Small component, big impact: Bidirectional contactors and their role in advanced ESS design

CPS Energy has issued a request for proposal (RFP) to acquire up to 400 megawatts (MW) of wind energy through one or more Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). This initiative is part of the utility's Vision 2027 generation plan to address the increasing energy needs for the growing community. The RFP marks the first time in over a decade that CPS Energy has specifically sought proposals for wind projects. CPS Energy's target to contract up to 400 MW of wind capacity would bring the utility's total wind generation to 1,467 MW.

"Increasing wind capacity is good for customers and strengthens our diverse and sustainable energy portfolio," said President and CEO of CPS Energy Rudy D. Garza. "While it can't replace baseload sources like natural gas and nuclear, wind energy is crucial to balance our grid demands. This is the reason why we have a comprehensive approach to our generation mix."

CPS Energy currently has approximately 1,067 MW of wind generation in its portfolio, maintaining its position as the second-largest buyer of wind energy in the state. This latest solicitation follows CPS Energy's recent announcement of an agreement with Avangrid to add an additional 160.8 MW of wind to its existing portfolio.

The utility's RFP supports CPS Energy's Vision 2027 plan, which contemplates the retirement of 2,541 MW of older generation capacity before 2030. As part of this future generation plan, since 2023, CPS Energy has added 1,735 MW of natural gas, 113 MW of wind capacity, 480 MW of solar, and 50 MW of energy storage. It has another 254 MW of solar and 470 MW of energy storage under contract.

These efforts also align with CPS Energy's commitment to the City of San Antonio's Climate Action & Adaptation Plan (CAAP), which includes a Board of Trustees resolution to support the CAAP's goal to become carbon neutral by 2050 with interim goals of reducing greenhouse gas 71% by 2040.

CPS Energy will be accepting proposals for projects 20 MW and greater in capacity. The deadline for interested bidders to submit a proposal is Friday, August 29, 2025, by 5 p.m. Central Time.

Submissions must be made using the Power Advocate Portal link.

CPS Energy | https://www.cpsenergy.com/

Franklin Electric Co., Inc. (NASDAQ: FELE) announced that Jennifer Wolfenbarger has been appointed Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Accounting Officer. As a core member of the executive leadership team, Wolfenbarger will help shape the company’s financial future by enabling growth and overseeing fiscal accountability for the entire organization.

Wolfenbarger has served in divisional CFO roles at some of the country’s most recognizable and growth-minded manufacturing companies, including Caterpillar, Stryker and most recently Owens Corning. In her role at Owens Corning, Wolfenbarger oversaw strategic planning, investor relations, compliance and financial reporting for the company’s $4 billion global insulation business. This included 50 manufacturing and distribution sites around the world.

“Jennifer’s experience is exceptional, and we could not have selected a more well-rounded and dynamic candidate to fill this position,” said Joe Ruzynski, CEO of Franklin Electric. “She is value-driven to the core, and her passion for implementing continuous improvement will be an incredible asset to our people, our shareholders and our customers.”

Throughout Wolfenbarger’s career, she has lent her financial expertise to her community, serving as the Treasurer on three not-for-profit boards. While at Owens Corning, she was the executive sponsor for the company’s Latin America Women’s Initiative Network, and she often mentors at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, providing professional guidance. Her career has taken her to the United Kingdom, Brazil, the Netherlands, Maryland, Michigan, South Carolina, Georgia, Illinois and Ohio. She is excited to be returning to her Indiana roots in her new role and will be relocating to the Fort Wayne area.

“This is an incredible opportunity to support Franklin Electric’s commitment to growth and innovation,” said Wolfenbarger. “I’m thrilled to work alongside a highly talented and dedicated global team that values collaboration, teamwork, growth and development.”

Franklin Electric | https://www.franklin-electric.com/

Zenobē, the UK’s leading owner and operator of grid-scale battery storage, has announced plans for The Shetland Standby Project, a 68MW battery energy storage system (BESS) in Lerwick in Shetland.

This pioneering battery solution will be the crucial next step in connecting Shetland’s distribution network to the mainland grid and it will maintain security of supply for Shetland’s homes and businesses with reduced emissions. It will allow Lerwick Power Station to operate in standby only, thus cutting emissions and utilising more renewables on the islands.

