LGCY Power Expands Residential Solar Business Through National Homebuilder Partnerships

Panasonic announced that they are discontinuing their solar and battery storage business line. This change allows will allow them to focus on areas where they believe they can have the greatest strategic impact. Panasonic remains confident in the technology and is grateful to their partners and customers who have supported this journey.

On their website, Panasonic says it is committed to a smooth transition and will continue to provide customer support to existing customers, as well as future customers who are undergoing installations and commissioning — all warranties will be honored for both installed products and those not yet installed. Where third-party warranties apply, Panasonic will continue to support their customers by providing clear direction and points of contact. Support remains available via their website. For more information, contact them through their dedicated solar and battery storage email: [email protected]

Panasonic | https://solar.na.panasonic.com/

Mitra EV, a leader in fleet electrification and charging infrastructure, is removing EV adoption barriers for small and medium fleet owners. On Thursday, May 15th, the company will host a ribbon-cutting of its newest fleet charging hubs in Rancho Cordova—at Sierra Pacific (2576 Mercantile Dr.) and Aztec Solar (11370 Trade Center Dr. #3)—from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Featuring key industry leaders, policymakers, and partners, the event marks a significant milestone in Mitra EV's mission to accelerate fleet adoption of electric vehicles and overcome grid bottlenecks to charger deployment.

The event will highlight Project REEF, a U.S. Department of Energy-supported initiative that sets the national standard for scalable, revenue-generating EV infrastructure. With partners across California, Colorado, Ohio, and Georgia, Project REEF revolutionizes fleet electrification by offering turnkey solutions that eliminate key barriers for small and medium businesses (SMBs). The project has already catalyzed additional growth—eleven more charging hubs are under construction.

Tim Taylor, Executive Director of the Sacramento Clean Cities Coalition, addressed the substantial hurdles SMBs face in adopting EVs: "While EVs offer significant savings, high upfront costs, complex charging setups, and extensive bureaucratic processes often sideline smaller businesses. Mitra EV's innovative model removes these barriers, ensuring that no fleet is left behind." 

SMBs represent the backbone of commercial fleets—99% of fleets in California have fewer than 50 trucks, according to the California Air Resource Board—yet they face the steepest challenges in transitioning to electric.

"Mitra EV's model is designed from the ground up for SMBs," said James Tong, CEO of Mitra EV. "We're not just deploying chargers and vehicles—we're building a path to electrification that's financially accessible, operationally simple, and scalable nationwide. Project REEF shows what's possible with public and private sector collaboration."

Mitra EV's turnkey fleet electrification solutions allow SMBs to electrify with no upfront costs, while saving 30–50% on fuel and maintenance. The company handles EV procurement, charging installation, and compliance—simplifying the transition for fleet operators.

The May 15 event will include technology demonstrations, discussions with early adopters, and networking with investors, media, and policy leaders.

Mitra EV | www.mitra-ev.com

The American Clean Power Association (ACP), on behalf of the U.S. energy storage industry, announced a historic commitment to invest $100 billion into building and buying American-made grid batteries. This investment is expected to fuel the creation of 350,000 jobs across the battery energy storage industry and transform the United States into a global battery manufacturing leader.  

This announcement aligns with actions taken by the Trump Administration to unleash American energy and develop critical mineralsin the United States. The industry’s investment will advance a manufacturing expansion in the United States with the aim of enabling American-made batteries to meet 100% of domestic energy storage project demand.   

“The energy storage industry is providing essential power when needed most while boosting domestic manufacturing and creating jobs across the country,” said Jason Grumet, CEO of ACP. “Today’s historic commitment will invest billions of dollars into American communities and position the United States as a manufacturing leader in battery technology that is critical to national and grid security.”   

Building a Pathway to 100% American-Made Grid Batteries 

The U.S. energy storage industry is committed to investing $100 billion in American grid batteries, including both capital for building new battery manufacturing facilities and procurement of American-made batteries for U.S. energy storage projects. Through this commitment, the industry will advance American battery manufacturing leadership, enhance U.S. energy security, provide energy affordability and reliability, and drive international competitiveness.

This investment represents a clear pathway to supplying 100% of U.S. energy storage projects with American-made batteries by 2030. A pro-business environment, supported by stable tax and trade policy and streamlined permitting, is essential to the industry fulfilling this commitment. 

Booming U.S. Energy Storage Deployments Fuel Manufacturing Resurgence 

Battery energy storage is now a leading energy resource boosting electric grid reliability and keeping energy costs low for families and businesses across America. Since FERC Order 841 was issued in 2018, energy storage deployment has grown 25x. The ongoing growth in energy storage deployment is driving investment in American battery manufacturing facilities.  

The energy storage industry is making significant progress in laying the groundwork for a domestic battery energy storage supply chain, building or expanding more than 25 manufacturing facilities for grid-scale energy storage. With today’s investment commitment, the industry has announced plans to rapidly expand ongoing efforts.  

