Controlled Liquid Hydrogen Storage: The backbone of decentralized energy

Pattern Energy, a leader in clean energy and transmission infrastructure, and Salt River Project (SRP), a not-for profit public power utility serving more than 2 million people in central Arizona, announced they have signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for 600 megawatts (MW) of SunZia. This agreement will help SRP meet growing energy demand across the Phoenix metropolitan area while maintaining affordability, reliability and sustainability for customers.

SRP will receive 400 MW of energy beginning this fall and will increase its allocation to 600 MW by summer of 2027.

“This PPA highlights SRP’s leadership and our partnership, showing how a diverse and cost‑effective energy portfolio can meet Arizona’s needs today while supporting a reliable and resilient grid for the future,” said Pattern Energy’s Chief Executive Officer Hunter Armistead.

SunZia is set to deliver enough energy to power approximately one million American homes annually, representing an $11 billion energy investment across the Southwest. Backed by a 3,650 MW wind resource and a 550‑mile HVDC transmission line that efficiently moves large amounts of electricity across long distances, it adds a new, clean resource that contributes to SRP’s diverse portfolio of energy resources, which includes hydro, wind, natural gas, solar, battery storage and other generation.

SRP currently has 288 MW of wind energy serving its customers. The energy from SunZia supports SRP’s plan to more than double the capacity of its power system by 2035 through the addition of thousands of megawatts of renewable energy, as well as natural gas and battery energy storage resources.

“This agreement with Pattern Energy plays a key role in SRP’s all-of-the-above approach to meeting the growing energy needs of the Phoenix metropolitan area reliably, affordably and sustainably,” said Bobby Olsen, Associate General Manager and Chief Power System Executive.  “This project will triple the amount of wind energy on SRP’s grid, helping us make progress toward our carbon reduction goals.”

Pattern Energy | www.patternenergy.com

SRP | www.srpnet.com

Statkraft has decided to invest in Gran Sul, a 280 MW onshore wind project in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The investment strengthens Statkraft’s renewable energy portfolio in one of the company’s key international growth markets.

The Gran Sul project is located in Santa Vitória do Palmar, an area with strong wind resources in southern Brazil. The project will add new renewable power generation to the Brazilian electricity system and strengthen Statkraft’s position as a significant player in hydropower, wind power and solar power in Brazil. 

“Brazil is an important market for Statkraft. Gran Sul fits well with our strategy to build scale in selected markets and develop a competitive renewable energy portfolio. In Brazil, we combine hydropower, wind power and solar power to deliver reliable and competitive energy solutions that support the energy transition,” says Fernando de Lapuerta, Executive Vice President International at Statkraft. 

The project has been developed over several years and has completed the necessary technical, environmental and regulatory processes. With the investment decision, Gran Sul now moves into the execution phase, construction scheduled to begin in January 2027. 

“Gran Sul is an important step in Statkraft’s growth strategy in Brazil. The investment decision reflects our confidence in the Brazilian market and helps utilize the good wind resources in the country. The project will contribute to a more secure, competitive and sustainable power system,” says Thiago Tomazzoli, Country Manager Brazil at Statkraft. 

The development will strengthen Statkraft’s presence in Rio Grande do Sul and contribute to regional value creation through jobs, local suppliers and long-term investments.

Statkraft | https://www.statkraft.com/

Peak Energy, a U.S. leader in low-cost, giga-scale grid storage, announced it has selected Sacramento, California as the home of its new manufacturing facility, becoming America's first dedicated to grid-scale sodium-ion energy storage systems. The 183,000-square-foot facility will produce up to 4 GWh of battery systems annually, enough to power nearly four million homes per year. Peak announced the milestone alongside regional and state leaders, marking a major investment in California manufacturing and America's energy future.

