Protecting Our Grid Lines

PV Hardware USA (PVH USA), a global leader in solar tracking and foundation solutions, announced it has expanded capacity to immediately Safe Harbor 10GW of tracker product, doubling its previously announced capacity of 5GW by leveraging not only its existing U.S. stock but also its domestic manufacturing capabilities. This will enable solar developers to have a critical opportunity to preserve eligibility for current clean energy tax credits amid legislative uncertainty. 

The announcement follows passage in the U.S. House of Representatives of a budget‑reconciliation bill that would substantially scale back clean‑energy incentives established under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). While the measure still awaits Senate consideration, developers face a narrowing window to protect project economics. 

“Developers need to be prepared to act quickly,” said Rodolfo Bitar, VP of Business Development at PVH USA. “We are ready should this bill become law to provide whatever support our partners need in order to meet all requirements and take advantage of this capacity.” 

5 % CAPEX Safe Harbor — act now 

Under current Internal Revenue Service guidelines, projects can maintain eligibility for today’s higher tax‑credit values by demonstrating that at least 5% of total capital expenditures (CAPEX) have been incurred before any new legislation takes effect. Procuring key tracker components now can be a strategic step in preserving incentives and minimizing risk. PVH USA’s readiness to Safe Harbor up to 10 GW of product via in‑country stock on hand and flexible manufacturing lines enables developers to meet the 5 % threshold quickly and decisively. 

Expanding U.S. manufacturing footprint 

PVH continues to expand its U.S. presence and increase self‑manufacturing operations, demonstrating a deep commitment to domestic manufacturing and long‑term support for utility‑scale developers. The company’s planned additional 5 GW manufacturing expansion on top of existing capacity will further strengthen U.S. supply resilience and allow PVH to respond swiftly to evolving market needs and policy changes. 

“We are able to act decisively precisely because of our long-term strategy of investing in U.S. capacity and domestic manufacturing,” Bitar said. “Because of this, we are able to provide immediate help to developers in light of potentially impactful legislation.” 

IRA impact by the numbers 

Enacted in 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act represents the nation’s most significant investment in clean energy, allocating billions in tax incentives for renewable generation, home‑energy efficiency, and electric‑vehicle adoption. The IRA is credited with creating more than 330,000 clean‑energy jobs and unlocking over $70 billion in private investment. The Solar Energy Industries Association projects that U.S. solar employment will double by 2033 and that installed solar capacity will reach 440 GW by 2029. 

PV Hardware | https://pvhardware.com/

Energy Vault Holdings Inc. (NYSE: NRGV) ("Energy Vault" or the “Company”), a leader in sustainable, grid-scale energy storage solutions, and Jupiter Power (“Jupiter”), a leading developer and operator of utility-scale battery energy storage projects in the United States, announced the signing of an agreement for the supply of an additional battery energy storage system (BESS) at a Jupiter site in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) region. Today’s announcement follows the July 2024 completion of an initial 100 MW/200 MWh BESS.

This new BESS will add 100 MW/200 MWh of critical dispatchable capacity to the ERCOT grid, further advancing grid resiliency. Construction of the project is underway, with commercial operations expected to commence by the end of this summer.

The BESS system will be built with the Energy Vault’s proprietary X-Vault integration platform using Energy Vault’s proprietary UL9540 certified B-VAULT product, and VaultOS Energy Management System to control, manage and optimize the BESS operations. Energy Vault’s innovative system architecture provides customer optionality with both battery and inverter suppliers, while unique AC-coupled and DC-coupled configurations provide the drop-in flexibility needed for any project.

"As one of the largest battery storage developers and operators in the U.S., we look for partners who can keep pace with our ambition and scale. With more than 2,500 MWh in operation or construction, we’re excited to continue building with Energy Vault at this critical site and appreciate their ability to deliver solutions tailored to our needs,” said Michael Geier, Chief Technology Officer, Jupiter Power.

“Today’s expansion of our partnership with Jupiter Power stands as a testament to the strength of our team’s collaborative approach to delivering reliable, safe, and efficient energy storage solutions to customers,” said Marco Terruzzin, Chief Commercial and Product Officer, Energy Vault. “Jupiter’s BESS projects portfolio has reached a critical mass in ERCOT and we’re proud to continue serving as a partner to Jupiter Power in the ultimate endeavor to decarbonize the grid in an economically effective fashion.”