The Role of Battery Storage in Unleashing American Energy Dominance 

As communities across the country grapple with skyrocketing energy demand, aging grid infrastructure, and concerns over reliability, battery energy storage is providing a ready-to-deploy solution to these challenges.  

Energy storage optimizes all existing power generation, lowering energy bills and hardening the grid against extreme weather events like blizzards and heat waves. As the economy grows, energy storage provides important peaking capacity, freeing up more gas generation to serve as base load and enabling more energy production.  

Energy storage has also been critical for supporting American industrial and technological might, from metals manufacturing in West Virginia to new data centers and AI infrastructure in Texas and Arizona. The need for energy storage resources continues to be strong across the country, as 31 states currently have energy storage projects under construction. 

"Form Energy is proud to be ramping up manufacturing at Form Factory 1 in Weirton, West Virginia, advancing our mission to strengthen the U.S. electric grid with domestically produced, multi-day energy storage. Situated on the historic site of the former Weirton Steel mill—a cornerstone of America’s industrial past—the newly built Form Factory 1 is proving that America’s greatest manufacturing epoch isn’t behind us; it’s unfolding now.” Mateo Jaramillo, Co-founder & CEO of Form Energy, noted, “This investment in American manufacturing not only supports the creation of high-quality jobs in West Virginia but also ensures that the U.S. remains a leader in energy innovation. As the energy storage industry commits to investing $100 billion in American-made grid batteries by 2030, Form Energy is excited to play a key role in building a more reliable, resilient, and secure energy future for our country." 

“Fluence investments in American battery cell, module, enclosure, thermal management, and controls manufacturing are delivering domestic energy storage products starting this year and will help power U.S. economic growth for decades to come,” said John Zahurancik, Fluence President, Americas. “Our manufacturing facilities in Utah, Texas, Tennessee, and Arizona support more reliable and cost-effective energy production while creating a resilient U.S. supply chain that advances American innovation, jobs, and energy security. These investments are about building the future of energy—right here in the United States.” 

“LG Energy Solution is fully committed to expanding US energy storage manufacturing, with our fist factory lines expected to begin production in 2025 in Holland, Michigan, where we will adapt existing lines to provide 16.5 GWh of ESS batteries, with an additional11GWh of capacity planned for the beginning of 2026.” Said Jaehong Park, CEO, LG Energy Solution Vertech. “We have expanded our investment in U.S. manufacturing to meet rising demand; we have currently committed $1.4 billion to our production plan in Holland, MI, with additional investments and capacity expansion to come.” 

“Battery energy storage is keeping the lights on and costs low for consumers across the county. Developers are committed to sourcing batteries made in America to deploy this essential energy resource to more Americans for energy stability and cost savings in the face of increasing demand,” said Stephanie Smith COO, Eolian. “As manufacturers begin ramping up domestic supply, streamlining federal and state policies and permitting processes will make the difference in getting this industry moving quickly and competitively.” 

“Battery energy storage is key to meeting America’s rapidly expanding electricity needs,” said Craig Cornelius, President and CEO of Clearway Energy Group. “As we deploy energy storage at record pace, this investment reflects the industry’s commitment to building these critical grid infrastructure projects with American-made batteries." 

American Clean Power Association | cleanpower.org

Integrated Power Services (IPS), a leading provider of electrical, mechanical, and power management systems, will highlight comprehensive renewables solutions at CleanPower 2025, Tuesday – Thursday, May 20-22, 2025, at booth #1450. On the first day of the show, Tuesday, May 20, attendees are invited to participate in a fun giveaway for a new iPhone 16 Pro by stopping by the IPS booth #1450 and requesting a canvas tote bag. One of the canvas tote bags will have the iPhone 16 Pro inside! Tote bags will be given away while supplies last on the first day of the show only.

With more than 95 locations across the U.S., Canada, UK, and Puerto Rico. IPS delivers both in-shop and field services – custom tailored to each customer – whether you need routine maintenance or 24/7 emergency support. “We provide up-tower, down-tower and substation repairs with rapid response and experienced professionals,” said Jason McDonald, Sr. VP of Renewables at IPS. “IPS has everything you need to support system efficiency and reliability, from advanced diagnostics to engineering support, and with more than $24M in inventory, you can count on immediate access to critical components, reducing lead times and avoiding supply chain delays.”

IPS is also committed to the highest safety and compliance standards in the industry and offers cross-sector expertise. “We deliver safe, proven solutions supporting wind, solar, and energy storage across North America,” said McDonald. From wind turbine generators to solar inverters, IPS has the expertise and service needed to keep your renewable assets running at peak performance.”

