Protect Your Yield

Lilac Solutions, a leading provider of direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology, announced it has selected Hatch as the engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) firm for its Phase 1 commercial lithium carbonate facility on Utah's Great Salt Lake.

Hatch will support Lilac in the engineering, procurement, and management of the construction and commissioning of the 5,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) facility, with first lithium production planned for 2028. The agreement includes a limited notice to proceed, allowing detailed engineering and early procurement to advance ahead of the final investment decision expected later in 2026. 

The Phase 1 facility will be built on a 20-acre site on the north arm of the Great Salt Lake in Box Elder County, Utah. It will use Lilac's Gen 5 ion exchange (IX) technology to extract lithium directly from lake brine and return the same volume of lithium-depleted brine back to the lake, a non-consumptive process that does not lower lake water levels.

The project will generate local tax revenues and royalties to support lake preservation and create jobs in Utah. The IX media, the active material in the lithium extraction process, will be manufactured at Lilac's facility in Fernley, Nevada, keeping the supply chain domestic and eliminating dependence on Chinese suppliers.

"Hatch has a long track record in the lithium industry and the execution capabilities needed to bring this project online," said Raef Sully, Chief Executive Officer of Lilac. “With Hatch's team and global organization supporting this project, we're ready to build.”

"Lilac has developed one of the most innovative and technically robust DLE technologies in the industry, and the Great Salt Lake project is an important step forward for domestic lithium supply," said Conrad Blake, Managing Director, Minerals, Hatch. "We look forward to putting Hatch's project delivery expertise to work and bringing this facility online."

The north arm of the Great Salt Lake holds an estimated 1.4 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent, making it one of the largest identified lithium resources in the United States. Lilac completed pilot operations on the lake in 2025, demonstrating 87% average lithium recovery on a high sulfate brine containing only 70 mg/L lithium, proving Lilac's capability to economically extract lithium from ultra-low-grade brine. Third-party sampling and lab analysis confirmed the Lilac IX technology performance and validated Lilac's non-consumptive and non-contaminating process.

Lilac has secured a binding 10-year take-or-pay offtake agreement with Traxys North America covering 100% of planned Phase 1 production and has completed FEL-3 engineering. With EPCM selection now complete, the project is on track to be among the first U.S. lithium brine projects to reach final investment decision and begin construction.

Lilac Solutions | lilacsolutions.com

Hatch | www.hatch.com

PJM announced the retirement of Craig Glazer, Vice President – Federal Government Policy, effective December 2026.

Glazer served on PJM's Executive Team for 26 years during a period when PJM more than doubled in size and added new markets and planning responsibilities. He has held key leadership roles at PJM, focusing during his tenure on regulatory and legislative policies before Congress, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the United States Department of Energy and other federal and state agencies.

Glazer was responsible for drafting key legislative provisions governing reliability and planning, which were enacted into law through the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 and the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. He also played a key role on various national policy initiatives for the ISO/RTO Council, addressing subjects as diverse as gas-electric coordination, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) winterization standard and inclusion of a "reliability safety valve" in various EPA rulemakings.

"On behalf of all of us, I want to express my sincere gratitude to Craig for his 26 years of exceptional service and commitment to PJM," said David Mills, President and CEO. "His professionalism and wisdom have touched countless colleagues at PJM and throughout our industry, and his presence has significantly contributed to our success. We will miss his wit, humor and insightful thoughts. Congratulations on an extraordinary career and thank you for leaving PJM better than you found it."

Prior to joining PJM, Glazer served as commissioner and chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, where he oversaw Ohio's move toward deregulation of its telephone, natural gas, transportation and electric industries. He also chaired the state's Siting Board and served as a member of the governor's Cabinet.

Glazer served on the Board of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, where he chaired the International Relations Committee and served as an active member of its Electricity Committee and Energy Resources Committee and on the board of the GridWise Alliance. He also chaired the National Council on Competition in the Electric Industry, a federal-state collaborative including FERC, DOE, EPA, state regulators and legislators. In addition, he serves as PJM's representative to the International Energy Agency and as a peer reviewer of the IEA's annual "World Energy Outlook."

"It has been a true privilege to serve alongside such a dedicated and talented team," Glazer said. "Together, we have advanced important work in shaping sound energy policy. I intend to stay active in the energy industry and am deeply grateful for the collaboration, professionalism and shared commitment I've experienced throughout my time at PJM. Thank you for your support and partnership – it has meant a great deal to me."