Today’s announcement serves as yet another milestone in the ongoing partnership between Energy Vault and Jupiter Power, which began in 2022 with the announcement of an agreement to secure 2.4 GWh of supply chain equipment and services that will be integrated and delivered through Energy Vault's hardware and software management platform in Jupiter Power's battery energy storage projects. To date, Energy Vault’s B-VAULT portfolio consists of more than 2 GWh in total projects either deployed or currently in development.

Energy Vault | www.energyvault.com 

Jupiter Power | www.jupiterpower.io

StellarJet, a pioneer in hydrogen-powered aviation, is proud to announce the unveiling of two groundbreaking innovations that bring the hydrogen aviation revolution closer to reality: a revolutionary Solid-State Hydrogen Storage Unit and a next-generation Electric Ducted Fan (EDF).

These two core technologies mark major milestones in the development of the hydrogen-powered StellarJet aircraft — an ultra-efficient, zero-emission platform designed to redefine the standards of clean flight.

The first innovation — StellarJet's solid-state hydrogen fuel tank — achieves a system-level hydrogen content of 23% wt, offering 6.6 kWh/kg energy density and a safe operating pressure from 20 to 350 bar. Capable of functioning between -60°C and +80°C, the system enables fast refueling (under 30 minutes) and provides a safe, lightweight, and modular alternative to traditional liquid hydrogen tanks.

"This storage solution represents a turning point in aviation," said Alexey Popov, CEO of Stellar Aircraft. "Until now, the limited efficiency and complexity of hydrogen storage systems held back the potential of hydrogen-powered flight. By leveraging our long-standing collaboration with experts in rocket science, our team has delivered a safe, scalable, and high-performance solution."

This breakthrough technology surpasses liquid hydrogen in all key performance metrics — it is compact, stores more usable energy per unit weight, significantly more affordable, uses low-cost, widely available materials, and is far easier to certify under aerospace safety standards. Originally developed for space applications, this innovation brings the power of rocket science into everyday aviation.

Unlike legacy liquid hydrogen systems that pose boil-off and explosion risks, StellarJet's solid-state hydrogen storage uses advanced metal hydride technology, enabling fully customizable tank shapes with superior safety. The system is optimized for a wide range of applications, including industrial, aerospace, satellite, and even submarine use.

The second innovation — an Electric Ducted Fan (EDF) propulsion unit — delivers 132 kW of power and 1700 N of thrust, while weighing only 14.7 kg. With a duct diameter of 375 mm and integrated power controller, this EDF represents the next evolution in distributed electric thrust architecture, tailored specifically for the StellarJet.

All core technologies — from design and engineering to machining and final assembly — are 100% developed and manufactured in-house by StellarJet, headquartered in Austin, Texas.

These innovations lay the foundation for the upcoming flight debut of the hydrogen-powered StellarJet Demonstrator, scheduled for Summer 2025.

StellarJet | www.stellaraircraft.com

Nayax Ltd. (Nasdaq: NYAX; TASE: NYAX), a global commerce enablement and payments platform designed to help merchants scale their business by simplifying payments and maximizing loyalty, announced a strategic partnership to provide comprehensive payment solutions for Lynkwell, a leading energy infrastructure provider managing thousands of DCFC and Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) charging ports across the United States and Canada.

Lynkwell’s ViaLynk network is the third-largest public charging network in the Northeast and the eighth-largest in the United States. Together, Nayax and Lynkwell will address North America’s urgent need for reliable and accessible EV charging by combining Lynkwell’s advanced, Buy America compliant EV chargers, cloud-based comprehensive management software, and suite of complementary services with Nayax’s flexible payments platform to offer a fully integrated charging solution for drivers and operators.

Lynkwell saw triple digit growth in 2024 and again in Q1 of 2025, installing thousands of EV chargers, including its flagship product, XLynk. Backed by an all U.S. hardware, software, support, and service team, XLynk is the first and only commercial EV charger that offers a lifetime warranty. As one of the few companies with a United States manufacturing facility for EV charging stations, Lynkwell is well-positioned to continue to scale across the country.  