With more than 6 GWh of customer commitments already in place, Peak's Sacramento facility will help the United States meet the rapidly increasing energy storage demand, fueled by the expansion of AI and data centers, while advancing energy security and domestic manufacturing. Peak's passively cooled sodium-ion battery energy storage systems, which reduce the cost of energy storage by 20% and have a 99% guaranteed uptime, are expected to enter production and begin shipments in Q1 2027.

"America needs energy storage that is lower cost, more affordable, more reliable and purpose-built to meet the demand coming onto the grid," said Landon Mossburg, CEO and Co-Founder of Peak Energy. "This facility is proof that America can lead not only in inventing the technology, but in building it at scale. With our manufacturing facility in Sacramento, we're enabling American energy innovation to lower electric bills while creating high quality jobs."

Advancing California's Energy Economy

Located in Sacramento's Metro Air Park, the new facility represents up to $71 million in capital investment and will create 239 new local jobs over the next 18 months, with an average annual wage of more than $90,000. The project is also expected to generate additional economic activity for local suppliers, contractors, logistics providers and service businesses throughout the Sacramento region, while expanding the local tax base and supporting long-term community investment. Together with Peak's broader growth in California, the company is expected to create 348 net new jobs across Sacramento and Burlingame, where it is headquartered, by 2030.

Peak chose Sacramento following a competitive nationwide site selection process, citing the region's manufacturing talent, proximity to California's growing energy storage market, strong state and local support, and the Greater Sacramento Economic Council's leadership in bringing together workforce, utility and economic development partners. Peak's growth in California is supported by a $10.5 million CalCompetes tax credit, which was awarded in May 2026.

"The future of energy is being built in California," said Dee Dee Myers, Senior Advisor to Governor Newsom and Director of the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). "This state has always been the country's center of energy innovation, and Peak's investment in Sacramento is proof that we're also the best place to manufacture those new technologies at scale, bringing good jobs, economic opportunity and critical infrastructure to our state. With the help of CalCompetes' investment in this project, we are making sure that California's energy transition is made in California by California workers."

"Peak Energy's decision to select Sacramento is exactly the kind of advanced manufacturing investment that reflects the strengths of our region," said Barry Broome, President and CEO of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council. "Sacramento has become a destination for innovative companies looking to grow, manufacture and invest for the long term. This project will create opportunities for our local businesses, working families and communities while ensuring the benefits of California's energy transformation are felt right here in Sacramento for generations to come."

Delivering the Next Generation of Grid Storage Systems

Peak is commercializing the world's first fully passive grid-scale energy storage system, engineered to operate for more than 20 years without scheduled maintenance and designed as a drop-in replacement for today's battery energy storage systems. In California alone, eliminating battery refrigeration costs could save ratepayers an average of $100 million annually while helping lower the overall cost of energy storage and deliver more affordable electricity.

To date, Peak has secured customer agreements with Jupiter Power, Energy Vault and RWE Americas and recently announced a strategic partnership with General Motors, including an investment from GM Ventures, to pair GM's next-generation sodium-ion cell technology with Peak's proprietary energy storage platform. Together, these milestones underscore growing confidence in Peak's sodium-ion technology as a scalable solution for grid storage.

Peak Energy | www.peakenergy.com

Palmetto, America's leading consumer energy platform, announced the Palmetto Energy Backup Plan, a battery-only product leasing offering that makes home resilience truly accessible to everyone.

Why it matters now: More storms, more blackout risk

With the U.N. warning that this El Niño year could bring more frequent and severe summer storms, many homeowners are preparing for a tougher-than-normal season of power interruptions. Yet roughly four million rooftop solar systems in the U.S. still lack battery backup and go dark when the grid does, leaving families exposed to outages even as utility bills climb.