PJM will be distributing responsibilities across an expanded team of professionals with specialized expertise to serve the multifaceted demands of the federal policy sphere.

Individuals interested in joining our team are encouraged to visit the Careers section on PJM.com for current and upcoming opportunities.

PJM | insidelines.pjm.com

NEMA welcomes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's action to bring greater transparency and certainty to the process for connecting major new sources of electricity demand and infrastructure to the grid. As demand surges from data centers, advanced manufacturing, and electrification, innovative grid solutions and efficient interconnection policies will be critical to maintaining America's competitive edge. 

"Thank you to Chairman Swett and the Commissioners of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for taking an important step toward improving transparency and consistency in the process for connecting large loads to the electric grid, while recognizing the value of proven grid-enhancing technologies and demand-side solutions that can improve reliability, resilience, and affordability," said NEMA President and CEO Debra Phillips.

"NEMA's electrical manufacturers are innovating to help America meet rising electricity demand by getting more out of the grid we have today, while also building new infrastructure to reliably support our future needs,” said Phillips. “From grid-enhancing technologies and advanced energy management systems to reconductoring and behind-the-meter solutions, our industry is delivering technologies that unlock capacity, improve performance, and accelerate economic growth.

NEMA's recently-released AI Data Center Energy Performance Framework complements FERC's action on interconnection policies by providing a roadmap to improve the efficiency, resilience, and performance of next-generation data centers—helping ensure that new sources of demand are connected and operated as effectively and safely as possible. Together, these efforts help lay the foundation for a stronger, more resilient electric grid.

National Electrical Manufacturers Association |  makeitelectric.org

FranklinWH Energy Storage Inc. announced plans to enter the European residential energy storage market in 2027, introducing its system this week at Intersolar Europe 2026 as utilities and homeowners respond to rising electricity costs and growing demand for grid flexibility.

Electrification of transportation and home heating, combined with rising renewable energy adoption, is accelerating demand for residential storage across Europe. Utilities are expanding distributed energy resource programs to manage peak demand and improve grid reliability. Homeowners are looking for lower energy costs, backup power and greater control over how they use electricity.

The FranklinWH System integrates battery storage, solar, electric vehicle charging and energy management through a single residential platform. It scales from 15 to 225 kilowatt-hours per aGate intelligent controller and supports backup power, solar self-consumption and energy cost management. The system uses lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry and an all-in-one architecture that simplifies installation. Energy management software adjusts charging and discharging based on household consumption, electricity pricing and weather.

FranklinWH enters Europe with experience supporting more than 25 utility-led virtual power plant (VPP) and demand response programs in the United States, where customers are compensated when their batteries discharge stored energy to the grid when it’s needed. 

The company has a global network of more than 4,000 authorized installation partners with experience in residential storage deployment, training and customer support. FranklinWH said the network will support its European market entry.

"European homeowners want lower energy bills and utilities want flexible resources they can count on," said Vincent Ambrose, Chief Commercial Officer of FranklinWH. "Those are not separate challenges, they are the same opportunity viewed from different sides of the meter. Our systems are already operating in VPP’s across the United States, and we built this platform around what we learned. FranklinWH was built around a simple idea: homeowners should be able to generate, store, manage and use energy through a single integrated platform rather than a collection of disconnected devices."

FranklinWH is meeting with utilities, distributors, installers and energy aggregators at Intersolar Europe as it builds its European partner network ahead of its 2027 market launch. Distribution partnerships, market availability and additional product details will be announced before the company's European market entry.

FranklinWH will exhibit at Hall C3, Booth 130, at Intersolar Europe 2026, June 23-25 at Messe München in Munich.

FranklinWH Energy Storage | franklinwh.com

Dominion Energy Virginia is issuing a Request for Information (RFI) for information on long-duration energy storage technologies that might be suitable for participation in a pilot program.

As defined by Virginia legislation, long-duration energy storage refers to technology that has 10 or more hours of storage duration when operating at full nameplate capacity.

At least three different technologies could be chosen to participate in the pilot program, which will have an expected capacity of at least 4,000 megawatt-hours. The program is intended to evaluate long-duration energy storage technologies that can support electric grid reliability, renewable energy integration, and compliance with the Virginia Clean Economy Act.

Interested companies are asked to contact [email protected] to participate and submit responses to the RFI. Companies will have six weeks from Friday, June 26, to submit responses, with a deadline of Aug. 7.

