How the Yellow School Bus is Helping Modernize the US Grid

Volexion, an advanced materials company pioneering a graphene-based coating that dramatically enhances cathode active material (CAM) performance in lithium-ion batteries, announced the appointment of Joseph X. Adiletta as Chief Executive Officer. Adiletta joins at a pivotal moment as Volexion accelerates its next phase of growth, scaling production, advancing customer pilots, and preparing for commercial deployment. The announcement follows the recent close of financing to support the company’s go-to-market efforts.

Adiletta brings over two decades of experience in commercializing battery and energy storage technologies. He has held leadership roles at Sylvatex, Ionic Materials, 24M Technologies, and A123 Systems, where he drove commercialization efforts, built strategic partnerships, and helped close institutional funding rounds. As CEO, Adiletta will lead go-to-market strategy, expand Volexion’s customer pipeline, and oversee the company’s scale-up toward commercial deployment.  

“This is a critical inflection point for battery innovation,” said Joseph X. Adiletta, CEO of Volexion. “As demand for higher-performing batteries accelerates across consumer, mobility, electrification, and defense markets, Volexion delivers breakthrough performance within existing cell designs, while also enabling next-gen chemistries. And it does so with full compatibility for a localized, scalable supply chain. I’m excited to help bring this technology to market and unlock its full impact.”

Co-founder and current CEO, Damien Despinoy, will step into the role of President & Chief Operating Officer, overseeing organizational growth, scaling initiatives, and customer experience. The shift reflects Volexion’s evolution from R&D to market readiness.

“As we move from lab R&D to production, our priorities are shifting toward execution and delivery,” said Damien Despinoy, Volexion co-founder and newly appointed COO. “I’m excited to focus my efforts on speed and scale, while deepening collaboration with customers. We’re leveraging the right team at the right time, with the right technology to help our customers solve critical problems and enable next-gen materials and systems.”

Volexion’s coating enhances lithium-ion battery performance by increasing cathode stability, conductivity, and energy density, without requiring modifications to existing manufacturing lines. Using commercial-off-the-shelf equipment, Volexion’s cost-effective solution ensures scalability and improved price-performance.

“Volexion is tackling one of the biggest blind spots in battery innovation, enhancing performance without overhauling the supply chain,” said David Miller, Managing Partner at Clean Energy Ventures. “Their solution works across chemistries and platforms, and bringing Joe on adds the muscle needed to scale - it was an easy yes participating in the recent financing.”

Volexion | www.volexion-inc.com

Nexamp and Trajectory Energy Partners this week celebrated the opening of Blue Grama Solar, a 4.7 megawatt community solar farm that marks a significant step forward in Illinois’ clean energy transition. As the first Community-Driven Community Solar (CDCS) project energized under the Illinois Shines program, Blue Grama Solar, located in Galesburg, Illinois, prioritizes community involvement and local benefit, setting a new standard in renewable energy development.

The Blue Grama Solar project features more than 8,000 solar panels and will generate enough electricity to offset the annual power needs of more than 700 Illinois households. CDCS projects are designed to provide tangible benefits for local communities, including workforce opportunities, regional investment, and continued participation in the clean energy economy, driven by long-term engagement with Galesburg and Knox County area leaders. 

“This is the kind of project that demonstrates how solar can be a win for everyone,” said Jessica Collingsworth, Central Policy Director, Nexamp. “By putting community needs at the center of the development process, Blue Grama Solar delivers more than clean energy—it delivers ownership, opportunity, and pride. We’re honored to work with partners like Trajectory to help lead Illinois toward a more powerful and adaptable energy future.”

Trajectory Energy Partners echoed that commitment to local impact. “Today marks a milestone, not just for Galesburg, but the entire state of Illinois,” said Josh Bushinsky, Co-Founder of Trajectory Energy Partners. “The success of Blue Grama Solar demonstrates what is possible when community members, local leaders, developers, and policymakers collaborate to deliver the benefits of solar.”

Blue Grama Solar supports the goals set forth in Illinois’ landmark Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), which commits the state to achieving 100% clean energy by 2050. Projects like this, built with community leadership and benefit in mind, are key to achieving those ambitious targets.

“Galesburg is proud to be home to this innovative solar project, which is a beacon for how cities and towns across Illinois can participate in building a greener, more capable energy grid,” said Mayor Peter Schwartzman. “Blue Grama Solar demonstrates what’s possible when public, private, and community partners come together around a shared commitment to sustainability and economic opportunity.”

