Renewable Energy Systems & Infrastructure Virtual power plants continue to expand in Europe, with a total installed capacity of nearly 50 GW. Curtailment of variable renewable energy is still occurring due to a lack of transmission and storage capacity, inadequate planning and land management challenges. More than 1,000GW of solar and wind power projects were stuck in permitting and interconnection queues as of 2022. Global investment in battery storage capacity totalled 15.7 USD billion in 2022. Total pumped storage capacity increased by 10.5 GW in 2022, for a global total of 175 GW. Module Overview In 2022, the energy sector was marked by disruptions in supply, rising energy prices, and record deployment and investment in renewables. As fundamental changes reshape the global energy system, policy makers, grid operators and investors are becoming more aware of the role that renewable energy plays beyond mitigating climate change. Among the key benefits that renewables can bring to a new energy system are energy security, economic and social value creation, and, potentially, greater geopolitical stability. The share of renewables in the global energy mix continues to rise, reaching 12.7% of total final energy consumption (TFEC) in 2021 and 30% of power generation in 2022. 1 These trends are creating irreversible momentum for a global energy transformation. Although surges in wind power, solar photovoltaics (PV) and other renewables have taken place mostly in the electricity sector, technology developments in heat pumps and electric vehicles are extending the deployment of renewables in other key sectors such as transport, industry, buildings and agriculture. Innovations in digitalisation, growth in energy storage and the crucial role of grid interconnection are expanding the potential for renewables to flourish in ways that were unimaginable just a decade ago. Renewable energy technologies have come a long way in just 20 years, especially through the rapid growth of solar PV and wind power. Driven by technological advancements, declining costs and growing concerns about fossil fuels (environmental and climate concerns, price volatility and supply disruptions), these variable renewable energy technologies – which can fluctuate in their output depending on weather patterns and other variables – have rapidly gained momentum. In 2022, the world's total installed capacity of solar PV grew by 243 GW and of wind power by 77 GW. 2 The share of variable renewables in global electricity generation exceeded 12% for the first time ever in 2022. 3 Several countries have seen much higher shares, including Denmark with 61% of gross electricity from renewables (55% wind, 6% solar PV), Uruguay with 36% (33% wind, 3% solar PV), Portugal with 35% (28% wind, 7% solar PV), Greece with 34% (21% wind, 13% solar PV) and Germany with 32% (22% wind, 10% solar PV). 4 (See Figure 1.) On a daily basis, the maximum renewable share (including wind, solar, hydropower and other renewables) of net electricity generation reached as high as 98% in Portugal, 97% in Lithuania, 84% in Ireland and 82% in the United Kingdom. 5 However, integrating and expanding renewables to achieve high shares in utility grids remains a major challenge. Effective grid integration requires technology development, supporting policies, increased investment and co-ordination among different stakeholder groups. The variable nature of solar and wind power can affect system stability, making it more difficult to balance supply and demand. This is especially true as electricity demand is expected to rise an estimated 2-3% annually from 2021 to 2030. 6 This increase is related to greater electrification of end-uses, growing populations and incomes in developing economies, and the surging demand for space cooling as temperatures rise. 7 Given the variable nature of solar and wind energy, grid operators are unable to fully dispatch i this renewable output in the electricity system. As a consequence, in 2021 grid operators in the United Kingdom curtailed 7 terawatt-hours (TWh), or 4%, of the country's annual wind power generation. 8 In Germany, nearly 5.4 TWh was curtailed in 2022, down from a record high of 6.4 TWh in 2019. 9 In the United States, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) curtailed 1.4 TWh of utility-scale solar power in 2020, representing 5% of total production. 10 However, key solutions exist to increase dispatching options for operators and to decrease the curtailment of renewable electricity, including energy storage, sector coupling, demand-side management and improved forecasting techniques. Energy storage technologies can help tackle the variability of wind and solar energy by storing surplus energy generated during times of high output but low electricity demand, and then making it available during times of lower output but high electricity demand. 