Key takeaways
- $10 million was just lately granted to a clear power growth mission in Los Angeles County.
- Builders stored sharp eyes on state authorities newsletters so they’d be able to pounce on grant alternatives.
- California isn’t the one state funding clear power tasks.
In some uncommon excellent news for the clear power sector, Quino Power and Lengthy Hill Power Companions, a water-based stream battery developer and a clear power developer, respectively, have been awarded a $10 million grant from the California Power Fee. The funding will help the event of an 8 megawatts per hour stream battery power storage mission for the Excessive Desert Regional Well being Middle (HDRHC) in Los Angeles County.
“As soon as put in, the stream battery will present essential power resiliency and can be projected to save lots of as much as $10 million in power prices for LA County’s hospital,” mentioned Ed Chiao, managing director of Lengthy Hill Power Companions, in a press release.
Funded via the Fee’s Power Analysis and Improvement Division’s Electrical Program Funding Cost Program, the battery is predicted to final 20 years. The distinguishing characteristic of stream batteries, which provides them that longer life, is electrolyte tanks. These retailer power that may be disbursed as wanted.
Discovering the chance was easy sufficient, mentioned Eugene Beh, Quino Power CEO and founder.
“We’re subscribed to information about grant funding alternatives from the California Power Fee,” mentioned Beh, “so we knew about it after which talked with Lengthy Hill Power Companions to companion up.”
One issue that drew Quino to Lengthy Hill Power was their progress concerning a mission web site.
“The HDRHC was a web site we had earlier recognized as a super candidate to host a know-how demonstration mission,” mentioned Chiao, explaining that the anticipated long-term financial advantages of the mission impressed Los Angeles County sufficient to safe allowing.
The state-funded mission opens doorways for different alternatives. As soon as Quino’s stream battery is put in on the well being middle, a close-by photo voltaic carport shall be expanded to connect with the identical grid and feed photo voltaic power into the middle. Quino and Lengthy Hill Power’s mission offered photo voltaic firms and native contractors the extra work.
A horny funding various
In a time when federal monies for clear power know-how is virtually non-existent, state-level funding is a lovely various. Quino Power and Lengthy Hill Power Companions should not California’s first clear power funding this 12 months. The state awarded $500 million in direction of a zero-emission college bus program, and its power fee is accepting purposes for a Rural Electrical Automobile Charging 2.0 grant, which is able to award as much as $10 million in funds for light-duty electrical car charging infrastructure in rural California.
And California isn’t the one state with funds for clear power tasks. All 50 have numerous funding alternatives for native companies. Pennsylvania, for instance, has its Renewable Power Program, which offers grants to advertise using geothermal and wind power, whereas Maryland simply closed purposes for its FY25 Photo voltaic Cover and Twin Use Expertise Grant Program.
And Beh famous that “there are different grants in New York which may very well be in scope.”
