The Solar Product Registry Set to Boost Solar Deployment

As nine governors collectively signed a letter criticizing rising utility rates and mismanagement at an Eastern regional energy grid, Governor Gavin Newsom has expressed support for legislation, SB 540 (Becker), which would fold California into another regional grid and seal a similar bad fate, said Consumer Watchdog today.

Newsom in a statement last week called a regional grid a "proven model" and "our best shot at lowering energy costs."

Nonetheless, during yesterday's capacity auction to secure energy in the Eastern region, the regional operator PJM raised power prices by 22 percent.

"Governor Newsom needs to look East to the experience of a bipartisan group of governors who are all crying bloody murder after rate hikes and reliability failures with the same regional grid Newsom wants for California," said Consumer Watchdog President Jamie Court. "The model has been a failure and dramatically increased energy costs. In addition to opening California environmental laws to preemption by the Trump Administration, regional organizations do not lower electricity costs."

On July 16, the governors of Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia wrote a letter to the PJM Board of Managers expressing concerns about the affordability and reliability of PJM Interconnection LLC, which runs the energy market and grid for 13 states. 

"In the past, other regions looked to join PJM due to its many strengths; today, across the region, discussions of leaving PJM are becoming increasingly common," said the letter. "At a time of rapidly rising load growth, PJM's multi-year inability to efficiently connect new resources to its grid and to engage in effective long-term transmission planning has deprived our states of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in investment that may flow to other regions. Now these deficiencies threaten the bedrock reliability and affordability our consumers expect and deserve."

The letter comes ahead of today's 2:15 PM EST meeting of the PJM Members Committee in which the governors' concern will be heard.

PJM's increase is on top of last year's increase, which stirred discontent when industry prices rose 800 percent from the prior year due to rising demand for electricity and a lack of new energy supplies. In June, New Jersey electric bills rose by about $25.

Concerns of rising costs related to PJM were reported in early June by the New York Times, which said, "The cost of electricity for residents of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia has increased from 23 to 40 percent over the last five years."

But last week, Newsom expressed support for a bill that would have California be part of a similar regional grid, known as the Pathways Initiative. Under SB 540, California would not have authority to set prices or protect California's clean environmental policy as a result of FERC control, said the nonprofit. 

"California must further enable continued cooperation with Western partners to secure our clean, reliable and affordable energy future," said Newsom. "This is our best shot at lowering energy costs, now the legislature must take action this year and deliver for the people of California."

Data centers are also part of driving energy costs. In five years—by 2030—the U.S. will see peak hour energy supply demand rise by at least 100 gigawatts, half of which can be directly attributed to data centers.

Read Consumer Watchdog's report, "Dirty Deal," on the perils of SB 540 and a regional grid. 

Consumer Watchdog | https://consumerwatchdog.org/

Wind energy is on the rise nationally. Since 2020, wind energy generation in the U.S. has increased 34%, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Where does your state rank for wind energy production? The Choose Energy Wind Generation Report analyzes the latest information from the EIA to show you how much wind energy by state.

Top 10 states generating electricity from wind

DNV, the independent energy expert and assurance provider, has completed a comprehensive technical review of Electric Hydrogen’s HYPRPlant, validating its alignment with current industry standards for process design, safety, and manufacturing process.

The pre-engineered electrolyzer system–a device that uses electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen–features high-current-density stacks in a turnkey product which reduces front-end engineering and field installation burdens, offering a scalable solution for electrolytic hydrogen production.

DNV’s review assessed Electric Hydrogen’s proprietary proton-exchange membrane technology, power electronics, plant design, monitoring & controls, and standard product warranty with commercial assurances on their core technology. The analysis focused on the second-generation HYPRPlant, which incorporates fluid optimization and enhanced stack isolation. Available in 75 MW, 100 MW, and 120 MW configurations, the system achieves industry-leading power density, thus reducing stack count per unit of capacity within a standardized balance of plant.

To verify performance, DNV audited lab and pilot testing data from 2022–2025 and observed live operation at Electric Hydrogen’s Pioneer Plant in San Jose—a 1/10th-scale facility running a commercial-grade stack. The review confirmed the system’s ability to maintain rated efficiency, pressure, and purity while collecting critical lifetime degradation data. DNV also inspected the Devens, Mass. manufacturing facility, noting advanced quality controls, 5S lean management, and value-stream mapping aligned with established electrolyzer OEM standards.