11 Integrating energy storage systems, such as pumped storage and batteries, with variable renewable energy can provide better balance to the overall system, depending on the grid operator requirements. Utility-scale storage capacity ranges from several to hundreds of megawatt-hours. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries have become the most prevalent and mature battery storage type, driven largely by declining technology costs spurred by the growing demand for Li-ion batteries in electric vehicles. 12 Sector coupling can integrate energy supply and demand across different electricity, heat and transport applications. It facilitates higher shares of renewables by providing the system flexibility required by variable renewable energy. 13 Sector coupling uses excess power generation at peak times, preventing it from being wasted, optimising system operations and increasing efficiency. 14 This is achieved mainly through linking the power sector with heating/cooling (to meet thermal needs) and with transport (to charge electric vehicles). However, other applications such as power-to-hydrogen transformations also are being explored. 15 (See GSR 2023 Demand Modules.) Digital technology can improve the energy system's reliability by integrating monitoring, analysis, modelling and autonomous decision making. Demand-side management or demand response improves the flexibility of the power system and is facilitated by digital technology integrated in a widening array of smart appliances, such as smart meters, controllable thermostats and electric heat pumps. Through approaches such as time-of-use electricity tariffs, real-time pricing, day-ahead scheduling, and energy efficiency incentives, grid operators can in principle influence the load profile by shifting or reducing energy use during periods of low renewable energy production or high demand. The benefits of demand-side management are potentially two-fold: 1) system operators can benefit from the shift in energy use from peak to non-peak hours, and 2) consumers can reduce their electricity bills by adjusting the timing and amount of electricity use (depending on system design). 16 FIGURE 1.Top Countries for Share of Variable Renewable Electricity Generation, and Maximum Daily Renewable Share of Net Electricity Generation, 2022 Source: See endnote 4 for this module Improved forecasting techniques can help grid operators anticipate and respond to fluctuations in renewable energy output more effectively through better management of power generation and transmission resources, helping to maintain grid stability. Digitalisation is playing a growing role in energy systems dominated by generation from variable renewables. It aims to exploit and leverage the physical capabilities, or hardware components, of the system (such as the sensors of a weather station), together with the software capabilities (such as the algorithms used to forecast the weather conditions for a defined time horizon). Data analytics in weather forecasting uses statistical methods in numerical weather and climate predictions to represent uncertainty, reduce bias and improve representation of long-term climate variability more accurately. Weather forecasting techniques predict the weather ahead of time, helping to improve future dispatching of conventional energy resources and to balance out the intermittent generation from renewables. From a techno-economic standpoint, forecasting helps to maximise the system technical performance (imbalance of supply and demand) while minimising the overall cost (dispatching the most economical thermal unit). 17 Energy storage optimisation works best in competitive markets by leveraging the power of real-time data analytics. In markets where real-time pricing or day-ahead scheduling apply, optimisation techniques can inform operators about whether they should 1) store renewably generated energy or buy from the utility grid (due to low inflow prices); 2) use renewably generated energy (due to high inflow prices); or 3) inject it into the grid (due to high resale prices for grid in-feed). These techniques increase the value of storage resources for both grid operators and end consumers. Dynamic line rating technology makes it possible to monitor the real-time capacity of transmission lines and to adjust accordingly the amount of electricity being transmitted. These and other transmission solutions can help prevent curtailment of renewable energy sources and reduce congestion on the grid. 18 Complementing these solutions, there is a need for adequate and reliable grid infrastructure, including electric grids, district heating and cooling networks, and pipelines to facilitate the transmission of renewable gases such as hydrogen, ammonia and synthetic methane. The expansion and careful planning of transmission and distribution networks are necessary to avoid bottlenecks that delay (or potentially halt) the feeding of more renewables into the network. 