“We are excited that Lynkwell has chosen to strategically partner with us for its payment technology to provide North American drivers and operators with an advanced network that is built in the US,” said Aaron Greenberg, Chief Strategy Officer of Nayax. “Our embedded payment technology inside their new AC chargers will keep every charge session fast, secure, and universally accessible, helping Lynkwell attract more drivers and scale its impact on the EV transition.”

“Lynkwell is scaling at a record pace, and payments have to scale with us,” said Jason Zarillo, President of Lynkwell. “Partnering with Nayax allows us to give site operators a best-in-class payment solution that strengthens their business while making charging more convenient for drivers.”

Nayax | www.nayax.com

Lynkwell | lynkwell.com

S44 Energy, the EV charging software company, announced TopazEV — the industry’s first Open-as-a-Service (OaaS) charge station management software (CSMS). TopazEV gives charge point operators (CPOs), fleets, retailers and utility companies the flexibility to launch, operate and scale EV charging networks without vendor lock-in, per-session fees or protocol limitations.

With federal subsidies in flux and mounting pressure to build reliable, scalable infrastructure, TopazEV arrives at a critical moment. Despite more than 250,000 public fast chargers in the U.S., EV adoption still lags behind China and Europe. A main driver is that nearly half of Americans fear being stranded due to charger availability — a concern validated by data showing that one in five charging attempts fail, often due to software issues. 

“Whether you're standing up a pilot site or running a nationwide network, TopazEV delivers the control of open architecture with the simplicity of a managed platform,” said Olga Haygood, CEO of S44 Energy. “You get the flexibility to scale and the freedom to integrate at a price that grows with you, not against you.”

TopazEV is a modern CSMS that was built for today’s CPOs, fleets and utilities. It gives operators complete control of their networks, with a real-time dashboard for charger status, network statistics and session tracking. TopazEV supports open protocols like OCPP 1.6, OCPP 2.0.1, OCPI 2.2.1 and ISO 15118, making it easy to onboard legacy hardware while providing standard features like Plug & Charge and roaming and preparing for next-gen features like hardware monitoring and V2G integration. It’s ready to integrate seamlessly with billing systems, CRMs and analytics tools of your choice via REST APIs, GraphQL and Webhooks.

What Sets TopazEV Apart

• Protocol-ready for any stage — Full support for both legacy and modern charging standards, enabling true network interoperability and future-proofing.

• Built for operators, not just engineers — A clean, intuitive UI designed for daily operations, including live status, fault alerts, charging statistics and asset provisioning.

• API-first and integration-friendly — Integrations with 3rd party tools made simple. Implement on your own or with our help: either way, the IP is yours, so operators can build the tech stack that fits their needs.

TopazEV is available in two models

• Open-as-a-Service (OaaS): Subscription-based, hosted by S44 Energy, or on the platform of your choice for a setup fee . Ideal for fast pilots and growing networks.

• Business Source License (BSL): A one-time license that gives enterprises full ownership of the codebase for independent implementation.

Both models offer full control, transparency and the ability to scale without compromise.

TopazEV | topazev.com

Heliene, Inc., a customer-first provider of North American-made solar PV modules, celebrated the grand opening of a new solar PV module manufacturing facility in Rogers, MN on May 30. U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, MN Commissioner Matt Varilek, and Rogers’ Major Shannon Klick together with other State elected officials were in attendance to mark this milestone achievement for domestic clean energy manufacturing, regional job creation, and economic development. 

The Rogers facility houses Minnesota Line 3, Heliene’s third U.S.-based manufacturing line. Minnesota Line 3 has been operational since April 29 and has an annual capacity of 500MW. Heliene also owns and operates 300MW-Minnesota Line 1 and 500MW-Minnesota Line 2 at its existing Mountain Iron, MN facility. The opening of Line 3 brings Heliene’s total U.S.-made module manufacturing output per year to 1.3GW. 

“Heliene is experiencing continued demand for our high-quality, high-domestic content solar PV modules,” said Martin Pochtaruk, CEO of Heliene. “By nearly doubling our manufacturing capacity at our new Rogers, Minnesota facility, we can continue to provide best-in-class fully domestic content products and service to our customers, while we deliver on our broader goal of onshoring U.S. solar supply chains, by incorporating domestically-produced, cells, frames, polymers and other critical components.” 

