets, is being revisited with a draft proposal that would permit utilities to build, own, and operate advanced nuclear facilities, including small modular reactors. The legislation, still in draft form,...
Oil and Gas Workers Find an Easy Segue Into Geothermal Jobs
Oil and gas workers are poised to transition into the fast‑growing enhanced geothermal sector, leveraging their drilling expertise. A 2024 DOE report estimates up to 300,000 U.S. workers possess the necessary skills, while the domestic geothermal workforce has risen to...
Span Looks to Cut Smart Panel Costs with $75M Eaton Partnership
Smart‑panel startup Span announced a strategic partnership with electrical‑equipment giant Eaton, which includes a $75 million investment. The deal aims to drive down the cost of Span’s $3,500 smart panels by tapping Eaton’s manufacturing scale and its extensive distributor and installer...
North Carolinians Band Together to Help Their Neighbors Electrify
North Carolina’s nonprofit coalition has launched Electrify the Triad, a new program that helps households swap gas heating, stoves and water heaters for electric alternatives and install EV chargers. Building on the earlier Solarize the Triad campaign, the initiative partners...
Balcony Solar Is Taking State Legislatures by Storm
Balcony‑mounted plug‑in solar panels are gaining legislative traction, with bills introduced in 28 states and Washington, D.C. that would legalize permission‑less, up‑to‑1,200‑watt devices on renters' and owners' balconies. Utah remains the only state with an explicit law, but lawmakers across...
Gigantic Form Energy Battery to Power Google Data Center in Minnesota
Form Energy’s iron‑air battery will be deployed by Xcel Energy in Minnesota to power a new Google data center. The 300 MW installation can discharge continuously for up to 100 hours, delivering 30 GWh of stored clean energy. Google will also fund 1.4 GW...
How Oregon Is Building Back Smarter After Wildfire
After the 2020 Almeda Fire devastated Oregon’s Rogue Valley, the state paired temporary code relaxations with targeted financial incentives to rebuild homes that are both fire‑resilient and energy‑efficient. Leveraging American Rescue Plan funding and nonprofit programs like Energy Trust of...
Heat Pump Sales Dipped in 2025. They Still Beat Gas Furnaces.
U.S. heat‑pump sales slipped in 2025, yet they still outperformed gas furnaces, with September shipments surpassing central ACs for the first time. A 2024 inventory buildup created a backlog that muted demand, while high upfront costs—median $25,000 versus half that...
A Firm Capturing Carbon at NYC High-Rises Tackles Canadian Gas Pipelines
CarbonQuest, a Spokane‑based startup, is expanding its carbon‑capture technology from New York high‑rise boilers to gas‑fired engines that power compressors on Canadian pipelines. The company secured a $4.1 million grant‑backed contract with Tourmaline to install a containerized vacuum pressure swing absorption...