EnergyOnline
Services

RSS FEED

EnergyOnline.com rss

News

Graphic Packaging and NextEra Energy Resources Sign 250-MW Virtual Power Purchase Agreement

LCG, April 29, 2026--Graphic Packaging Holding Company today announced a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with NextEra Energy Resources, LLC. With the VPPA agreement, NextEra Energy Resources plans to build the Selenite Springs Energy Center, a 250-MW solar energy facility in West Texas, and Graphic Packaging will be the sole buyer of the facility's renewable energy attribute certificates. Graphic Packaging, a global provider of sustainable consumer packaging, expects the agreement to cover approximately 43 percent of its 2025 electricity usage in the U.S. and Canada. The agreement will advance Graphic Packaging's commitment to source renewable electricity and reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Read more

PJM Announces More Than 800 New Generation Projects Seek to Connect the Grid

LCG, April 29, 2026--PJM Interconnection today announced that 811 new generation projects applied to connect to the grid through the first Cycle of PJM's new reformed interconnection process, which is designed to improve the certainty, speed and discipline of generation project review. In total, the generation applications would be capable of generating 220 GW of electricity.

Read more

Industry News

CPUC Approves SDG&E's Westside Canal Battery Energy Storage Expansion Project

LCG, March 14, 2025--The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved an expansion of San Diego Gas & Electric's (SDG&E) Westside Canal Battery Energy Storage facility. The expansion project is located in California's Imperial Valley and will add 100 MW of energy storage capacity to the existing 131 MW facility. The new capacity is expected to be fully operational by June 2025. Upon completion, the Westside Canal facility, with a total capacity of 231 MW, will be the largest storage asset in SDG&E's utility-owned battery storage portfolio.

SDG&E expects its utility-owned battery storage portfolio to approach 480 MW of power capacity and more than 1.9 GWh of energy storage by year-end, including the Westside Canal expansion and two additional projects in San Diego County currently under construction.

The Chief Executive Officer of SDG&E stated, "The expansion of Westside Canal is a critical step toward strengthening our region's energy resiliency and advancing California's clean-energy goals. By increasing storage capacity, we can allow more clean energy to be efficiently stored and dispatched when it's needed most, helping to create a more resilient and sustainable grid for our communities."

SDG&E claims that the expansion of Westside Canal will enhance grid reliability and efficiency. First, the storage system will provide backup power to ensure sufficient electricity supply during peak-demand periods. Second, the system will help maintain a stable and reliable power supply by supporting grid functions such as frequency regulation and voltage control. Third, the system will store excess energy (e.g., output from intermittent renewables) when demand is low and discharge it when demand is high, enabling more efficient energy use and more stable electricity prices. Lastly, the system will improve power flow efficiency and grid stability by storing energy near generation sources and releasing it when transmission line congestion is lower.

Battery storage is also seen by SDG&E as a means to improve energy affordability through securing federal tax credits to reduce electric infrastructure costs. SDG&E stated that it was able to lower the average electric delivery bill for residential customers for the second year in a row, in part, because SDG&E returned $200 million in federal tax credits to customers for recently completed battery storage.

SDG&E is not alone in developing battery storage systems in California. Battery storage capacity statewide increased from 500 MW in 2019 to more than 13,300 MW in 2024, when over 4,000 MW of new battery storage was added.
Copyright © 2026 LCG Consulting. All rights reserved. Terms and Copyright
UPLAN-NPM
The Locational Marginal Price Model (LMP) Network Power Model
Uniform Storage Model
A Battery Simulation Model
UPLAN-ACE
Day Ahead and Real Time Market Simulation
UPLAN-G
The Gas Procurement and Competitive Analysis System
PLATO
Database of Plants, Loads, Assets, Transmission...
CAISO CRR Auctions
Monthly Price and Congestion Forecasting Service