For customers who have yet to sign up for the event, IPS is providing a promotional code for a discounted pass. To use the code, go to this registration link: Customer Registration, and enter CUSTOMER25 for 25% off both member and non-member registration rates. The pass provides full access to the tradeshow floor, education sessions (Monday–Thursday), and networking receptions — a great way for customers to engage directly with IPS while receiving a value-added benefit.

IPS leverages deep industry expertise with the largest and most advanced team of engineers and strategic vendor partnerships. “We work closely with our customers to anticipate and prevent issues before they become costly downtime,” said McDonald.

CleanPower is the clean energy industry’s premier event, designed to bring policy leaders, industry experts and other major players together for three days of learning, networking and innovation. This year’s CleanPower event will be held Monday through Thursday, May 19 – 22, 2025, at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, AZ. For more information, visit CleanPower 2025.

Integrated Power Services | www.ips.us

American Battery Technology Company (NASDAQ: ABAT), an integrated critical battery materials company that is commercializing its technologies for both primary battery minerals manufacturing and secondary minerals lithium-ion battery recycling, is pleased to confirm that it has received a Letter of Interest (LOI) from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) for $900 million in financing to support the construction of American Battery Technology Company’s (ABTC) commercial-scale lithium mine and claystone-to-lithium hydroxide refinery near Tonopah, Nevada.

“We appreciate this support from EXIM and are proud of this further validation that our mission is closely aligned with the U.S. government’s dedication to serve the American people," stated American Battery Technology Company CEO Ryan Melsert. “This proposed financial support can greatly accelerate the commercialization of our domestic critical mineral mine and refinery, and we are excited to implement at scale these first-of-kind technologies that we have been demonstrating over the past several years.”

ABTC’s critical mineral lithium mine and refinery project is strongly aligned with EXIM’s “Make More in America” initiative as well as its “China and Transformational Export Program,” both of which provide beneficial financing terms for U.S. companies facing competition from the People’s Republic of China to ensure the United States leads in certain critical export areas, including the domestic manufacturing of critical minerals.

The issuance of this LOI is aligned with the Executive Order from March 20, 2025 titled “Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production” which directs federal agencies, including EXIM, to unlock permitting, funding, and offtake agreements for domestic critical mineral manufacturing facilities. The Executive Order includes near-term actions to be determined and implemented by the agencies to fast-track permits, mobilize capital for mineral producers, and create offtake agreements for strategic stockpiling for minerals critical to the United States’ defense, technology, and energy.

ABTC has partnered with Black & Veatch, a global engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) leader, for the commercial scale design and construction of this 30,000 tonne/year lithium hydroxide refinery project.  In accordance with SEC guidelines, in April 2024, ABTC published its amended Initial Assessment*, which presents the technical and economic study of this project and concluded that this resource is one of the largest known lithium resources in the United States. 

Throughout the world lithium products are generally manufactured from conventional feedstock resources, which include hard rock spodumene materials primarily from western Australia and lithium-rich brines primarily from South America; however, the U.S. does not have large quantities of these conventional resources. As a result, in order to significantly increase U.S. production of battery grade lithium products, ABTC has developed its own low-cost and low-impact technologies to access the lithium within unconventional lithium-rich claystone material that is found in central Nevada to manufacture these battery grade lithium materials domestically.

ABTC’s Tonopah Flats Lithium Project underscores its mission to lead the sustainable advancement of critical battery materials and secure a pivotal role in meeting the U.S.’s growing demand for domestically produced critical mineral lithium. By prioritizing innovation, collaboration, and environmentally responsible practices, ABTC is strengthening the domestic battery supply chain at a time when the demand for U.S.-produced lithium is most critical.

This Letter of Interest does not constitute a commitment of financing.

American Battery Technology Company | https://americanbatterytechnology.com/

Export-Import Bank | www.exim.gov

Stardust Solar Energy Inc. (TSXV: SUN) (the "Company" or "Stardust Solar"), a leading North American franchisor of renewable energy installation services, announced that it has entered into a non-binding letter of intent dated effective April 28, 2025 (the "LOI") with RSBC Global Inc. ("RSBC") for the purposes of exploring a strategic partnership that aims to establish a collaborative framework for warehousing and internal distribution capabilities across Canada, with future expansion opportunities into the United States.

This partnership is expected to enhance Stardust Solar's distribution network, streamlining the supply chain to deliver high-quality solar photovoltaic (PV) products and renewable energy systems more efficiently to meet robust market demand. Pursuant to the terms of the LOI, the proposed primary warehousing facility, strategically located in Owen Sound, Ontario, is expected to serve as a central logistics hub for Stardust Solar's operations, pending mutual agreement and necessary regulatory approvals.