19 This can be a costly and time-consuming process, requiring careful planning and co-ordination with local communities and stakeholders. 20 ( See Sidebar 1.) In many cases, large centralised renewable energy plants (such as offshore wind farms) are located in remote areas far from demand centres. This can lead to grid congestion, as the transmission lines required to transmit the electricity to areas of demand may be inadequate. Grid improvement plays a key role in overcoming such bottlenecks and connecting new renewable energy capacity. Accelerating the permitting process also is critical for developing and connecting renewables to the grid. Across the United States and Europe, an estimated 1,000 gigawatts (GW) of solar projects was reportedly stuck in the interconnection queue as of 2022, close to four times the amount of new solar capacity installed globally that year. 21 Meanwhile, more than 500 GW of wind power was waiting to be connected to the grid, more than five times as much as was installed during the year. 22 Regional interconnection improves the security of the electricity supply and helps integrate more renewables into the energy system. It lowers the risk of power blackouts, reduces the need to build new power plants and makes it easier to manage variable renewable energy. Long-distance interconnectors, such as high-voltage direct current transmission lines, can be used to transport electricity over long distances, with relatively low losses. 23 They can help relieve congestion in areas with high levels of renewable energy generation and low demand. 24 ( See Snapshot: Germany.) Finally, with non-variable renewable energy plants – such as hydropower, geothermal, concentrated solar thermal power (CSP) with thermal storage, and biopower – the power output can be controlled to meet signals imposed by the operator to ensure that the supply meets the load requirements. Despite the integration challenges, the many benefits of adding renewable energy into utility grids are increasingly being acknowledged. Renewables not only help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also can create new jobs and economic opportunities in local communities. 25 As renewable energy continues to expand globally, it is important to address the challenges head-on and to develop innovative solutions that enable the world to achieve its targets for net zero greenhouse gas emissions. This module discusses some of the notable challenges ii in expanding renewables, along with corrective solutions and related policy advancements, investments and other developments in 2022. Sidebar 1. Improving Grid Quality Traditional power systems that rely on fossil and nuclear power units or on hydropower have consisted exclusively of rotating machines for electricity generation. These machines were designed to rapidly adjust their output levels in response to fluctuations in demand or load, which is tightly coupled to the system frequency. In contrast, variable renewable energy technologies rely on (non-rotating) power inverters i . This greatly affects the overall system inertia, requiring fast-reacting conventional plants to balance between supply and demand during times when the availability of renewable energy fluctuates (for example, when the sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing). Key proposed solutions to support grid reliability include synthetic (virtual) inertia, synchronous condensers and grid-forming inverters. Synthetic inertia is achieved via power electronics controllers that can adjust the output of renewable energy sources in response to changes in system frequency, mimicking the stabilising effect of traditional rotating mass. By providing synthetic inertia, power system operators can improve the stability and reliability of grids even as they integrate increasing shares of variable renewable energy generation. Synchronous condensers are rotating machines whose shaft is not connected to anything, but instead spins freely. The purpose is not to convert electric power to mechanical power or vice versa, but to adjust conditions in the utility grid – for example, providing short-circuit power, inertia or voltage recovery during faults. Synchronous condensers can be introduced in the network as newly added assets but also can entail repurposed retired generators. By repurposing power plants that may otherwise become stranded assets, the generator units can serve as synchronous condensers to supply system inertia