“DNV has the experience in reviewing new and evolving energy technologies to ensure they perform to specifications, are designed to be inherently safe and are sufficiently de-risked to be considered for bankability. This is a crucial service for bringing systems like Electric Hydrogen’s HYPRPlant to market,” said Richard S. Barnes, Executive Vice President and Director for North America, Energy Systems at DNV. “Delivering such a power-dense, flexible, turn-key electrolyzer plant is a step change for the industry for both new and experienced plant operators”.

“Building powerful electrolyzer plants at low-cost and large scale is the singular purpose of Electric Hydrogen,” explains Raffi Garabedian, CEO and Co-founder of the company. “We are honored that DNV, one of the most distinguished independent evaluation authorities, has validated and recognized our progress.” 

DNV | www.dnv.com

RecycLiCo Battery Materials Inc. (“RecycLiCo” or the “Company”) (TSX.V: AMY | OTCQB: AMYZF | FSE: ID4), a critical minerals refining and lithium ion battery upcycling company, announced that it, together with Lucid (NASDAQ: LCID) and other industry leaders has become a founding member of the Minerals for National Automotive Competitiveness Collaboration (MINAC), a partnership focused on accelerating the development and procurement of American-sourced critical mineral resources for use in automotive manufacturing by domestic automakers and Tier 1 suppliers. The other MINAC members are Alaska Energy Metals, Graphite One and Electric Metals.

The MINAC members will work together to:

• Advance domestic mineral production through the completion of offtake agreements for American critical minerals for use in American automobiles;  
• Identify and resolve barriers, and accelerate commercialization and customer adoption;
• Improve coordination between the mining and automotive sectors; and
• Support the qualification and procurement of domestically produced materials by American automakers and Tier 1 suppliers.

The partnership recognizes the value of RecycLiCo’s advanced hydrometallurgical process to recover high-purity, battery-ready materials from newly-mined domestic ore, manufacturing scrap and end-of-life batteries and its potential contribution to onshore sourcing of essential materials and the establishment of a circular supply chain.

“The historic realignment of the global trading environment, together with governmental initiatives fostering reliance on domestic sources, has highlighted the need for the efficient recovery and refinement of critical minerals. This collaboration with Lucid and our other MINAC partners is a direct response to that need and will help us to validate and scale our technology and work closely with industry leaders,” said Richard Sadowsky, Chief Executive Officer of RecycLiCo.

As part of the collaboration’s launch, Mr. Sadowsky will join fellow MINAC members for a roundtable and event on July 23, 2025, in Washington, D.C. alongside Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan, and Representatives Begich (AK) and Biggs (AZ).

RecycLiCo Battery Materials I https://recyclico.com/

All Energy Solar, founded in 2009, is headquartered in Minnesota and is recognized as one of the most experienced solar installers in the state. With teams of over 230 professionals, the company operates across six states: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Their long-standing presence and commitment to clean energy have earned them a strong reputation, making them one of the best solar providers in Minnesota. They inspire hope for a sustainable future.

All Energy Solar takes home the Silver award for best Residential Solar Provider in the Star Tribune's Minnesota's Best Readers' Choice Awards. Additionally, for the first time in history, the Bronze award for Best Commercial Solar Energy Provider is also presented to All Energy Solar, reaffirming their commitment to delivering top-quality solar solutions.

With five years and counting, Minnesota's Best celebrates businesses that help make the state an exceptional place to live and work. Each year, Minnesotans nominate and vote for standout companies across a wide range of industries. It's the support and recognition from the community that has helped All Energy Solar emerge as the silver and bronze winner in the Solar Energy Provider categories, among nearly 400 amazing categories and over 750 winning businesses.

Reflecting on the recognition, Ryan Buege, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, commented, "It's an honor to be named Minnesota'sBest. This recognition reflects the trust of our customers, the dedication of our team, and the incredible support from the Twin Citiescommunity. We're proud to help lead Minnesota toward a more sustainable future."

This award comes during a landmark year for All Energy Solar, as the company celebrates its growth into South Dakota, North Dakota, and Nebraska. To date, the company has completed over 10,300 solar installations and has also earned multiple recognitions for its dedication and satisfactory services.

