The Investment Tax Credit (ITC) has helped solar power grow across the US. Now a new bill in the House could help energy storage systems get similar support. The legislation is supported by a broad coalition of energy organizations, who recently sent a letter urging Congress to pass it.

The Cleveland Indians are loading the bases with solar power at Progressive Field. The stadium has used solar power at the field since 2007, but through a new partnership with Powerhome Solar, it will soon power much more of the stadium. 

Renewable energy use continues to grow by leaps and bounds, proving it’s ready to replace dirtier sources of energy like coal and diesel electric generation as it now provides a third of the electricity used in the world. People want more of it, too. In the US 80% said they want more solar and 70% want more wind power. Utilities, like Florida Power & Light (FPL) are quickly moving to add in more renewables and retiring fossil fuel plants early.

Last year the world added 171 gigawatts (GWs) of renewable energy, 63% of all the energy installed in the world last year, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The organization also noted that wind and solar power were responsible for the lion’s share, adding an accumulative 143 GWs of new energy last year—84% of all new renewable energy capacity. 

Fully 80% of people in the US want more solar power and 70% want more wind power, finds the latest Gallup poll on energy in the US. The poll also found that 60% of people in the US, regardless of party affiliation, now think that the US should take policy actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and and address climate change—less than a quarter of the population opposes such policies. 

The 409 megawatt FPL Manatee Energy Storage Center was announced by Florida Power & Light Co. last week. The system will be the biggest battery system in the world, will be charged by an existing FPL solar power plant in Manatee County, FL, and will allow the utility to retire two natural gas units while saving customers $100 million.

Research continues to show that renewable energy is less expensive to build and operate than coal and is even starting to compete with natural gas. Given that it’s no surprise that big companies and places like Puerto Rico and New Mexico are making plans to move to 100 percent renewable energy. 

Companies are making headway towards the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance's (REBA’s) goal of purchasing more than 60 gigawatts of renewable energy in the US by 2025. By the end of 2018 its members had signed up for a total of 13.7 gigawatts of renewable energy in the county, with the most, 6.5 GWs, of deals announced last year. 

Batteries and energy storage systems have seen a phenomenal cost drops since 2012—falling 76 percent in costs, similar to the trend renewable energy technologies. Now all of them are them are coming into, and beating coal power and even gas power, in terms of providing low cost energy. 

In the past week and a half, both Puerto Rico and New Mexico have made strong progress in renewable energy policies. Puerto Rico’s legislature passed a bill moving it to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050 and New Mexico’s Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) signed a law to move that state 100 percent carbon free electricity by 2050.