to the grid. Grid-forming inverters, also based on power electronics, operate autonomously and provide stable, grid-like voltage and frequency, even in the absence of a strong grid connection. This can help to improve the local grid stability (off-grid and islanded) in systems with low inertia. i Inverters are power electronic devices that consist of switches to convert between alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC). They are an essential component in integrating renewables into utility grids. Source: See endnote 20 for this module. Snapshot.GERMANY Alleviating Grid Congestion Through Investments in Transmission Infrastructure Grid congestion and electricity curtailment have become significant challenges for Germany as the country continues its energy transition. Germany has an abundance of wind energy in the north, particularly during the winter months, and a surplus of solar energy in the south during the summer. Efficiently transmitting this energy to the areas where it is needed most is crucial to optimising the use of this renewable generation. Read more Collapse Alleviating Grid Congestion Through Investments in Transmission Infrastructure Grid congestion and electricity curtailment have become significant challenges for Germany as the country continues its energy transition. Germany has an abundance of wind energy in the north, particularly during the winter months, and a surplus of solar energy in the south during the summer. Efficiently transmitting this energy to the areas where it is needed most is crucial to optimising the use of this renewable generation. A main barrier to addressing grid congestion in Germany is the slow pace of commissioning sufficient transmission infrastructure, due to technical, regulatory and financial challenges. Another major hurdle in developing new transmission lines is public opposition from groups concerned about the visual impacts, potential health risks and effects on property values. As a result, the approval process for high-voltage transmission projects can be lengthy and contentious, further delaying the construction of infrastructure. The German government has taken several regulatory and legal actions to improve transmission infrastructure and address grid congestion challenges. German transmission system operators engage with close and personal dialogue consultation to increase social acceptability and minimise impacts on nature and society. Significant steps included enactment of the Power Grid Expansion Act (Energieleitungsausbaugesetz or EnLAG) and the Grid Expansion Acceleration Act (Netzausbaubeschleunigungsgesetz Übertragungsnetz or NABEG), which were designed to accelerate the expansion and modernisation of grid infrastructure. The EnLAG identified 24 priority transmission projects, including building new high-voltage lines and upgrading existing lines, and the NABEG aims to streamline the planning and approval processes for these projects, reducing bureaucratic hurdles and accelerating grid expansion. Source: See endnote 24 for this section. Policy Footnotes i Dispatchable generation refers to sources of electricity that can be programmed on demand at the request of power grid operators, according to market needs. ii This list is not exhaustive but rather aims to show developments in the field to integrate more renewables into utility grids. Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21), “Renewables 2023 Global Status Report Collection: Global Overview”, July 2023, https://www.ren21.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/GSR2023_GlobalOverview_Full_Report_with_endnotes_web.pdf. 1 REN21, “Renewables 2023 Global Status Report Collection: Renewables in Energy Supply”, July 2023, https://www.ren21.net/gsr-2023/modules/energy_supply/01_energy_supply. 2 Ember, “Global Electricity Review 2023”, April 12, 2023, https://emberclimate.org/insights/research/global-electricity-review-2023.3 Geschäftsstelle der Arbeitsgruppe Erneuerbare Energien-Statistik (AGEE-Stat) am Umweltbundesamt, “Erneuerbare Energien in Deutschland 2022”, March 2023, https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/erneuerbare-energien-in-deutschland-2022; WindEurope Intelligence Platform, “Wind Energy in Europe: 2022 Statistics and the Outlook for 2023-2027”, February 28, 2023, https://windeurope.org/intelligence-platform/product/wind-energy-in-europe-2022-statistics-and-the-outlook-for-2023-2027; Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies, “2022 Share of Electricity from Renewable Energy Sources in Japan”, April 13, 2023, https://www.isep.or.jp/en/1436; US Energy Information Administration, “Short-term Energy Outlook”, May 2023, https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/pdf/steo_full.pdf. Figure 1 from