Palmetto's solution for homeowners: affordable, automatic, worry–free backup 

Palmetto's new offering addresses the potential for power interruptions from grid outages by delivering dependable backup storage without the traditional financial or maintenance burdens. While traditional ownership models require large upfront costs of over $16,000 or more, the Palmetto Energy Backup Plan is a subscription service that delivers premium home battery storage with no upfront payment, automatic backup during grid outages, and a 12–year worry–free hardware subscription. Through the Palmetto app, customers can set custom backup reserve levels and use stored energy to avoid peak utility rates through energy arbitrage, turning an existing solar array into a complete, resilient home energy system.

"Many homeowners assume solar keeps their house powered during an outage, but most solar systems shut off when the grid does," said Chris Kemper, Founder and CEO of Palmetto. "Backup storage is the missing piece of true home resilience, yet buying a battery outright can require thousands of dollars. The Palmetto Energy Backup Plan removes that barrier so families can keep the lights on without the financial stress."

Palmetto's solution for partners: easier sales, new revenue 

For dealers and partners, the subscription model reduces the primary financial objection to batteries — the upfront cost — making it easier to close new sales and to re-engage existing solar customers. Partners can offer the subscription as a standalone product or as an upgrade, while Palmetto remains the single point of support for maintenance and repairs. 

Availability + how to get it

Palmetto's Energy Backup Plan is now live in 25 states and counting. For more information, please visit palmetto.com.

Key statistics + details

• Many rooftop solar systems (about 4 million in the U.S.) lack battery backup and cannot power homes during grid outages.
• The Palmetto Energy Backup Plan enables resilience without the traditional large capital outlay or ongoing repair bills.
• No upfront payment to obtain premium home battery storage.
• Automatic backup during grid outages; configurable reserve levels through the Palmetto app.
• Use stored energy to avoid peak rates (energy arbitrage) and increase self-consumption of existing solar arrays.
• Palmetto handles maintenance and repairs for the 12–year term.

Palmetto | https://palmetto.com/

SMT Energy and Axpo have signed a 120 MW, seven-year battery storage swap agreement tied to SMT Energy's Houston IV BESS, a newly operational 160 MW/320 MWh battery energy storage system in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) market. The agreement supports long-term revenue visibility for Houston IV and highlights SMT Energy's ability to develop, commercialize and operate utility-scale battery storage assets in Texas.

In brief:

• SMT Energy has executed a 120 MW, seven-year battery storage swap agreement with Axpo in the ERCOT market.
• The transaction provides SMT Energy with long-term revenue visibility, reinforces Axpo's role in the market, and allows it to better serve customers seeking flexibility.
• Houston IV demonstrates SMT Energy's ability to originate, finance, construct, operate and commercialize utility-scale BESS assets in ERCOT.

The bespoke agreement provides SMT Energy with predictable, long-term contracted revenue for its Houston IV battery project while supporting SMT Energy's ability to advance additional battery storage assets in Texas.

Luke Tosheff, Origination Director at Axpo in the U.S., said: "Our focus at Axpo is to provide structured products that help developers like SMT Energy navigate market complexity. This seven-year swap is an example of how we can create long-term revenue certainty for battery storage projects. We're proud to support SMT's growth and help bring critical flexibility and reliability to the Texas grid." 

Miguel Garcia, Head of Commercial Strategy at SMT Energy, said: "Houston IV represents the type of large-scale, grid-critical battery storage asset SMT Energy was built to deliver. Pairing a 160 MW operating BESS with a seven-year structured swap agreement is an important commercial milestone for SMT Energy and provides durable revenue visibility for the project. Axpo was a constructive partner in tailoring a solution that supports Houston IV and strengthens SMT Energy's ability to advance additional battery storage and power infrastructure assets across Texas."

Axpo Group | https://www.axpo.com/us/en.html

SMT Energy | https://smtenergy.com/

Containerized battery energy storage systems (BESS) have expanded rapidly in North America as utilities, businesses, and communities integrate batteries for grid stability, backup power, renewable energy integration, microgrid support, and hybrid energy systems. 

This widespread adoption is one reason safety standards such as NFPA 855 have become more significant, as regulators and industry stakeholders seek consistent guidelines for safely installing and operating the expanding number of battery energy storage systems.