The launch of Blue Grama Solar follows Nexamp’s announcement last year of its second headquarters in Chicago, further cementing the company’s commitment to the state. With expanding operations and a growing footprint across Illinois, Nexamp continues to invest in local communities and infrastructure to help power the state’s clean energy transformation.

Nexamp | www.nexamp.com

Trajectory Energy Partners | https://trajectoryenergy.com

EIVA and Terradepth announced that the two companies have partnered to streamline subsea data workflows by integrating Terradepth's Absolute Ocean platform with EIVA's NaviSuite software. This collaboration automates the entire subsea-to-client data workflow, providing expert insight to non-expert users, enabling faster decisions, immediate access, and dramatically reduced turnaround times.

A live demonstration of this integration is scheduled for June 17, 2025, from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. EDT. Presenters include Ole Kristensen, vice president of product at EIVA; Pat Jennings, senior account executive at Terradepth; and a long-term customer, Jason Duplechin, senior manager for data management solutions at Oceaneering. 

Duplechin will share industry perspectives, diving into the importance of end-to-end automation and fast delivery for overcoming real-world challenges and preparing for future trends.

“By combining the robust processing and acquisition capabilities of NaviSuite with the powerful, cloud-based data management, 3D visualization, and collaboration features of Absolute Ocean, we're enabling a smarter, more connected offshore workflow,” said Christian Thomsen, CEO of EIVA. “This partnership reflects our commitment to innovation and to delivering real value to our clients.”

The integration of these two leading software platforms allows collected subsea data to flow directly into Absolute Ocean after being automatically processed via NaviSuite. Clients can log in to view pre-processed data as data is collected, enabling decisions in minutes instead of hours or days.

“We are committed to delivering innovative solutions that simplify the entire data workflow, providing our clients with actionable insights quicker and at a lower cost,” said Joe Wolfel, CEO of Terradepth. “This integration with EIVA's NaviSuite reflects our focus on enabling faster, more accurate, subsea data-driven decisions.”

Webinar attendees will learn how this cloud integration can help:

• Accelerate decision making.

• Streamline workflows by delivering pre-processed data automatically. 

• Deliver actionable insights directly to stakeholders faster, securely, and more collaboratively.

Register here or contact [email protected] for more information.

Terradepth | www.terradepth.com

EIVA | https://www.eiva.com/

Cumulative investment in carbon capture and storage (CCS) is expected to reach USD 80 billion over the next five years, according to DNV’s new Energy Transition Outlook CCS to 2050 report.

DNV, the independent energy expert and assurance provider, forecasts that capture and storage capacity is expected to quadruple by 2030.  Up to now, growth has been limited and largely associated with pilot projects but a sharp increase in capacity in the project pipeline indicates that CCS is at a turning point. The immediate rise in capacity is being driven by short-term scale up in North America and Europe, with natural gas processing still the main application for the technology.

In the longer term, CCS is crucial for addressing sectors that are challenging to decarbonize, such as steel and cement production. These hard-to-decarbonize industries are forecast to be the main driver of growth from 2030 onwards, accounting for 41% of annual CO2 captured by mid-century. Maritime onboard capture is expected to scale from the 2040s in parts of the global shipping fleet.

As the technologies mature and scale, the average costs will drop by an average of 40% by 2050.

Ditlev Engel, CEO, Energy Systems at DNV said “Carbon capture and storage technologies are a necessity for ensuring that CO2 emitted by fossil-fuel combustion is stopped from reaching the atmosphere and for keeping the goals of the Paris Agreement alive. DNV’s first Energy Transition Outlook CCS to 2050 report clearly shows that we are at a turning point in the development of this crucial technology.

“But for all this advancement, the trajectory of CCS deployment remains a long way off where it must be to deliver net zero by 2050. Economic headwinds in recent years have put pressure on this capital-intensive technology and corrective action will need to be taken by government and industry if we are to close the gap between ambition and reality.”

CCS will grow from 41 MtCO2/yr captured and stored today to 1,300 MtCO2/yr in 2050, which will be 6% of global emissions.  However, CCS will need to scale to six times this level to reach the amount outlined in DNV’s Pathway to Net Zero Emissions.

The roll-out of CCS is reliant on policy support and recent political turmoil and shifting budgetary priorities pose a significant risk to future deployment. Europe's strong price incentives will lead it to overtake North America in CCS deployment.