Ember, op. cit. note 3; maximum daily penetration for Europe from Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, “Energy Charts”, 2023, https://energy-charts.info/index.html; Australia from “Open Platform for National Electricity Market Data”, 2023, https://opennem.org.au. 4 Ibid, all references.5 International Energy Agency (IEA), “World Energy Outlook 2022”, October 2022, https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/830fe099-5530-48f2-a7c1-11f35d510983/WorldEnergyOutlook2022.pdf. 6 Ibid.7 Carbon Tracker Initiative, “Britain Wastes Enough Wind Generation to Power 1 Million Homes”, June 15, 2023, https://carbontracker.org/britain-wastes-enough-wind-generation-to-power-1-million-homes.8 B. Wehrmann, “Germany Curtails Four Percent of Renewable Power Production Due to Grid Bottlenecks”, Clean Energy Wire, December 13, 2022, https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/germany-curtails-four-percent-renewable-power-production-due-grid-bottlenecks. 9 R. Kennedy, “Can Renewables Curtailment Be Rethought as a Good Thing?” pv magazine USA, July 20, 2022, https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2022/07/20/can-renewables-curtailment-be-rethought-as-a-good-thing. 10 C. Murray, “Transmission and Valuation the Major Challenges to Energy Storage Deployments in US Today”, Energy Storage News, March 28, 2023, https://www.energy-storage.news/transmission-and-valuation-the-major-challenges-to-energy-storage-deployments-in-us-today; N. El Chami and V. Gialdi Carvalho, “Evolution of Business Models for Energy Storage Systems in Europe”, Energy Storage News, April 11, 2023, https://www.energy-storage.news/evolution-of-business-models-for-energy-storage-systems-in-europe.11 International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), “Utility-scale Batteries: Innovation Landscape”, 2019, https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2019/Sep/IRENA_Utility-scale-batteries_2019.pdf. 12 IRENA, “Sector Coupling in Facilitating Integration of Variable Renewable Energy in Cities”, October 2021, https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2021/Oct/IRENA_Sector_Coupling_in_Cities_2021.pdf. 13 Ibid.14 Hydrogen Central, “Greenhyscale Has Begun the Installation Process of a 6 MW Prototype Electrolyser in the Danish Green Industrial Park, Greenlab”, April 12, 2023, https://hydrogen-central.com/greenhyscale-begun-installation-process-6-mw-prototype-electrolyser-danish-green-industrial-park-greenlab. 15 Energy Market Authority, Government of Singapore, “What Is Demand Side Management”, 2022, https://www.ema.gov.sg/Demand_Side_Management.aspx.16 Energy Sector Management Assistance Program, “Using Forecasting Systems to Reduce Cost and Improve Dispatch of Variable Renewable Energy”, World Bank, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1596/32072.17 ENTSO-E, “Dynamic Line Rating”, https://www.entsoe.eu/Technopedia/techsheets/dynamic-line-rating-dlr, accessed May 2023.18 M. Mishra, “Transmission Delays Hit India's Solar Power Plants”, Indian Express, November 30, 2022, https://indianexpress.com/article/business/transmission-delays-hit-indias-solar-power-plants-8297485; T. Rutigliano, “Getting Renewable Energy Connected”, Natural Resources Defense Council, November 15, 2022, https://www.nrdc.org/bio/tom-rutigliano/getting-renewable-energy-connected; S. Osaka, “This Little-known Bottleneck Is Blocking Clean Energy for Millions”, Washington Post, December 20, 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/12/20/clean-energy-bottleneck-transmission-lines. 19 Sidebar 1 based on the following sources: IEA and Réseau de Transport d'Electricité, “Conditions and Requirements for the Technical Feasibility of a Power System with a High Share of Renewables in France Towards 2050”, March 16, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1787/6be9f3ac-en; N.K. Roy et al., “Virtual Inertia Support in Power Systems for High Penetration of Renewables – Overview of Categorization, Comparison, and Evaluation of Control Techniques”, IEEE Access, Vol. 10 (2022), pp. 129190–216, https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3228204; D. Pagnani et al., “Overview of Black Start Provision by Offshore Wind Farms”, IECON 2020 The 46th Annual Conference of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society, 2020, pp. 1892-1898, https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9254743; Think Grid, “Synchronous Condensers for Better Grid Stability”, March 16, 2016, https://www.think-grid.org/synchronous-condensers-better-grid-stability; P. Denholm et al., “Inertia and the Power Grid: A Guide Without the Spin”, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), May 1, 2020, https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy20osti/73856.pdf; Y. Lin