"We believe that this partnership with RSBC Global Inc. represents an important step forward in our mission to streamline operations and scale our renewable energy solutions across North America," said Mark Tadros, CEO and Chairman of Stardust Solar. "Given the severe global supply chain uncertainty that has developed in recent months, we at Stardust felt strongly that now was the time for us to strengthen ours. By internalizing our distribution and warehousing capabilities, we expect to be in a stronger position to deliver greater value to our franchisees, enhance customer service, and capitalize on significant growth opportunities in the renewable energy market."

In parallel, Stardust Solar is actively engaging with international suppliers, including scheduled meetings this week with a leading Chinese import company. These discussions are focused on securing direct product sourcing, which - if successful - is expected to enhance the Company's competitive position by improving cost efficiency and ensuring a reliable supply of products to support its growing franchise network.

This strategic partnership aligns with Stardust Solar's recent expansions, including its entry into 49 new U.S. territories, and sales growth year-over-year in 2024. The move to internalize logistics and distribution functions demonstrates Stardust Solar's proactive approach to managing growth, enhancing profitability, and reinforcing its commitment to sustainable energy adoption.

Completion of the transactions contemplated in the LOI remains subject to the satisfaction of various conditions including, without limitation, the receipt by the Company and RSBC of all necessary corporate and regulatory approvals and other conditions customary for transactions of this nature and entering into a definitive agreement within sixty (60) days. Stardust Solar and RSBC are arm's length parties, and no finder's fees are expected to be paid in connection with the transactions contemplated in the LOI.

Stardust Solar | www.stardustsolar.com

Utilidata, a leader in edge AI technology, announced today that it has secured $60.3 million in Series C funding. The round was led by Renown Capital Partners–an investment firm focused on growth-stage technology companies helping to secure an efficient, affordable, and reliable energy system–with participation from Quanta, NVIDIA, and existing investor Keyframe Capital. Citigroup acted as sole placement agent to Utilidata on the transaction. This funding will enable Utilidata to rapidly scale Karman, its distributed AI platform developed in collaboration with NVIDIA over the last four years. Built on a custom NVIDIA module based on the NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano edge AI platform, Karman can be embedded in any device connected to the energy system. 

“With this round of financing, Utilidata is positioned to deliver a major breakthrough in how the world manages power across the entire energy ecosystem,” said James McIntyre, Co-Founder, CIO & Managing Partner at Renown Capital Partners. “By bringing artificial intelligence to the edge of the grid, Utilidata’s Karman platform will help deliver unprecedented efficiency, resilience, and security to energy infrastructure across the world.”

Rapid growth in data center power demand alone is creating new constraints for grid operators and hyperscalers. By 2030, it is estimated that data center power demand will increase by 160 percent. This growth combined with the global clean energy transition is creating increased complexity on the grid, requiring new and advanced solutions, like edge AI. By enabling high power compute and AI capabilities to be embedded directly into grid infrastructure and data centers, Karman unlocks grid capacity, increases reliability, and reduces carbon emissions. 

Utilidata’s Karman platform is now available for purchase directly from Advantech, the global leader in IoT intelligent systems and embedded platform. This will make it easy for any hardware partners to embed Karman into their equipment. Hubbell Incorporated is already working with Utilidata to embed Karman into smart meters for electric utilities. 

Utilidata’s strategic partnerships are designed to support utilities through every phase of implementing edge AI at scale. The company announced last year afirst-of-its-kind collaboration with Deloitte to support clients in navigating the modern power grid and has now partnered with Quanta Services to support the deployment of AI-enabled infrastructure at scale. 

“Quanta’s expertise in electric infrastructure deployment positions us to help Utilidata scale AI across the grid,” said Andrew Schwaitzberg, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development at Quanta Services. “We look forward to showcasing the power of edge AI at the Quanta Advanced Training Center, and working with our customers and partners to modernize infrastructure. By enabling AI onto the physical grid, we can continue to support infrastructure that is more reliable and resilient as our customers’ needs grow.”

These investments, which will help scale Karman, come as several megatrends converge, including the rise of data centers and growing power demand. Quanta Services brings deep expertise in deploying power grid infrastructure and will play a critical role in ensuring that grid modernization keeps pace with the growing demands. NVIDIA’s AI innovations will help advance the transformative potential of Karman at the grid edge. 

"Electricity has gone from being abundant and predictable to scarce and increasingly unpredictable,” said Josh Brumberger, CEO of Utilidata. “That paradigm shift requires fundamentally new technology and deeper industry collaboration. We’re bringing together a powerful coalition of partners who are committed to scaling AI across the grid to build a modern and dynamic energy system.”

“By embedding AI and accelerated computing at the grid’s edge, Utilidata is unlocking critical insights and enabling utilities and industries to make smarter, more informed decisions,” said John Rapaport, CIO of Keyframe Capital.“These new capabilities, which don’t exist today, will allow the energy industry to do more with existing infrastructure – tapping into valuable capacity on the grid at a time when load is growing rapidly for the first time in decades. 

Utilidata | https://utilidata.com/