The National Fire Protection Association Standard 855, formally titled “Standard for the Installation of Stationary Energy Storage Systems,” is the primary fire-safety and installation standard in the United States for BESS and other stationary energy storage technologies. The document establishes minimum safety requirements governing how these systems must be designed, installed, operated, and protected in residential, commercial, and utility-scale settings.

The standard exists because large battery installations introduce unique hazards, particularly with lithium-ion batteries, including thermal runaway, flammable gas generation, and potential fire propagation between battery modules or containers.

NFPA 855 addresses these hazards by requiring a “layers of protection” approach to hazard mitigation and fire protection. Rather than relying on a single safeguard, the standard expects systems to incorporate several independent protections that collectively reduce the likelihood and severity of failures. 

In practice, this means installations typically include combinations of monitoring, detection, containment, and suppression measures. These can involve early fire detection, gas detection, ventilation to address buildup of flammable gases, fire-suppression systems, explosion prevention and control, and design features intended to prevent or limit thermal runaway propagation between battery cells or modules.

Containerized BESS

The use of standardized container formats has become the dominant architecture in large scale battery storage because it simplifies manufacturing, transportation, and installation. It also allows systems to be scaled easily by adding additional containers to meet the desired energy demand. 

This approach allows manufacturers to package batteries, cooling systems, power electronics, and safety equipment into a modular unit that can be transported by truck, rail, or ship and installed quickly at a site.

However, most utility-scale battery projects do not consist of just one container. Instead, many containerized units are deployed together in rows across a site, connected through power conversion systems and transformers to form a much larger energy storage plant. 

A single project might include dozens or even hundreds of containers arranged in arrays. The combined capacity of these installations can range from tens of megawatt-hours for small grid support projects to hundreds or even thousands of megawatt-hours at the largest facilities.

Hydrogen Accumulation

According to Geof Brazier, Managing Director of BS&B Safety Systems Explosion Protection Division, in the most recent 2026 edition of NFPA 855, several new requirements were introduced related to battery system hazards and protection strategies, including expanded hazard-mitigation analysis, additional testing expectations, and stronger provisions related to fire and explosion risk management in large battery installations.

“One of the recognized safety concerns was the buildup of hydrogen and other combustible gases in containerized BESS, because hydrogen is highly flammable and can accumulate to a combustible concentration in enclosed spaces if not properly ventilated or monitored and controlled,” says Brazier.

Hydrogen rich gas can be generated during certain battery failure modes or abnormal operating conditions. In some battery chemistries, even traditional lead-acid batteries, hydrogen is produced as a normal byproduct during charging through electrolysis of water in the electrolyte and typically in small, easily ventilated quantities.

In BESS installations that use lithium-ion batteries, hydrogen and other combustible gases can be generated during thermal runaway or internal battery damage. When lithium-ion cells overheat or fail, chemical decomposition of the electrolyte and other cell components can produce a mixture of gases that may include hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, and other flammable compounds. 

The danger arises when hydrogen or other flammable gases accumulate in an enclosed space and are then ignited by electrical equipment, static discharge, or other ignition sources. 

Hydrogen has a very wide flammability range and a low minimum ignition energy. In air under typical conditions, it is flammable at concentrations of approximately 4% to 75% by volume; the lower end of this range, about 4%, is known as the lower flammability limit. Because it is lighter than air, hydrogen tends to accumulate near the ceiling or the upper portions of a container if ventilation is inadequate. This can further increase hydrogen concentrations in those upper areas.

In the lower ranges when hydrogen comprises less than 20% of the mixture in air by volume, an ignition can cause a deflagration event.

Unlike a detonation, which produces a supersonic shock wave of great destructive force, a deflagration is slower moving but still produces unacceptably high pressures in a confined structure. The expanding combustion gases press outward rapidly at high temperature and pressure and, if not intentionally relieved, the structure can suffer significant damage, and occupants or nearby individuals may be seriously injured. 