With major milestones behind them and plenty of work still ahead, the team at All Energy Solar is energized by what's to come. As Buege puts it, "We're excited to help more of our neighbors take control of their energy with solar. As we grow, our mission stays the same—making clean energy more accessible, one rooftop at a time."

All Energy Solar | www.allenergysolar.com

Avalanche Energy, a fusion energy startup developing modular compact fusion machines, announced it was awarded $10 million through the Washington State Department of Commerce Green Jobs Grant Program for the development of its FusionWERX test facility in Richland, Wash. The facility is a first-of-its-kind commercial-scale testing facility for advanced fusion technologies that will leverage a broad scope radioactive materials license, advanced tritium management capabilities, and the company's breakthrough 300,000 Volt (300kV) fusion device.

"This announcement marks small-scale fusion's evolution from a laboratory curiosity into a neutron source that creates real-world value," said Robin Langtry, CEO of Avalanche Energy. "The Green Jobs Grant and our 300kV breakthrough are the groundwork for delivering high-flux neutrons at low cost to a wide range of customers who lack reliable, scalable neutron sources necessary for their operations. The milestone, which we targeted as part of our Series A, unlocks a key source of early revenue and strengthens our path to compact, energy-generating fusion devices."

From Voltage Breakthrough to Neutron Factory 
Avalanche's breakthrough - operating its desk-sized magneto-electrostatic fusion machine at 300kV for hours with minimal power loss - makes it the most compact, highest-known-voltage fusion device ever built. Adjusted for size, the 300kV held by Avalanche's device for multiple hours equals 6 MegaVolts per meter (MV/m), double the voltage density of lightning, which peaks at 3 MV/m for only a split second.

"For magneto-electrostatic fusion machines the ability to operate at very high voltage gradients with low current losses is a key unlock to push these fusion machines to higher fusion triple products and neutron rates," said Langtry. "This 300 kV milestone at 6 MV/m is also an important foundational building block to our future path building Q>1 magneto-electrostatic Orbitron fusion machines."

Combined with the advanced tritium capabilities of the FusionWERX facility, Avalanche's ability to operate its fusion device at 300kV unlocks the key step for using tritium to produce continuous high-flux fusion neutrons at a rate and cost-per-neutron orders of magnitude better than previously achievable. Neutron products generated by this process will eventually be used to create medical and power radioisotopes and to test new materials such as radiation-tolerant alloys. In addition, Avalanche will also operate the FusionWERX facility as a commercial "wind-tunnel" - offering access to private companies, universities, national laboratories, and public-private consortia to test their fusion technologies at the facility under commercial intellectual property (IP) ownership arrangements.

Strategic Public-Sector Partnerships
The Washington State Department of Commerce Green Jobs Grant, which provides funds for projects that promote the growth of clean energy, will directly support approximately 12 skilled positions and will fund the purchase of first-generation neutron-handling equipment for the facility. The FusionWERX commercial test activities are expected to expand significantly in future years and will help spur follow-on growth of a fusion workforce and supply chain in the Richland area. This may include a special high-flux neutron test stand for advanced fusion materials research, dubbed a micro Fusion Prototypical Neutron Source (uFPNS), and Avalanche's Q>1 deuterium-tritium fusion energy test program. 

"By supporting Avalanche's FusionWERX facility, Washington is translating cutting-edge fusion science into family-wage jobs and a resilient clean-energy supply chain," said Joe Nguyen, Director of the Washington State Department of Commerce. "It's exactly the kind of community-driven innovation our Green Jobs program exists to champion."

FusionWERX is strategically located in the Tri-Cities region, home to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), a leader in energy technology research; and Washington State University's Tri-Cities campus, with its well-regarded nuclear engineering and materials program, which will enable Avalanche to leverage the area's deep nuclear and scientific expertise to become a hub for fusion technology development and job creation. The facility is located in a facility owned by the Port of Benton, the former location of Kurion's modular detritiation prototype facility, which was previously licensed for tritium operations.

"The Tri-Cities' legacy in nuclear science makes Richland the perfect launchpad for FusionWERX," said Karl Dye, President and CEO of TRIDEC. "Avalanche's facility will attract new talent, new companies, and new investment to our area while reinforcing the region's leadership in the clean-energy economy."

Avalanche Energy | avalanchefusion.com