DNV forecasts that carbon dioxide removal (CDR) will capture 330 MtCO2 in 2050 – one-quarter of total captured emissions. Bioenergy with CCS (BECCS) is generally the cheaper CDR option and will be used primarily in renewable biomass for power and manufacturing. 

Direct air capture (DAC) costs on the other hand remain high at around USD 350/tCO2 through to 2050, but voluntary and compliance carbon markets still ensure the capture of 32 MtCO2 in 2040 and 84 MtCO2 in 2050.

As the world has been too slow to reduce emissions, CDR will be important to reduce the large carbon budget overshoot. Beyond DNV’s forecast period, an enormous amount of CDR, alongside nature-based solutions, will be required to ensure net-negative emissions.

Jamie Burrows, Global Segment Lead CCUS, Energy Systems at DNV said “CCS is entering a pivotal decade and the scale of ambition and investment must increase dramatically. It remains essential for hard-to-decarbonize sectors like cement, steel, chemicals, and maritime transport. But as DNV’s report shows, delays in reducing carbon dioxide emissions will place an even greater burden on carbon dioxide removal technologies. To stay within climate targets, we must accelerate the deployment of all carbon management solutions -from industrial capture to nature-based removal - starting today."

DNV | www.dnv.com

Terramont Infrastructure Partners (“Terramont”), a middle-market-focused North American infrastructure investment manager, has made a $160 million capital commitment to Dispatch Energy LLC (“Dispatch”), a leading provider of distributed energy solutions. Funds managed by Hamilton Lane participated as co- lead investors alongside Terramont.

Dispatch Energy provides reliable and cost-effective energy solutions to commercial and industrial customers. The company’s investments will focus on generating cost savings, enhancing resiliency, and providing grid services designed to meet the growing demand for on-site power generation.

“Dispatch Energy has quickly built an impressive business serving the diverse energy needs of customers,” said Vikram Singh and Michael Lehman, co-Managing Partners of Terramont Infrastructure Partners. “At Terramont, we have a long and successful history of actively investing in the distributed generation industry and couldn’t be more pleased to partner with Rich Dovere and the Dispatch team going forward. Their experience, knowledge, and capabilities are unmatched,” Messrs. Singh and Lehman added. “Terramont and Hamilton Lane share our conviction in the future of distributed energy,” said Richard Dovere, Chief Executive Officer of Dispatch Energy. “Industries across the spectrum need power, and distributed generation is an essential part of filling that need. This commitment will enable us to accelerate our provision of dynamic and creative solutions to customers, and we are grateful for the partnership.”

This partnership brings Dispatch Energy’s total capital commitments in 2025 from all sources to $360 million. Brent Burnett, Head of Infrastructure and Real Assets at Hamilton Lane, commented: “We are thrilled to partner with Terramont and the Dispatch team in this exciting opportunity. Our investment in Dispatch Energy supports our thesis that power constraints in the U.S. will increasingly require creative solutions, and we believe Dispatch is well-positioned to solve power infrastructure needs through their unique approach to distributed generation.”

Dispatch Energy | www.dispatchenergy.com

Terramont Infrastructure Partners | www.terramontinfra.com

Hamilton Lane | http://www.hamiltonlane.com

Electric vehicles are surging in popularity across the United States, but in many places, the infrastructure needed to support this transition is lagging dangerously behind. While sales of EVs, hybrids, and plug-in hybrids have risen steadily year over year, public charging availability has not kept pace. The result is EV “charging deserts”: regions where demand for electric vehicles has far outstripped the supply of public chargers.

By mapping EV registration data against public charging infrastructure, Wolf River Electric has pinpointed the areas most in need of investment to meet current demand and prepare for the next wave of EV drivers.

US Overview: EVs Outpacing Chargers

From 2018 to 2023, the US saw explosive growth in electric vehicle registrations. But the number of public charging outlets, particularly Level 2 and DC fast chargers, hasn’t kept up. The national average EV-to-charger ratio has climbed, meaning more EVs per charger, leading to longer waits and more competition for plug-in time.

The Top 5 U.S. Charging Deserts (2023)

These states have the highest number of EVs per public charging outlet:

• New Jersey – 36.21 EVs per charger
   
• Hawaii – 29.77
   
• Illinois – 28.38
   
• Texas – 26.64
   
• Washington – 26.15

You may view the full data set here.