When the percentage of hydrogen in the air is around 20%, detonation events can generate powerful shock waves that travel faster than the speed of sound. 

“When you get into the higher percentages, you are dealing with explosions that can transition to an unprotectable detonation, so it is important to do the utmost to reduce the level of hydrogen accumulation in the container so the conditions for an explosion do not arise,” says Brazier. 

The resulting deflagration or explosion may not only damage the container but may propagate fire driven overheating to adjacent BESS modules.

Because of these risks, Brazier says modern BESS designs emphasize early detection and layered protection strategies. These include monitoring battery temperature and voltage to detect failures early, detecting flammable gases before they reach hazardous concentrations, and providing controlled ventilation or explosion relief to prevent pressure buildup.

BS&B Safety Systems’ VSP Actuated Ventilation System is an NFPA 69 explosion prevention device designed to protect BESS enclosures by actively releasing combustible hydrogen and other accumulated gases before an explosive concentration arises.

Sensors continuously monitor combustible gas concentrations inside the enclosure. When elevated gas levels are detected, an actuator opens the vent flap to safely discharge the gases. Once concentrations return to acceptable levels, the actuator closes the flap, and normal operating conditions are restored. This automated cycle repeats as needed whenever elevated gas levels are detected, providing continuous protection for the enclosure.

“An explosion prevention device doesn’t necessarily have to respond to an explosion,” explains Brazier. “In this case, it responds before an explosion would occur to let the hydrogen out before it builds up into a combustible range.”

Containerized BESS are also increasingly fitted with explosion vents to control the pressure spikes and direct flame and gas when a thermal-runaway event causes a flammable atmosphere to ignite and a low concentration of combustible gas results in a deflagration. 

Brazier says BS&B specifically designed its BESS-Saf as a family of explosion and pressure relief vents with BESS enclosure dynamics in mind. The vents support controlled pressure relief to help mitigate explosion risk resulting from thermal runaway and gas generation.

The low-burst-pressure explosion vent panels can be mounted on the container roof or upper exterior walls. In the event of a deflagration or explosion, the panel opens and vents to the open atmosphere, directing the discharge away with attention to avoidance of discharge across egress paths being essential.

The BS&B explosion vent type VSP-A is a breathable construction that permits combustible gases to pass through the device under normal operating conditions while providing a barrier from rain, snow and other climatic influences. 

Flame-Free versions incorporate a flame arrester rated for hydrogen and other gas deflagration conditions with an explosion vent. This combination provides a reliable layer of protection for enclosures exposed to deflagration and overpressure risks. 

“If hydrogen or other gases accumulate and a deflagration arises, the explosion vent opens to relieve overpressure while the integrated flame arrester quenches the flame front to mitigate the release of flame to the atmosphere,” says Brazier.

Pressure relief vents of this kind are often combined with gas detection and forced ventilation systems to keep concentrations below the lower flammable limit. 

“Explosion venting is not mandatory [in NFPA 855], but it is one of the permitted methods for achieving explosion control,” explains Brazier. “Because venting is often a comparatively economical solution, it receives significant attention and is frequently viewed as the preferred cost-effective approach.”

According to Brazier, vent selection is determined through an evaluation of the enclosure’s size and structural capacity, the design strength, and the total vent area necessary to maintain internal forces within allowable limits. 

Companies like BS&B Safety Systems are able to provide technical guidance throughout the specification process to help identify the appropriate explosion vent configurations, and materials to support an effective venting strategy aligned with applicable codes and standards. 

“By working methodically through these parameters, the correct design approach can be established with confidence, aligning performance, safety, and compliance objectives,” says Brazier.