The completion of Minnesota Line 3 expands Heliene’s commitment to offering U.S. solar developers high-quality PV modules made with an industry-leading percentage of domestic content. The Company is hiring more than 220 new employees in the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area to support operations, maintenance, and engineering at the new facility. Heliene received $2.3M in funding from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), with specific funding from the Minnesota Investment Fund (MIF), Minnesota Job Creation Fund (JCF) and the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP), to support the above mentioned job creation. 

“The opening of this new manufacturing plant means high-quality solar panels will be produced in Rogers to meet increasing demand for energy across our state and throughout the country—and it will create hundreds of new jobs for the region,” said Senator Klobuchar. “I’m committed to working together to strengthen our manufacturing economy, increase affordable clean energy, and bring the jobs of the future to Minnesota.”

Across all its U.S. manufacturing lines, Heliene is producing bifacial, high-efficiency crystalline solar PV modules with the highest possible percentage of domestic content available on the market. To support this effort, Heliene has secured a number of strategic partnerships with domestic solar module component manufacturers in recent years.

Heliene | www.heliene.com

Avangrid, Inc., a leading energy company and member of the Iberdrola Group, announced that it has achieved commercial operations at its Powell Creek Solar project in Putnam County, Ohio. The 202 MWdc (150 MWac) project, Avangrid’s second power facility in Ohio, is now generating enough electricity to power the equivalent of 30,000 homes annually. Powell Creek is a timely addition to the regional electric grid ahead of peak summer demand and represents new American energy capacity that will help to meet the growing power needs from data centers, domestic manufacturing, and electrification.

“Avangrid has achieved commercial operations at Powell Creek at a pivotal moment for the local community in Ohio, where rapidly growing energy demand requires new sources of power generation,” said Pedro Azagra, Avangrid CEO. “Putting this critical project into service demonstrates Avangrid’s unique ability to deliver on the energy needs of communities across the country. In addition to this needed power, Powell Creek is providing important benefits to the local, state, and regional economies. Projects like this represent significant capital investments that generate hundreds of construction jobs, permanent employment opportunities, and new tax revenue that supports important public services in the local community.”

Powell Creek is in Northwest Ohio near the town of Miller City and reached commercial operation in April. The project includes over 300,000 solar panels and supported about 500 jobs during construction, most of them filled with local union workers from the region.

The project is directly supporting the community through new jobs, tax revenue, and landowner payments. Powell Creek is expected to contribute an estimated $31 million to local taxing jurisdictions over its lifetime and about $1.1 million in annual lease payments. In a unique relationship, Miller City is capturing significant revenue from the project which it will use to construct a new sewer line to encourage new home and business development. Growth was historically limited there because the village’s homes, businesses, and school run on individual septic systems.

“Partnership with Avangrid has been and will be beneficial to Miller City,” said Jim Erford, mayor of Miller City. “This is a major economic development opportunity that will help us grow for the first time in many years, bringing new families and businesses to our Northwest Ohio community.”

According to a recent U.S. National Power Demand Study by S&P Global, energy demand in the U.S. could rise by as much as 50% by 2040, driven largely by new data centers. Projects like Powell Creek are helping to meet growing energy needs, improve the reliability of regional electric grids, and deliver sustained economic growth.

Powell Creek is Avangrid’s second energy project in Ohio, following the 304 MW Blue Creek project built in 2012. Avangrid now has over 500 MW of installed capacity in Ohio, which can generate enough electricity for over 100,000 U.S. homes annually. Avangrid’s Ohio footprint contributed about $3 million in state and local taxes last year and about $5 million in lease payments to participating landowners. The company employs 22 people in the state.

Avangrid has added nearly 600 MW of domestic energy capacity to the U.S. grid in the past six months. This achievement underscores Avangrid’s commitment to meeting surging electricity demand, supporting local jobs, and ensuring homes and businesses have a reliable source of energy. Avangrid operates about 10.5 GW of energy capacity across the country.

Avangrid | http://www.avangrid.com