High demand for electric vehicles paired with a limited supply of public charging stations creates a serious bottleneck in the EV adoption curve. As more drivers make the switch to electric, the lack of accessible charging points leads to longer wait times, range anxiety, and regional disparities. Without rapid infrastructure expansion, this imbalance threatens to stall progress toward a greener transportation future.

Where Infrastructure Is Strong

Some states have stayed ahead of the curve with better ratios:

• Wyoming – 4.37 EVs per charger
   
• North Dakota – 4.78
   
• West Virginia – 6.28
   
• Mississippi – 6.53
   
• Maine – 6.83

Notably, Wyoming leads in fast DC charging accessibility, too, with just 10.19 EVs per fast charger.

Biggest Growth Gaps

These states saw the sharpest increases in EV-to-charger ratios between 2019 and 2023:

• Texas – +18.83
   
• Illinois – +18.65
   
• New Jersey – +18.32
   
• Hawaii – +17.45
   
• Florida – +17.06

This widening gap indicates rapid EV adoption outpacing infrastructure growth.

The promise of a clean-energy future can’t be fulfilled without addressing charging equity. As more consumers embrace EVs, the strain on limited charging networks will grow, particularly in high-density areas and underserved regions.

“As EV adoption accelerates, the data highlights an urgent infrastructure dilemma: demand is outpacing supply in many parts of the country, especially in urban and suburban regions that weren’t originally designed with mass EV adoption in mind. High EV-to-charger ratios don’t just mean longer wait times. They can also discourage potential buyers from making the switch, particularly those who don’t have access to at-home charging.

What’s especially concerning is the disparity between states. While places like Wyoming and North Dakota show strong charger-to-EV ratios, likely due to proactive rural infrastructure planning or lower population densities, large and populous states like Texas, New Jersey, and Illinois are seeing a sharp increase in vehicle-to-charger imbalances. This trend signals a looming bottleneck as more EVs hit the road without a corresponding rise in fast-charging infrastructure.

If we want to future-proof America’s EV revolution, the next phase of investment must focus on accessibility and equitable distribution of chargers. That means prioritizing high-demand areas where drivers are underserved today, and preparing rural and suburban communities where growth is imminent. Without this, we risk slowing down one of the most promising transitions in transportation history,” says Clean Energy Expert, Justin Nielsen from Wolf River Electric.

With the EV market gaining momentum and federal incentives pushing adoption even further, solving the public charging gap is no longer a future concern, but a present challenge. This story offers a data-driven lens on where infrastructure is falling behind, where it’s working well, and what it will take to support the next wave of EV drivers.

Wolf River Electric | https://wolfriverelectric.com/

Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), the leading energy and environmental advocate for families and businesses, applauds President Trump and Congress on the successful passage of three critical Congressional Review Act resolutions that rescind Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) waivers allowing California's restrictive vehicle mandates to be imposed on other states.

The three resolutions – H.J.Res.87, H.J.Res.88, and H.J.Res.89 – received bipartisan support and effectively block California's Advanced Clean Trucks rule, Advanced Clean Cars II mandate, and Omnibus Low NOX regulation from being forced upon more than a third of the nation's population.

"CEA applauds President Trump for his swift action in signing these resolutions into law, and we commend Congress for taking decisive bipartisan action to protect American consumers from California's overreaching, anti-choice vehicle policies," said CEA President David Holt. "While EVs should be a choice for those who want them, these measures defend consumer freedom by ensuring families across America retain the right to choose vehicles that meet their unique needs and budgets, without facing artificial market constraints or paying premium prices they simply cannot afford."

The rescinded waivers would have allowed twelve states to adopt California's vehicle mandates, forcing costly restrictions on more than 100 million Americans. Also, they would have imposed significant costs on families and businesses, with electric vehicles costing approximately $12,000 more than gas-powered alternatives and charging infrastructure remaining limited in many communities. As pointed-out in CEA’s report “Freedom to Fuel”, significant hurdles still exist that make these broad EV mandates extremely problematic for America’s drivers.

"California's track record speaks for itself, with energy and transportation policies that have resulted in skyrocketing costs and reliability challenges that disproportionately impact working families and small businesses," Holt said. "The passage of these resolutions by President Trump and Congress represents a crucial victory for preserving vehicle choice and economic freedom from policies that would have imposed an expensive, unreliable energy model on the rest of the nation. Today represents a victory for practical, balanced energy policy that puts American families first."

Consumer Energy Alliance | https://consumerenergyalliance.org/