Energy News: Trade Shows, Summer Weather Prep, EV Updates

A look at the energy news from PR Newswire in May and June that you might have missed.

By Teri Fane | Published July 13, 2023

May and June brought an uptick in energy industry news as PR Newswire distributed more than 2,200 energy-related news releases.

In this post, we'll take a look at some of the most-read releases of the period as well as a few of the trends that stood out in the news cycle.

Popular Energy Releases from May and June

These are a few of the releases that readers visited the most during the last two months.

• In May, Stratolaunch LLC announced it had successfully completed a separation release test of the Talon-A separation test vehicle and expanded its fleet when it acquired Virgin Orbit's modified Boeing 747 and its related parts.
• Panasonic Energy of North America selected Palantir Technologies Inc. to help deliver an operations "Smart Factory" for its facility in Sparks, Nevada.
• On June 8, General Motors announced its partnership with Tesla to integrate the NACS connector design into its EVs and expand access to charging for GM EV drivers beginning with 12,000 new Tesla Superchargers.
• Virtual power plants could save U.S. utilities $15-$35 billion over 10 years, according to a new study prepared for Google by energy analysts from The Brattle Group.

Energy News Trends for May-June 2023

Here’s a look at a few of the trends we noticed among energy-related press releases in May and June.

Energy Industry Conferences

May and June seemed to be conference season, as energy companies attended shows around the world to showcase their sustainable energy solutions. Companies came together to see the latest in sustainable technology, mingle with and attend panels given by industry influencers, and even present their own ESG reports for the past year.

The events were a great avenue to demonstrate the growing call to switch to green power technology for the energy industry.

Here are some of the headlines that came out of several conference shows.

• The smarter E Europe took place in Munich from June 13-16. It brings together four major European energy industry conferences, including Intersolar Europe Conference, ees Europe Conference, Power2Drive Europe Conference, and EM-Power Europe Conference.
  • Delta Electronics demonstrated its Smart Energy Solutions compromising its solar energy, energy storage and electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions. Delta’s solutions enable the harnessing of renewable energy sources, facilitate the deployment of charging service, and optimize energy efficiency at the point of consumption.
  • REPT BATTERO showcased its latest innovation, the Wending battery series. The Wending series' standout feature is the inclusion of 320Ah high-capacity battery cells, the first in the industry to meet UL 9540A certification standards for cells that go above 300Ah.
  • LONGi released its latest ESG Summary Report at Intersolar Europe. The company announced its sustainability concept of "LIGHT" with 5 factors including "Lead," "Innovative," "Green," "Harmonious," and "Trustworthy."
  • Sungrow introduced its latest liquid-cooled energy storage system, PowerTitan 2.0, during Intersolar Europe. The all-in-one system enhances the power density, making the container able to be equipped with 5MWh batteries and 2.5MW PCS. It’s designed to support grid stability, improve power quality, and offer an optimized LCOS for future projects.
  • OPESS unveiled its Ocube modular storage products at ess Europe. This new generation of energy storage solutions is backed by OPESS's years of R&D and its robust industry-leading innovation capacity, which holds over 300 national-level patents.  
• The Battery Show, in Stuttgart, Germany, from May 23-25, was the opportunity to meet battery manufacturers, suppliers, engineers, thought leaders, and decision-makers in the advanced battery and automotive industries.
  • EVE Energy showcased its energy vehicle solutions at the Battery Show. One of the highlights of the exhibition was the display of EVE’s large cylindrical batteries and " π " battery systems. The batteries support ultra-fast charging and integrate high specific energy and lightweight design meeting the requirements of HEV and BEV models, providing strong driving power.
  • On May 23, Interplex's VP of Manufacturing and Engineering, Maarten Langendonk, joined “The Future in Battery & EV Sustainability”  panel with industry peers.
  • Liacon, a leader in battery technology and manufacturing, announced its new Group 31 LFP 12.8V 150 Ah battery at the show. The battery delivers both superior energy storage capacity and power, making it ideal for deep-cycle applications such as renewable energy storage for recreational and marine vehicles.
• Georgia Clean Energy Roadshow took place from June 23-29.
  • The roadshow included four events across Georgia, featuring a showcase of the latest technology, compressed natural gas (CNG), electric and propane vehicles. The roadshow also highlighted federal and utility funding programs for EV charging and the workforce opportunities from Georgia's EV ecosystem.

By the numbers: In the past two months, PR Newswire distributed more than 120 press releases related to energy industry trade shows. 

Summer Weather Preparedness

June 21 was the first day of summer, meaning consumers needed to begin preparing for the summer weather. With heat waves, hurricanes, and wildfires already making headlines, energy utility companies put out news to let their customers know how they are preparing for the season.