The RFI will request entities to provide clear and accurate information about:

• Their company and business model
• The long-duration energy storage technology at issue
• Deployments of the technology to date
• The technology’s pathway and timeline to commercial deployment
• The technology’s scalability and capacity
• Siting and infrastructure requirements
• Supply chain and material sourcing

The RFI does not represent a commitment to procure, partner, or invest.

The program will support local jobs, increase spending in local communities, and bring in new tax revenue for local governments.

Dominion Energy | https://www.dominionenergy.com/

Pattern Energy Group (Pattern Energy), a leader in clean energy and transmission infrastructure, announced that SunZia, the largest renewable energy infrastructure project in U.S. history is fully operational. The SunZia project can generate and deliver more power than the Hoover Dam and supply affordable, reliable energy to the western United States. “SunZia proves that we can still build the consequential infrastructure this country needs,” said Hunter Armistead, CEO of Pattern Energy. “We did this the right way, we did it on time and on budget – in genuine partnership with the local communities and landowners who trusted us, with the environmental stewardship this unique landscape deserves, and with the determination to see something through that many thought was too big and too complex to finish.”

The approximately 3,650-megawatt (MW) wind project and 550-mile high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line that comprise SunZia are generating and delivering affordable, American-made energy from New Mexico to Arizona and to customers across the western grid. At full capacity, the project can deliver enough energy to power approximately one million American homes annually.

“SunZia becoming fully operational is a milestone more than 18 years in the making and one that I’ve been fighting for since I first came to Congress,” said U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico. “Through a whole series of obstacles spanning over a decade and a half, we kept working to move it forward because we knew what it could mean for America’s energy future and New Mexico’s role in leading it. Now, New Mexico is home to one of the largest energy infrastructure projects in the Western Hemisphere.”

SunZia is meeting surging energy demand with new interregional transmission infrastructure that can deliver reliable, affordable energy. The project helps solve one of the central challenges facing the energy sector: not only building energy generation, but also the grid infrastructure needed to deliver that power.

At the center of that solution is SunZia’s HVDC transmission system, which moves large amounts of electricity efficiently across long distances. With major converter stations at each end of the line converting power for delivery and then back for use on the grid, SunZia is deploying one of the first major HVDC systems built in the United States in a generation — advanced infrastructure that can help define how America delivers power at scale.

“Large-scale transmission is essential to meeting the West’s growing energy needs and strengthening reliability across the grid,” said Elliot Mainzer, President and CEO of the California Independent System Operator (ISO). “Projects of this scale help deliver energy reliably to areas of rising demand, improve the movement of power across states and support a more resilient, flexible and affordable electric system. SunZia represents the kind of long-term infrastructure investment needed to serve customers today and prepare the grid for the future.”

Construction on SunZia began in September 2023 and more than 2,000 quality jobs were supported at peak construction. The project will also create more than 100 permanent operations jobs in New Mexico and Arizona. The facility will invest over $20 billion in New Mexico and Arizona communities including $1.3 billion in direct payments to local governments, schools, counties and private landowners over the first 30 years of operations.

“The benefits of this project will be felt in our communities for years to come,” said Barbara Sultemeier, Board Member for the Corona Landowner’s Association through the Lincoln County Community Foundation. “SunZia is supporting local jobs, strengthening the local tax base and creating long-term investment that can help support schools, public services, landowners and families across the region. For communities like ours, that kind of sustained economic impact matters.”

SunZia also demonstrates what private industry can deliver when it takes on complex infrastructure challenges with discipline and responsibility. The fully contracted project advanced through years of development, permitting, financing, construction and community engagement, requiring close coordination among private companies, local governments, state and federal agencies, landowners and energy customers.

“The result is historic energy infrastructure that will power millions of American homes and businesses for decades to come. This project sets a new standard for what is possible — and we intend to keep building on it,” said Hunter Armistead.

Pattern Energy | www.patternenergy.com

The Nordex Group has received three new orders in the United States totaling 484 megawatts (MW), underlining the continued momentum of the company’s business in the region. One order covers 32 N133/4.8 turbines, adding up to a total capacity of approx. 154 MW. The two other orders are for projects with a total capacity of approx. 350 MW, comprising of 56 turbines of the N163/5.X type. The names of the three customers and the projects are not disclosed.

“These projects clearly demonstrate the trust our customers place in Nordex technology and execution capabilities,” said Manav Sharma, CEO of Nordex North America. “They are a clear signal that our momentum in the region continues to accelerate. With our proven turbine technology and local supply chain, we remain well positioned to support our customers in delivering large-scale wind projects across North America.”

Nordex Group | https://www.nordex-online.com/en