et al., “Research Roadmap on Grid-Forming Inverters”, NREL, November 2020, https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy21osti/73476.pdf.20 BloombergNEF, “A Power Grid Long Enough to Reach the Sun Is Key to the Climate Fight”, March 8, 2023, https://about.bnef.com/blog/a-power-grid-long-enough-to-reach-the-sun-is-key-to-the-climate-fight.21 Ibid.22 Electric Power Research Institute, “Understanding Flexible Interconnection”, September 20, 2018, https://restservice.epri.com/publicdownload/000000003002014475/0/Product.23 Spotlight: Germany based on the following sources: J. Ponitka and S. Boettner, “Challenges of Future Energy Landscapes in Germany — a Nature Conservation Perspective”, Energy, Sustainability and Society, Vol. 10, No. 1 (18 March 2020), p. 17, https://doi.org/10.1186/s13705-020-00250-9; H. Winkler, “German Nimbyism Is a Perverse Problem That Really Shouldn't Exist”, Recharge, November 12, 2019, https://www.rechargenews.com/markets/german-nimbyism-is-a-perverse-problem-that-really-shouldn-t-exist/2-1-704555; Bundesministerium der Justiz, “EnLAG – Gesetz Zum Ausbau von Energieleitungen”, June 2, 2021, https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/enlag/BJNR287010009.html; Bundesministerium der Justiz, “NABEG – Netzausbaubeschleunigungsgesetz Übertragungsnetz”, March 22, 2023, https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/nabeg/BJNR169010011.html.24 IRENA, “Renewable Energy Benefits: Measuring the Economics”, 2016, https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2016/IRENA_Measuring-the-Economics_2016.pdf; IRENA, “Measuring the Socio-Economics of Transition: Focus on Jobs”, 2020, https://www.irena.org/-/media/Irena/Files/Technical-papers/IRENA_Measuring_Socio-economic_Jobs_2020.pdf; COBENEFITS, “Renewable Energy, Employment Opportunities and Skill Requirements: Socio-economic Assessment Tools, Key Findings and Expert Contacts”, November 2021, https://www.cobenefits.info/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Co-Benefits-Factsheets_Employment_2021-2022.pdf; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), “Linking Renewable Energy to Rural Development”, October 11, 2012, https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/urban-rural-and-regional-development/linking-renewable-energy-to-rural-development_9789264180444-en. 25 REN21 Policy Database. See GSR 2023 Data Pack, available at www.ren21.net/gsr2023-data-pack/systems.26 Ibid.27 Ibid.28 H. Aposporis, “Greece Boosts Renewable Energy Target for 2030 by 9 GW, Adds Hydrogen”, Balkan Green Energy News, January 18, 2023, https://balkangreenenergynews.com/greece-boosts-2030-renewable-energy-target-by-9-gw-adds-hydrogen. 29 G.F. Dycus, “Victoria Targets 6.3 GW of Renewable Storage by 2035”, pv magazine Australia, September 27, 2022, https://www.pv-magazine-australia.com/2022/09/27/victoria-targets-6-3-gw-of-renewable-storage-by-2035. 30 J. St. John, “California Ups Renewables Target Again with New Plan to Add 85GW By 2035”, Canary Media, February 24, 2023, https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/clean-energy/california-ups-renewables-target-again-with-new-plan-to-add-85gw-by-2035; R. Kennedy, “Maryland Passes Energy Storage Target of 3 GW in 10 Years”, pv magazine USA, April 11, 2023, https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2023/04/11/maryland-passes-energy-storage-target-of-3-gw-in-10-years; J. Plautz, “New York to Double Energy Storage Target to at Least 6 GW by 2030”, Utility Dive, January 7, 2022, https://www.utilitydive.com/news/new-york-to-double-energy-storage-target-to-at-least-6-gw-by-2030/616793. 31 A. Colthorpe, “US, EU Policies Prompt BloombergNEF to Upgrade Global Energy Storage Deployment Forecasts”, Energy Storage News, October 14, 2022, https://www.energy-storage.news/us-eu-policies-prompt-bloombergnef-to-upgrade-global-energy-storage-deployment-forecasts. 32 A. Colthorpe, “Israel Adds Energy Storage-Friendly Tariffs to Maximise Renewable Energy Potential”, Energy Storage News, April 17, 2023, https://www.energy-storage.news/israel-adds-energy-storage-friendly-tariffs-to-maximise-renewable-energy-potential. 33 A. Colthorpe, “'Major Breakthrough': Australia's Support for Energy Storage Tackles Key Electricity Policy Issue”, Energy Storage News, December 21, 2022, https://www.energy-storage.news/major-breakthrough-australias-support-for-energy-storage-tackles-key-electricity-policy-issue. 