The CCAA also requires Google to provide DTE with Zonal Resource Credits (ZRCs) of approximately 300MW of accredited capacity in MISO Zone 7 at no cost to DTE.
Utility companies within the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), which manages the electric grid across parts of 15 states in the Midwest, South, and Canada, use ZRCs to show they have enough capacity to fulfil energy demands.
Google also announced a commitment of US$10 million towards initiatives aimed at reducing household energy bills in Michigan, such as home weatherisation and energy efficiency programmes.
Recently, Google has taken several steps toward expanding its data centre presence. Earlier this month, the company completed its US$4.75 billion purchase of asset manager TPG Rise Climate’s share of US renewable energy developer Intersect Power.
TPG stated that the acquisition provides Google with a scalable way to meet increasing compute needs and enables the co-location of power sources with data centres. Google has announced plans to invest US$40 billion in constructing three data centers in Texas by 2027. During an earnings call earlier this month, CEO Sundar Pichai revealed that the company intends to spend US$185 billion on AI-related capital expenses this year.
In February, utility Xcel Energy announced it would install 30GWh of US startup Form Energy’s iron-air batteries at a Google-owned data centre in Pine Island, Minnesota.
Former US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm noted of the Google and DTE data centre on LinkedIn, “I really appreciate that Google is committed to working with Van Buren Township to make this a win-win, including by using advanced cooling technologies that do not require major water use.”
Sunraycer Renewables breaks ground on three Texas solar-plus-storage projects
Owner and operator Sunraycer Renewables has broken ground on the Lupinus 1 and 2 solar and BESS projects in Hagansport, Texas, and the Eagle Springs solar and BESS project in Lake Creek, Texas.
Collectively, the projects provide 620MWdc of solar PV generation and 477MWh of energy storage.
The Lupinus 1 & 2 facility will provide 52MWdc of solar PV generation paired with 411MWh of onsite battery energy storage, while the Eagle Springs project will add 100MWdc of solar PV generation and 66MWh of energy storage.
According to Sunraycer, construction at Eagle Springs is already underway, with commercial operations expected in late 2026. Groundbreaking for Lupinus 1 & 2 will take place this month, with completion anticipated in early 2028.
McCarthy Building Companies will serve as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor for the projects, which are located approximately 90 miles outside of Dallas, Texas.
Sunraycer claims that the Lupinus and Eagle Springs projects will support over 200 local construction jobs and create career pathways through McCarthy’s Apprenticeship Programme. The two companies are prioritising local hiring and regional suppliers, with expected expenditure on housing, goods, and services in nearby communities such as Cooper, Sulphur Springs, Greenville, Mt. Vernon, and Paris, Texas.
The Eagle Springs project team aims to involve the community by participating in local career fairs, organizing fundraisers for fire and EMS services, hosting holiday toy drives, and providing on-site demonstrations of advanced energy technologies.
Under the agreements, e-Storage will provide its SolBank 3.0 BESS and deliver 10 years of services, supporting system reliability, optimising performance, and maintaining availability throughout the project.
Invenergy and SRP reach agreement for 200MW solar PV and 800MWh BESS
Utility Salt River Project (SRP) and independent power producer (IPP) Invenergy have reached an agreement for a 200MW solar PV and 200MW/800MWh BESS project in Pinal County, Arizona.
The SunDog Energy Centre will assist SRP in achieving its goal of doubling the capacity of its power system over the next 10 years to help meet demand in the Phoenix, Arizona, metropolitan area.
According to Invenergy’s website for the SunDog project, it is currently in the engineering and pre-construction phase. The company expects to generate over US$209 million in local tax revenue, land costs, and lease payments.
The company also claims it will support 200-400 jobs during peak construction, and up to five full-time jobs.
Notably, SunDog will be Invenergy’s 17th facility in Arizona, and its first operational site in Pinal County. According to the company, its statewide portfolio of operational and under construction facilities totals 545MW of solar PV and 736MW of energy storage.
In 2024, Invenergy brought it Arizona portfolio to over 600MWh with its 10th commissioned project.
In September 2025, Google revealed a partnership with SRP aimed at speeding up the commercialisation of non-lithium LDES technology. Google will cover part of the expenses for LDES pilot projects on SRP’s grid. Additionally, the company will assess data on the projects’ operational performance and contribute feedback on research and testing strategies.
Idemitsu Renewables powers up California solar-plus-storage site
Japanese-owned renewables firm Idemitsu Renewables has begun operations at a utility-scale solar-plus-storage project in California.
The 60MW/152MWh Azalea project is contracted under a power purchase agreement (PPA) with a public utility, the Sonoma Clean Power Authority (SCP), which was agreed back in 2023. The energy storage portion of the project is a 38MW/152MWh, 4-hour duration lithium-ion battery.
SCP is a proponent of California’s Community Choice Aggregation model, which allows towns, cities and other communities to pool electricity demand and buying power.
This news was originally reported by Will Norman at PV Tech.
Clēnera raises US$304 million for 120MW solar-plus-storage project in Idaho
Clēnera, the US subsidiary of independent power producer (IPP) Enlight Renewable Energy, has secured US$304 million in finance to advance the development of the 120MW Crimson Orchard solar-plus-storage project in the US state of Idaho.
The project, currently under construction in Elmore County, will pair 120MW of solar PV capacity with 400MWh of battery energy storage systems (BESS).
Clēnera expects to begin commercial operation at the project in the first half of 2027, and has already signed a busbar power purchase agreement (PPA) for the project’s solar output, and a toiling agreement for the project’s BESS component, with local utility Idaho Power. Both offtake agreements will run for 20 years.
This news was originally reported by JP Casey at PV Tech.
The Energy Storage Summit USA 2026 will be held from 24-25 March 2026, in Dallas, TX. It features keynote speeches and panel discussions on topics like FEOC challenges, power demand forecasting, and managing the BESS supply chain. ESN Premium subscribers can get an exclusive discount on ticket prices. For complete information, visit the Energy Storage Summit USA website.