The Shetland Standby Project is scheduled to go live in 2026 and will have advanced technology like grid-forming inverters and AC choppers. The use of an AC chopper is an innovative step toward strengthening the grid, as it helps absorb excess wind power during shutdowns.

Zenobē has secured c.£60m of non-recourse project finance debt from leading energy transition lenders Natwest, Lloyds and Siemens to fund the buildout of the project.

The site marks another milestone in Zenobē’s Scottish battery portfolio, which now includes over 1.2GW of capacity either live or under construction – supporting the UK Government’s mission to achieve a decarbonised power grid by 2030.

Following a regulated tender process, SSEN Distribution appointed Zenobē to provide this service due to their technical battery expertise, including launching Europe’s largest battery in March 2025 at Blackhillock, Moray in the north east of Scotland, the first in the world to provide stability services.

Commenting, Zenobē Founder Director James Basden said: “This project combines a battery with an AC chopper in Shetland to maintain security of supply, ensuring homes and businesses continue to receive the power they need in the event of a transmission system outage, while reducing emissions and utilising more renewables in Shetland.

“It marks an important step in the islands’ transition to a clean and resilient energy system and we’re proud to bring our battery expertise to a project that will reduce reliance on fossil fuels on the island network.”

Commenting, SSEN Distribution’s Project Manager Nathan Coote said: “We’ve long been committed to delivering a sustainable, whole system solution to decarbonise Shetland’s grid while maintaining security of supply.

“This standby project, once completed, will mean that communities in Shetland will have the reassurance that during a planned outage, or in the event of there being a temporary issue with Shetland’s connection to mainland Scotland, power to homes and businesses will be maintained seamlessly, with the battery providing supply while Lerwick Power Station is safely brought out of standby.”

Zenobē | https://www.zenobe.com/

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution | https://www.ssen.co.uk/

Ore Energy, the Netherlands-based iron-air long-duration energy storage startup, announced that it has successfully connected its flagship iron-air battery system to the electric grid in the city of Delft - the first known iron-air system to be grid-connected and fully operational in the world. The pilot system is also the first multi-day long-duration energy storage (LDES) to be entirely designed, built, and installed within the European Union using materials that can be sourced exclusively within Europe. The first-of-its-kind deployment represents a significant technological milestone in long-duration energy storage and marks a defining moment in European energy sovereignty and resilience.

Ore Energy's pilot system - which uses iron, air, and water to store clean energy for up to 100 hours - was deployed at The Green Village, a testing ground for next-generation climate and energy innovations located at The Delft University of Technology (TU Delft). The system charges by using electricity to convert iron oxides (such as rust) back into metallic iron. During discharge, the metallic iron reacts with oxygen from the air to form iron oxides again, releasing electrical energy in the process. The installation is now collecting real-world operational data and will serve as a testbed for multi-day energy shifting, which is a key milestone on the way to full renewable grid integration. Ore Energy's full-scale system will use modular 40-foot containers, each delivering multiple MWh of multi-day energy storage, optimized for low-cost, low-footprint deployment.

"This achievement is proof that Europe can lead the world in energy innovation and energy resilience. We've shown that breakthrough solutions like iron-air can move from lab to grid in just two years and can be built entirely with a European supply chain," said Aytaç Yilmaz, co-founder and CEO at Ore Energy. "Our battery doesn't just store clean energy, it solves three of the grid's biggest problems: it slashes curtailment, replaces fossil backup, and reduces the need to overbuild wind and solar. Long-duration storage like ours is what makes renewable power reliable, affordable, and sovereign. And now it's ready."

"The Green Village exists to bring bold ideas out of the lab and into the real world. Ore Energy's iron-air battery is exactly that kind of breakthrough," said Lidewij van Trigt, Energy Transition Project Manager at The Green Village. "Connecting the first grid-ready iron-air system here in Delft shows what's possible when research, regulation, and industry align. We're proud to provide a proving ground for technologies that will shape the future of Europe's energy system."