Here are some of the headlines from utility companies in the past two months

• Advice and Tips
  • At the end of May, Duke Energy urged its North Carolina customers to plan for the fast-approaching hurricane season. The company offered tips for how customers should plan before, during, and after a hurricane and shared its own comprehensive storm plan for the season.  
  • PG&E offered its own safety tips for surviving the heat and having fun during the Fourth of July and the rest of the summer. Tips included limiting exposure to direct sunlight from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., opting for battery-operated flashlights over candles during outages, and ensuring children under 13 years are wearing Coast Guard-approved life jackets when on water vessels.
  • Dominion Energy wants its customer to know the top ways to save money on their utility bills this summer. Customers should consider changes like installing ceiling fans, keeping window shades closed, and setting their thermostats higher to avoid high energy bills as the weather heats.
• Grants and Giving
  • TXU Energy dedicated $125,000 to its partnership with Texan social service agencies providing new air conditioning units and fans to homes in need. The company’s program, which began as a single call center in Dallas 25 years ago, now partners with over 20 organizations across the state.
  • PG&E and The PG&E Foundation are providing a total of $1.4 million to the California Fire Foundation’s Wildfire Safety and Preparedness Program. California-based fire departments and community-based organizations focused on wildfire safety and preparedness are encouraged to apply.
  • Entergy donated $4.1 million to help its vulnerable customers keep cool this summer. This marked the 22^nd year of their program, which includes initiatives like $1 million to provide energy efficiency kits and conducting neighborhood sweeps to weatherproof over 50 low-income homes.
• Hard at work
  • As we head into wildfire season, PG&E is deploying emerging technologies to build upon the proven layers of protection that are reducing wildfire risk from its equipment by 94%. Technologies include a remotely operated controlled-burn system, next-generation drones, and wireless remote grids.
  • Duke Energy restored power to more than 250,000 customers after severe storms ripped through Indiana in June. Crews worked to address more than 110 miles of downed power lines, replace 160 broken poles, and clear over 370 fallen trees.
  • To prepare for the coming heat, FirstEnergy Companies Jersey Central in New Jersey and Met-ED in Pennsylvania, completed inspections and maintenance of company equipment across the states. In addition to regular ground-based visual inspections, helicopter patrols surveyed thousands of miles of high-voltage transmission lines in the Spring.

By the numbers: In the past two months, PR Newswire distributed more than more than 130 press releases from utility companies mentioning "summer." 

EV Check-in

In our previous blog post, we promised to continue to monitor the rapidly expanding electric vehicle (EV) industry.  May and June continued to bring more news as companies were excited to announce their commitments to embracing the shift from gas/diesel-powered vehicles to electric for commercial use and supporting the necessary infrastructure needed to keep EVs on the road.

Here are some of the notable headlines regarding EVs and EV charging from May and June.

• Making the switch on commercial use
  • In early May, World Fuel Services announced it had converted diesel-powered refueling trucks into all-electric refueling trucks. For the first time, commercial and business aviation operators can now refuel with Sustainable Aviation Fuel at Toulon Hyères Airport.
  • Halo.Car announced on June 29 that it had officially removed safety drivers from its remote-piloted delivery vehicles in a world-first commercial launch. The move comes after four years of testing and is a part of Halo.Car’s mission to rapidly accelerate the global transition to EVs.
  • Domino’s Pizza continues to expand its EV delivery fleet to more than 1,100 custom-branded 2023 Chevy Bolt electric vehicles. The fleet surpasses the company's goal of having 800 vehicles on the road by the end of 2023.
• EV Charging
  
  • JD Martin and Livingston Energy Group partnered to help commercial electricians add EV certification to their credentials and expand their professional service offerings in seven US markets.
  • StoreDot continued to expand manufacturing of its extreme chargers for EV batteries across three continents. The company’s charging technology aims to give drivers 100 miles of driving on 5 minutes of charging by 2024.
  • SparkCharge offered complimentary EV charging services to drivers in Mass Pike during Memorial Day weekend. The company used its unique portable DC fast chargers known as Roadie in response to the recent unavailability of multiple fixed EV charging stations in the area.

By the numbers: In the past two months, PR Newswire distributed more than 800 press releases mentioning "electric vehicles." 

Looking Ahead

We will continue to monitor the industry’s innovations in sustainable energy solutions and the ever-expanding EV market. Thankfully wildfire season seems to be having a relatively slow start this year but is expected to pick up as we head deeper into the summer months. We’ll continue to monitor the news about the weather and how the energy sector is responding. And as promised, we’ll also be keeping an eye out for news coming out of Clean Energy Week this coming September.

About the Author

Teri Fane is a Customer Content Specialist at Cision PR Newswire and manages the @PRNEnergy Twitter account. When she's not at work, she can be found trying to keep her plants alive, traveling, or hanging out with her lab mix Radar.