WEEKEND NEWS CODEX: Solar Interconnection Delays; BTM Thermal Energy Storage; Rising Electricity Prices
CPUC Urged to Hold PG&E and SCE "to Account" for Solar Interconnection Delays: "A group of California legislators has called on the state Public Utilities Commission to hold two utilities accountable for delays in connecting solar PV and energy storage capacity to the grid. 18 legislators penned an open letter to the California Public Utilities Commission this week, urging the regulator to hold Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison to account for 'repeatedly missing state-mandated timelines to interconnect solar and storage.' Californians installing solar or energy storage capacity need approval from their utility before they can interconnect with the grid. The CPUC has introduced mandatory timeframes for those approvals and a rule that utilities meet those timeframes 95% of the time, but the open letter claims that PG&E and SCE miss some of their deadlines 'as much as 73% of the time.'" PV TECH(additional coverage atSOLAR POWER WORLD)
Electric Big Rigs Get a New Fast-Charge Pit Stop in California: "Terawatt Infrastructure has switched on its newest commercial EV charging hub in Rialto, California, giving electric truck fleets a new high-speed charging stop along one of the US’s busiest freight routes. The hub is situated on the eastbound side of I-10 and is designed for heavy-duty fleet use, particularly for trucks traveling from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach through Southern California’s industrial centers." ELECTREK
Gasoline Prices Are Generally Lower in Red States: "California leads the pack of high-cost gasoline states. Its average gasoline price is $4.64 per gallon, 50% higher than the national average at $3.09 per gallon. It also has the highest state gasoline tax of $0.709 per gallon. Besides the gasoline tax, California has additional hidden fees, including a cap-and-trade program to lower greenhouse gas emissions, a low-carbon fuel program, underground gas storage fees, and a state and local sales tax — all adding to the price of gasoline. While it has oil resources and is the eighth largest producer of oil among the states, its oil production has gone down due to state policies. It has also closed refineries, with two more in the works, which means it will have to import more oil and refined products to meet demand." INSTITUTE FOR ENERGY RESEARCH
How Batteries, Not Natural Gas, Can Power the Data Center Boom: "By putting in batteries [at data centers], you’re actually lowering everyone else’s electricity bill, because you’re adding capacity." YALE ENVIRONMENT 360
Macro Problems for Microgrids in California: "One of the central barriers is the role of the investor-owned utilities, particularly PG&E, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric. Utilities control the wires and interconnection points, which means that every community microgrid must navigate a utility approval process. These processes are lengthy, costly, and often designed to preserve utility control rather than empower local resilience. As a result, even communities eager to build clean, independent microgrids frequently face years of delay. Moreover, in many cases, implementing a microgrid project is nearly impossible due to regulatory obstacles designed to prevent utilities from losing customers, with the “over-the-fence” rule being the most significant barrier." PV MAGAZINE
Nostromo's Thermal ESS Participates in CAISO Energy Market: "The IceBrick is installed at the Beverly Hilton Hotel and also serves the adjacent Waldorf Astoria. Israel-headquartered technology company Nostromo claims it is the first behind-the-meter thermal energy storage system to participate in the CAISO wholesale energy market as a standalone demand response resource, through a partnership with distributed energy resource integration provider Olivine." ENERGY STORAGE NEWS
PG&E Poll – Majority of Californians Support Powerline Undergrounding for Wildfire Mitigation: "PG&E said Nov. 19 that after energizing 1,000 miles of underground powerlines in October, the poll found that nearly 90 percent of Californians surveyed supported the energy company burying power lines to eliminate nearly all wildfire risk posed by that equipment. The poll also showed that more than 70 percent of respondents think that their energy company should be investing more in undergrounding power lines, when compared to less costly mitigation tactics, such as installing covered conductors or implementing proactive outages to prevent ignitions." DAILY ENERGY INSIDER
The Rhyme and Reason Behind Rising Electricity Prices: "According to S&P Global, the largest rate increase requests filed in 2025 belong to the following:
Florida Power & Light Company [FPL] ($2,472,100,000)
Consolidated Edison Company in New York [Con Ed] ($1,608,400,000)
Pacific Gas & Electric Company in California ($1,842,000,000 combined)
Virginia Electric & Power Company [Dominion] ($1,169,000,000)
Arizona Public Service Company [APS] ($662,400,000)
DTE Electric Company in Michigan ($574,100,000)." ENERGY BAD BOYS