Ore Energy | https://www.oreenergy.com/

Constellation (Nasdaq: CEG), the nation’s largest producer of emissions-free, reliable energy and a leading energy supplier to businesses, homes and public sector customers, and GridBeyond, an international leader in Front of the Meter, Behind the Meter, and demand response (DR) grid solutions, are collaborating to use GridBeyond’s AI-powered predictive analytics platform to help business customers in PJM cut costs by reducing energy use during peak periods. Beyond the cost savings, DR also helps solve an urgent problem for grid operators and power generation owners: how to meet rising demand for reliable energy at a time when, outside of a handful of peak hours, the grid is vastly under-utilized. At scale, this new offering could help significantly reduce strain on the grid when energy supply is tight, lowering costs for all energy consumers and reducing the need to build new, expensive and unnecessary generation facilities.

A recent study by Duke University confirmed that much of America’s growing demand for energy could easily be met if some large energy users curtailed their energy use for just a few hours of the year. That’s because the electric grid was designed to serve the maximum electricity demand at any time, such as a sweltering hot July weekday, even though up to a third of that generation sits idle 80 percent of the time, on temperate fall or spring days or during nights and weekends. As a result, the grid is underutilized outside of peak periods. The Duke study confirmed that if large energy users were financially incentivized to cut energy use by just 0.25 percent, the U.S. could absorb 76 gigawatts of additional energy consumption without building a single new power plant. To put that into perspective, reaching 76 gigawatts would require construction of approximately 127 combined cycle gas plants, more than 21,000 wind turbines or 190 million solar panels. The average duration of curtailment would be just 1.7 hours per year, during which a large energy user could reduce or pause their operations, shift workload to other facilities or switch to backup generators.

“This demand response platform is a better, cheaper, and faster way to meet America’s growing energy needs, help win the AI race, and lower costs for consumers,” said Joe Dominguez, president and CEO of Constellation. “As the energy provider for 75 percent of America’s Fortune 100 companies, Constellation is well positioned to explore and eventually scale up this new and improved DR program. It’s just one of the ways we’re putting AI to work to solve one of the nation’s biggest challenges, the growing need for always-on power.”

DR programs were once a popular and effective tool for price protection and grid stability during peak demand periods, but that changed when U.S. electricity prices dropped, and the financial benefits fell short of what many businesses considered worthwhile. Today DR is getting a second look, thanks to advances in the accuracy of AI data modelling, tighter energy supplies, rising costs and the expansion of U.S. data centers.

Today’s announcement comes shortly after PJM, the nation’s largest grid operator, released the results of its most recent capacity auction, which attracted nearly 2,700 megawatts of new generation but no increase in DR resources. This new AI-powered program will add new DR resources in PJM by offering business customers an unprecedented opportunity to cut energy costs and unlock new revenue streams, helping market operators maintain system reliability.

GridBeyond’s AI platform provides a digital twin model of a customer’s site that enables it to virtually model scenarios that can deliver real-time energy optimization and help customers save money by participating in the economic rewards of grid-balancing services. This collaboration can also help lower customers’ energy costs and relieves pressure on the grid during the critical few hours per year when electricity use peaks and costs significantly spike.

“GridBeyond has long been committed to helping its customers manage energy consumption,” said Michael Phelan, Chief Executive Officer of GridBeyond. “We are delighted about our collaboration with Constellation that will bring innovative solutions that deliver both cost savings and sustainability benefits that empower businesses to take control of their energy usage.”

Unlike traditional DR tools, GridBeyond’s platform integrates predictive analytics and advanced metering capabilities, allowing customers to use real-time grid data and automated systems to control which of their operations to curtail to maximize DR revenues and cost savings while minimizing disruption to overall operations. GridBeyond also brings the ability to isolate loads at a sub-meter level, which gives customers detailed information about the energy use of each system or piece of equipment in their operations.

Constellation has been working to meet America’s growing energy needs by increasing output from its nuclear plants, restarting the Crane Clean Energy Center in Pennsylvania and extending the operating licenses of its nuclear fleet. The GridBeyond collaboration is another part of Constellation’s broader strategy to ensure adequate sources of clean energy are available on the grid and provide innovative solutions for its consumers that can be implemented in the short term and have outsized positive impact on the grid in the long term.