BS&B Safety Systems | https://bsbsystems.com/

Porterville Unified School District (PUSD) is set to develop a comprehensive solar, battery energy storage, microgrid, and electric vehicle (EV) fleet charging project to meet the District’s intersecting energy, transportation, and resilience needs with clean, renewable, lower-cost electricity.  To develop the project, PUSD has partnered with ForeFront Power, a leading developer and asset manager of commercial and industrial-scale renewable energy solutions, as well as The Mobility House (TMH), an independent charge management provider. The project is being funded in part via a U.S. EPA Clean School Bus (CSB) Program grant, which the District secured with support from CALSTART, a nonprofit organization that connects businesses, government agencies, and industry partners to accelerate the adoption of clean transportation technologies.

The PUSD Zero-Emission Transportation Infrastructure Project and Microgrid will include a 763 kW solar array mounted on existing shade structures at the District’s north and south parking lots, along with a 408 kW / 1632 kWh battery storage system to store solar energy, provide resiliency, and discharge power to shave peak demand. A microgrid controller will enable the facility to disconnect from Southern California Edison’s electrical grid when needed, drawing power directly from the District’s on-site solar energy and battery storage assets. 

The solar-plus-storage system will support 35 DC fast charger ports to serve the District’s planned fleet of electric school buses. These fast chargers will be connected to The Mobility House’s charge management system, ChargePilot®, which will enable the fleet to draw power directly from PUSD’s on-site energy systems in tandem with grid electricity. The EV charging infrastructure will also include eight charging ports in the north parking lot that will serve the District’s “white fleet.” Two of the eight chargers will feature bi-directional charging capability, which enables an EV to function as a “battery on wheels,” storing and discharging power back to the grid with vehicle-to-grid services (V2G). V2G technology will help the District support grid resilience, offset energy expenses, and extend an additional clean energy resource to students, staff, and the broader community. 

Both V2G and microgrid technologies are integral to Porterville’s resiliency strategy, which includes protecting the broader community in the event of emergencies and power outages, such as Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events.

“We are excited to advance this important infrastructure project, which supports the District’s long-term goals for sustainability, energy resiliency, and responsible stewardship of public resources,” said Brad Rohrbach, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, Porterville Unified School District. “This project represents a significant investment in our students, schools, and community, while helping position the District for a more efficient and sustainable future. We are grateful to CALSTART for their critical support in helping the District secure this grant through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. We also appreciate the partnership and expertise provided by ForeFront Power and The Mobility House.”  

Upgrading the District Fleet, A Community Lifeline 

Located in Tulare County in California’s Central Valley, the Porterville region experiences some of the nation’s worst air quality, which disproportionately affects student respiratory health. PUSD serves more than 14,000 TK–12 students across 22 campuses, 88.9% of whom are from socioeconomically disadvantaged households, making the District’s transportation fleet a critical lifeline for many students who rely on school buses for access to education and extracurricular activities. In response to these conditions and rising energy costs, the District launched its PUSD Energy & Sustainability Program in 2019, aiming to reduce energy costs and GHG emissions by 80% by 2030, and is pursuing this EV infrastructure project as a key pillar of the program.

Once complete, the 1,171‑kW solar, battery storage, and microgrid system is expected to produce nearly 1,425,000 kWh of clean, renewable electricity annually. This onsite generation, combined with smart dispatch of the battery and V2G resources, is designed to offset approximately 80% of the District facilities’ electricity consumption—including the anticipated annual SCE utility bill for electric bus charging—and avoid an estimated 21,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions over the 30‑year project lifecycle. The District’s plan to transition all school buses to electric by 2035 will save an additional 15,000 metric tons in avoided CO₂ emissions from reduced tailpipe pollution, bringing their total expected CO₂ emissions reduction over the same 30-year period to approximately 37,000 metric tons. This is equivalent to the GHG emissions from over 3.6 million gallons of diesel fuel burned.

