Renewable Energy Update 10.17.25
Focus
California to invest $226M in offshore wind ports amid federal cuts
Utility Dive – October 14
The California Energy Commission authorized $42.75 million in grants for offshore wind port development this Wednesday, in what commission staff described as the first appropriation of the state’s Climate Bond funds for offshore wind. Last month, California state lawmakers also authorized $225.7 million in spending for offshore wind ports and related facilities through June 2030, with funds coming from a $10 billion Climate Bond approved by voters in 2024. The construction of supportive ports and transmission systems in California is critical to deploying commercial floating offshore wind by the mid-2030s, according to a survey by offshore wind industry trade association Oceantic.
News
Governor Newsom signs new bill strengthening battery plant safety
Monterey Herald – October 13
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed new legislation aimed at tightening safety standards for future battery storage projects across California. Senate Bill 283, authored by Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), requires battery developers to work directly with local fire agencies before construction begins. The new law also mandates safety inspections before a facility can go online, with the cost of those inspections covered by the facility owner.
Renewable energy is booming despite federal efforts to slow it
The New York Times – October 14
Companies are racing to install solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries the size of shipping containers before federal tax credits expire or become harder to claim. The pipeline is so big that analysts widely expect the United States to add record — or near-record — amounts of renewable energy and batteries through 2027. BloombergNEF, a research firm, recently raised its forecast for how much wind, solar, and batteries the country would add next year by more than 10 percent.
Projects
DOI: Massive Nevada solar project could still move forward with different approach
The Nevada Independent – October 14
The Las Vegas-sized Esmeralda 7 solar project planned for Esmeralda County, Nevada, is still viable but is moving forward with a different approach, the Department of Interior (DOI) confirmed on Tuesday to The Nevada Independent. Esmeralda 7 comprises seven distinct but geographically contiguous utility-scale solar projects spanning tens of thousands of acres. When the project was introduced, a programmatic level environmental analysis was being performed that would look at the broader environmental effects of the projects as a whole rather than the individual projects. Instead, through what the DOI statement called “routine discussions,” it was determined that the applicants will now submit individual project proposals for review.
Winchester solar + storage project on the books in Arizona
Solar Power World – October 15
Torch Clean Energy will build the Winchester solar + storage project in Cochise County, Arizona. The twin 80 MW solar projects will be supported by 160 MW/640 MWh of energy storage from Fluence Energy. Delivery is expected in early 2027.
Caltrain electrified trains return power to grid, offsetting energy costs
CBS News – October 8
For decades, Caltrain has been known for what it takes off the roads. Now, it’s being rewarded for what it puts back into the power grid. More than a year after completing its $2.5 billion electrification project, Caltrain’s entire fleet now runs on renewable power: solar, wind, and clean energy supplied by Peninsula Clean Energy and San Jose Clean Energy.
PowerBank inks solar + storage PPA with New York military forces agency
Renewables Now – October 15
PowerBank Corporation will install 19 MW of solar and 1 MW/2 MWh of battery storage capacity in New York to supply green electricity to the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs (DMNA). PowerBank will build ground-mounted and rooftop solar plants, as well as parking canopies and battery energy storage systems on land owned by the DNMA.
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