Latitude Media

The renewables developer The AES Corporation has added a new tool to its belt. Maximo, as AES has dubbed its robotic “friend in the field,” will help the company build out up to 5 gigawatts of its solar backlog and pipeline in the next three years. According to Deise Yumi Asami, Maximo founder at AES, one of the major benefits of the robot is its potential to solve labor-related bottlenecks facing the solar industry. https://lnkd.in/eqZNusst

In a year of record-breaking temperatures, July has been the hottest month of all. For Leap, a software-only VPP platform, July brought record-breaking dispatches from VPPs in both New York and California. “To have as many dispatches as we’ve had in July is at best highly unusual,” said chief revenue officer Jason Michaels. https://lnkd.in/e-KqxF8r

In the latest episode of Catalyst, Shayle Kann talks to Gene Berdichevsky, co-founder and CEO of anode material manufacturer Sila Nanotechnologies, Inc. EV growth has been slower than expected, and uneven. How did the market get here? Listen now: https://lnkd.in/gm-CbfNj

After two decades of flat or declining load growth, U.S. electricity demand is predicted to rise by almost 5% over the next five years. Until recently, utilities lacked a multipurpose solution for the slew of diverse grid challenges causing this load growth. “This is where virtual power plants stand out,” says Paul Hines, vice president of power systems at EnergyHub. The versatility of VPPs is one of the technology’s biggest strengths — and a perennial source of confusion. EnergyHub on why it’s time for stakeholders to rally behind VPPs: https://lnkd.in/eDj5GDEJ

📢 Current and aspiring climate professionals: The Climatebase Fellowship is now accepting applications for its 6th cohort! This industry-oriented educational program provides 12 weeks of hands-on learning combined with ongoing community membership throughout the year. Access expert guest speaker sessions, career support, project-based work, startup mentorship, and a supportive network of 1700+ highly talented peers eager to make an impact in climate. Apply by August 1st for priority consideration. Program starts September 3rd. https://lnkd.in/ecGwpfin

This week on Political Climate, Emily Domenech goes behind the scenes of the 2024 Republican National Convention to explore the incremental shift happening within the GOP to change the conversation around climate change. Emily and her guests — including  Rep. John Curtis of Utah and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa — also explore the notion of energy independence and consider whether the soaring demand for energy in the U.S. gives new life to an “all of the above” approach. This is part one of a two-part dispatch from the RNC. Stay tuned for part two. https://lnkd.in/eeAWBJPX

There is no shortage of worry over the negative consequences of the boom in data center power demand. But at least for the energy developer NextEra Energy, Inc., the load growth emerging from data centers, manufacturing, and electrification has been a boon not for fossil fuels, but for renewables. On the company’s earnings call, CEO John Ketchum said that renewables are proving both quicker to develop and cheaper than gas. Still, Neil Kalton, an equity analyst at Wells Fargo who covers the energy space, said that it may be a little soon to assume that that demand will be met even close to wholly by renewables. https://lnkd.in/eUdsWV5s

Demand from data centers continues to soar. Where does that leave utilities? And other news.

As utilities grapple with how to mitigate and prepare for the AI boom, tech giants may be the most reliable sources of first-of-a-kind capital to prove out potential innovations. Justin Tomljanovic, VP of corporate development at the utility Xcel Energy, said that there’s an increased focus in the utility sector on scaling new technologies more quickly — particularly those that might help utilities meet the onslaught of load growth. And, he said, hyperscalers might be the "secret sauce" for getting there. https://lnkd.in/ehkxqD8f

Over the next 10 years, Katie MacDonald, co-founder of investment and advisory firm Tailwind, predicts a 20-fold increase in the amount of early-stage and innovation capital going into adaptation and resilience companies. Bianca Giacobone interviewed MacDonald about the "relentless optimism" of investing in adaptation. https://lnkd.in/gtvr2us6