Public-Private Partnership Enables Long-Term Budget Certainty and Savings on Electricity and Fuel 

Designed, engineered, and developed by ForeFront Power, the future project is designed for an expected lifetime of 30 years. During this period, PUSD will partner with ForeFront Power for ongoing Asset Management services. This project will provide PUSD with budget certainty while reducing its dependence on fossil fuels to power its fleet. The transition to electric buses will lower fuel and maintenance costs and provide long-term savings over the project’s lifetime, protecting PUSD’s budget from increasing diesel and utility rates.

“We applaud Porterville USD for pursuing this innovative project for zero-emission infrastructure,” said Dr. Ruben Fontes, CEO at ForeFront Power. “When complete, this clean energy portfolio will serve as a national model for how vulnerable communities can mitigate rising energy and fuel costs, improve public health, meet ambitious climate goals, and protect themselves from climate emergencies.”

"We are glad to be a part of such an innovative and ambitious project to benefit the school district and community of Porterville,” said Greg Hintler, CEO of The Mobility House North America. “Clean energy technologies such as solar microgrids, electric school buses, and V2G have enormous potential to provide clean and affordable energy and transportation solutions for school districts and communities across the country.”

U.S. EPA’s Clean School Bus Program Delivers for Porterville 

The upcoming project is anchored by a major federal investment through the U.S. EPA’s Clean School Bus (CSB) Program. Porterville Unified School District has secured federal grant funding to replace diesel buses with zero‑emission buses and install fast charging and clean energy infrastructure. As part of this award, the EPA funds Porterville USD directly, and CALSTART serves as the District’s technical and project management partner—handling implementation support, monitoring and reporting, workforce and community programs, and positioning the District for future federal and state grant opportunities. PUSD has also pursued other funding opportunities including California Air Resources Board and California Energy Commission’s Zero Emission School Bus and Infrastructure (ZESBI) incentive project.

“PUSD’s commitment to decarbonize their fleet is transformational for the San Joaquin Valley, for the broader Porterville community, and for school districts that are navigating similar transitions. Funding programs that reduce capital costs are critical to make these school electrification projects possible.” said Valerie Thorsen, P.E., Regional Director at CALSTART. “PUSD is not only transitioning their fleet, but they have also provided EV internships in partnership with Climate Action Pathways for Schools and are actively enabling clean energy jobs through their Academy of Energy and Resource Occupations (AERO) Pathways Program.”

Procurement Assisted by Joint Power Authority SPURR and the PAVE Program 

PUSD procured its Zero-Emission Transportation Infrastructure Project and Microgrid by leveraging the Procurement Assistance for Vehicle Electrification (“PAVE”) Program. The PAVE Program is managed by SPURR, a joint powers authority dedicated to helping the California public sector control and reduce utility expenses. PAVE is designed to help public agencies streamline the procurement process for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure through an easy infrastructure roadmap and a single source for planning, installation, and management of complicated multi-phase EV charging infrastructure projects. Through PAVE’s integrated RFP process, the District selected ForeFront Power to develop, finance, and construct its EV charging infrastructure project, and The Mobility House (TMH) as its charge management technology provider.

Advancing PUSD’s Climate Action Pathways for Schools (CAPS) Student Initiative 

This upcoming project will also advance PUSD’s Climate Action Pathways for Schools (CAPS) initiative by linking classroom learning, career pathways, and real-world clean energy infrastructure. Through CAPS-aligned project-based units, energy audits, and analysis of the District’s solar, energy storage, and EV charging systems, students will use the campus as a living lab to build skills in renewable energy, sustainability, and conservation. Porterville USD, ForeFront Power, CALSTART, and The Mobility House have also developed a community outreach program to educate local residents on the clean transportation and air quality benefits of the microgrid and EV transportation infrastructure, along with hands-on CAPS internships that provide experience in zero-emission fleet operations while advancing district climate and sustainability goals.

Porterville Unified School District | https://www.portervilleschools.org/

ForeFront Power | www.forefrontpower.com

The Mobility House | https://www.mobilityhouse.com/usa_en/