34 White & Case LLP, “Electricity Storage in France: New Calls for Tenders Will Be Launched”, June 13, 2022, https://www.whitecase.com/insight-alert/electricity-storage-france-new-calls-tenders-will-be-launched; Bundesnetzagentur, “Auction Results for Innovative Installation Concepts and for Solar Installations on Buildings and Noise Barriers”, May 12, 2022, https://www.bundesnetzagentur.de/SharedDocs/Pressemitteilungen/EN/2022/20220512_Ausschreibungen.html. 35 Figure 2 from REN21 Policy Database. See GSR 2023 Data Pack, available at www.ren21.net/gsr2023-data-pack/systems.36 A. Colthorpe, “India Adds Energy Storage Obligation Policy to Renewable Energy Purchase Scheme”, Energy Storage News, July 26, 2022, https://www.energy-storage.news/india-adds-energy-storage-obligation-policy-to-renewable-energy-purchase-scheme; A. Colthorpe, “India's National Budget Includes Viability Gap Funding for 4GWh of Energy Storage”, Energy Storage News, February 1, 2023, https://www.energy-storage.news/indias-national-budget-includes-viability-gap-funding-for-4gwh-of-energy-storage. 37 Carbon Brief, “China Briefing, 24 March 2022: 14FYP Energy Plan; More Plans on Energy Storage and Hydrogen; China's Emissions Analysis”, March 24, 2022, https://www.carbonbrief.org/china-briefing-24-march-2022-14fyp-energy-plan-more-plans-on-energy-storage-and-hydrogen-chinas-emissions-analysis. 38 A. Colthorpe, “Philippines' Rule Changes ‘Will Propel ASEAN's Leading Energy Storage Market to Even Stronger Position'”, Energy Storage News, February 9, 2023, https://www.energy-storage.news/philippines-rule-changes-will-propel-aseans-leading-energy-storage-market-to-even-stronger-position. 39 A. Colthorpe, “European Commission's Net Zero Industry Act Includes Energy Storage as Eligible Technology”, Energy Storage News, March 16, 2023, https://www.energy-storage.news/european-commissions-net-zero-industry-act-includes-energy-storage-as-eligible-technology. 40 M. Maisch, “Romania Provides Funding for C&I Battery Storage Systems”, pv magazine, December 2, 2022, https://www.pv-magazine.com/2022/12/02/romania-provides-funding-for-ci-battery-storage-systems; E. Bellini, “Romania Introduces New Rules for Energy Storage”, pv magazine, February 6, 2023, https://www.pv-magazine.com/2023/02/06/romania-introduces-new-rules-for-energy-storage.41 E. Bellini, “Turkey Introduces New Rules for Energy Storage”, pv magazine, November 21, 2022, https://www.pv-magazine.com/2022/11/21/turkey-introduces-new-rules-for-energy-storage.42 C. Murray, “Chile Passes Major Energy Storage Bill”, Energy Storage News, October 24, 2022, https://www.energy-storage.news/chile-passes-major-energy-storage-bill.43 Morgan Lewis, “Storage Strategies: An Overview of State Energy Storage Policy”, March 8, 2023, https://www.morganlewis.com/pubs/2023/03/storage-strategies-an-overview-of-state-energy-storage-policy. 44 C. Murray, “Maryland Targets 3GW of Energy Storage by 2033”, Energy Storage News, April 12, 2023, https://www.energy-storage.news/maryland-targets-3gw-of-energy-storage-by-2033; C. Murray, “New Mexico Targets 7GWh of New Energy Storage by 2034”, Energy Storage News, March 15, 2023, https://www.energy-storage.news/new-mexico-targets-7gwh-of-new-energy-storage-by-2034.45 M. Chatter, “California's New Net Metering Policy Brings Batteries into the Forefront”, pv magazine USA, February 13, 2023, https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2023/02/13/californias-new-net-metering-policy-brings-batteries-into-the-forefront. 46 A. Colthorpe, “Nova Scotia Electricity Law Changes Give ‘New Momentum' to Energy Storage Projects”, Energy Storage News, March 24, 2023, https://www.energy-storage.news/nova-scotia-electricity-law-changes-give-new-momentum-to-energy-storage-projects. 47 A. Colthorpe, “Queensland Rolling Out Neighbourhood Batteries to Maximise Rooftop Solar Benefits”, Energy Storage News, February 3, 2023, https://www.energy-storage.news/queensland-rolling-out-neighbourhood-batteries-to-maximise-rooftop-solar-benefits. 48 Seetao, “Pumped Storage: the 14th Five-Year Plan Starts at 270 Million Kilowatts”, June 14, 2022, https://www.seetao.com/details/163461.html.49 Bloomberg, “China's Massive Hydro Energy Storage Goals May Be Getting Bigger”, June 14, 2022, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-14/china-s-massive-hydro-energy-storage-goals-may-be-getting-bigger. 50 A. Colthorpe, “India's Ministry of Power Issues Guidelines for Pumped Hydro Energy Storage”, Energy Storage News, February 22, 2023, https://www.energy-storage.news/indias-ministry-of-power-issues-guidelines-for-pumped-hydro-energy-storage; Aposporis, op. cit. note 29.51 Queensland Government, “World's Biggest Pumped Hydro for Queensland”, September 28, 2022, https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/96233.52 IEA, “World Energy Outlook 2022”, 2022, https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/830fe099-5530-48f2-a7c1-11f35d510983/WorldEnergyOutlook2022.pdf. 53 Natural Resources Defense Council, “After a Good Year for Transmission Reform, Hard Work Ahead”, December 19, 2022, https://www.nrdc.org/bio/christy-walsh/after-good-year-transmission-reform-hard-work-ahead.54 IEA, “Infrastructure and Jobs Act: ‘Building a Better Grid' Initiative – Policies”, November 18, 2022, https://www.iea.org/policies/14868-infrastructure-and-jobs-act-building-a-better-grid-initiative.55 IEA, “Inflation Reduction Act 2022: Sec. 50153 Interregional and Offshore Wind Electricity Transmission Planning, Modeling, and Analysis – Policies”, December 2, 2022, https://www.iea.org/policies/16310-inflation-reduction-act-2022-sec-50153-interregional-and-offshore-wind-electricity-transmission-planning-modeling-and-analysis. 