Constellation Energy | www.constellation.com

GridBeyond | www.gridbeyond.com

Electrum, a leading home electrification marketplace provider,, in partnership with Nissan, launched a one-stop online marketplace for U.S. Nissan customers. NISSAN ENERGY Marketplace (https://nissanenergymarketplace.com) streamlines the home electrification process by offering a comprehensive solution for purchasing and installing EV chargers, rooftop solar panels, energy storage systems, and other electrification products and services. The Electrum home electrification platform has supported tens of thousands of homeowners on their electrification journey and powers more than a dozen branded marketplaces for leading utilities and global automakers.

Nissan customers benefit from a personalized experience through Electrum's concierge service, which includes unbiased Energy Advisors and dedicated customer support to help evaluate bids from Electrum's trusted network of pre-vetted contractors nationwide. Electrum's advisors simplify the decision-making process by partnering with homeowners throughout the entire process. Electrum advisors ensure homeowners understand the latest home energy technologies, maximize available incentives, and design a tailored solution that fits each household's unique energy needs and budget.

"We are thrilled to bring our home electrification expertise to Nissan and support their EV owners on the path to a fully electrified lifestyle," said Max Aram, CEO of Electrum. "Together, we are breaking down the barriers to home electrification, making it easier than ever for Nissan customers to harness clean energy and take charge of their energy future."

Nissan has long been at the forefront of the electric mobility movement, and this partnership represents a commitment to simplifying the home electrification experience for EV owners. With the new marketplace, Nissan owners will be able to confidently install the infrastructure needed to support their vehicles and extend their commitment to sustainability to the rest of their home, further reducing their carbon footprint.

Electrum | www.electrum.co

Nissan USA | nissanusa.com

Driivz, a Vontier (NYSE: VNT) company and leading global software supplier to EV charging operators and service providers, announced a partnership with ezVOLTz to install its EV charging and energy management software to enable ezVOLTz’s Charging as a Service (CaaS) solution.

ezVOLTz is an end-to-end managed service provider for EV charging infrastructure, serving state and local governments in addition to businesses, retail locations and EV fleets. ezVOLTz’s comprehensive CaaS solution includes hardware-agnostic charger installation paired with ezCONNECT Management Software, which optimizes data gathering, reporting, billing and transaction processing.

As ezVOLTz continues to expand CaaS services to commercial and government clients nationwide, this partnership will incorporate Driivz’s EV Charging Management platform into ezVOLTz’s existing operations. The two companies are focused on providing ezVOLTz customers with seamless charging experiences. Driivz and ezVOLTz will work together to maintain ezVOLTz’s goal of maximizing uptime with Driivz’s round-the-clock monitoring of network health. They will also leverage Driivz’s Alert Management System (AMS) to identify and resolve charger issues in real-time to maximize charger stability and availability. By using auto-detection and self-healing algorithms, Driivz can fix up to 80% of charger issues remotely and automatically without needing to dispatch a field technician for maintenance.

“EV adoption is surging, and drivers and the companies and entities that serve them need smart, connected and reliable charging options,” said ezVOLTz CEO Sam Malhotra. “The Driivz team and their smart charging and energy management solutions are a natural fit in bolstering our services. With their help, we’re looking forward to maintaining our reputation as a do-it-all charging company with technology and chargers that get more drivers where they need to go.”

Driivz’s platform will enable ezVOLTz to scale charging network operations by easily adding new chargers and providing detailed analytical insights into utilization rates, time of day usage patterns and more. This will pinpoint trends to identify optimal locations for new charger deployments and network expansion. As part of the partnership, Driivz will support the ezVOLTz app, which offers an extensive directory of every charging option available nationwide for seamless trip planning and navigation around precise charging waypoints.

“As the e-mobility transition continues to unfold, reliability and ease-of-use are two of the most important considerations for EV drivers,” said Andrew Bennett, CEO of Driivz. “We’re proud to partner with ezVOLTz in delivering seamless and reliable charging to their customers. Businesses, fleets, and city, state and local governments all deserve end-to-end charging that fits their unique needs.”

Driivz | https://driivz.com/

ezVOLTz | www.ezvoltz.com