56 I. Ivanova, “UAE Passes Law for Grid Connection of Distributed Renewable Power Units”, Renewables Now, November 22, 2022, https://renewablesnow.com/news/uae-passes-law-for-grid-connection-of-distributed-renewable-power-units-805694. 57 Government of Australia, “Powering Australia”, https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/australias-energy-strategies-and-frameworks/powering-australia, accessed May 8, 2023; AEMO, “Integrated System Plan (ISP)”, https://aemo.com.au/energy-systems/major-publications/integrated-system-plan-isp, accessed May 9, 2023; Government of Australia, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, “Capacity Investment Scheme to Power Australian Energy Market Transformation”, December 9, 2022, https://www.energy.gov.au/news-media/news/capacity-investment-scheme-power-australian-energy-market-transformation. 58 European Commission, “Electricity interconnection targets”, https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/infrastructure/electricity-interconnection-targets_en, accessed May 2023. 59 Ibid. 60 A. Cuena Vilches, “EU´s Internal Electricity Market Reform: More Integration of the European Energy Systems, Flexibility and More Effective Mechanisms to Shield Vulnerable Consumers”, Renew Europe, March 14, 2023, https://www.reneweuropegroup.eu/news/2023-03-14/eu-s-internal-electricity-market-reform-more-integration-of-the-european-energy-system-flexibility-and-more-effective-mechanisms-to-shield-vulnerable-consumers. 61 North Africa Post, “COP27: Morocco & European Partners Agree on Sustainable Electricity Trade Roadmap”, November 9, 2022, https://northafricapost.com/62504-cop27-morocco-european-partners-agree-on-sustainable-electricity-trade-roadmap.html. 62 WSP, "Champlain Hudson Power Express Transmission Line”, https://www.wsp.com/en-my/projects/champlain-hudson-power-express-transmission-line, accessed April 9, 2023.63 D. Muoio Dunn and M.J. French, “New York City Embraces Canadian Hydro Power”, Politico, March 7, 2022, https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/07/new-york-city-canadian-hydropower-00014241. 64 The White House, “FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Proposes New Standards for National Electric Vehicle Charging Network”, June 9, 2022, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/06/09/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-proposes-new-standards-for-national-electric-vehicle-charging-network. 65 S. Goulding Carroll, “EU Reaches Deal to Boost Charging Infrastructure Across the Bloc”, Euractiv, March 28, 2023, https://www.euractiv.com/section/road-transport/news/eu-reaches-deal-to-boost-charging-infrastructure-across-the-bloc. 66 BloombergNEF, “Energy Transition Investment Trends 2023”, 2023, https://about.bnef.com/energy-transition-investment.67 Mercom Capital Group, “Energy Storage, Smart Grid, and Efficiency Funding and M&A 2022 Annual Report”, 2023, https://mercomcapital.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/MercomStorageSmartGridEfficiencyFundingMAQ42022ExecSumm.pdf. 68 IEA, “World Energy Investment 2022”, 2022, https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/b0beda65-8a1d-46ae-87a2-f95947ec2714/WorldEnergyInvestment2022.pdf. 69 Ibid.70 China Briefing News, “China's Energy Storage Sector: Policies and Investment Opportunities”, July 8, 2022, https://www.china-briefing.com/news/chinas-energy-storage-sector-policies-and-investment-opportunities. 71 BloombergNEF, “Top 10 Energy Storage Trends in 2023”, January 11, 2023, p. 10, https://about.bnef.com/blog/top-10-energy-storage-trends-in-2023; C. Murray, “US Battery Supply Chain Investments Reach US$92 Billion Since Biden Took Office”, Energy Storage News, January 26, 2023, https://www.energy-storage.news/us-battery-supply-chain-investments-reach-us92-billion-since-biden-took-office. 72 G. de Blas, “Japan's FIP Scheme and Battery Storage Subsidy Are Driving Forces to Boost Renewables”, RatedPower, December 21, 2022, https://ratedpower.com/blog/japan-fip-scheme-battery-storage.73 A. Colthorpe, “ARENA Pledges Funding Support to 4.2GWh of Battery Storage Across Australia”, Energy Storage News, December 19, 2022, https://www.energy-storage.news/arena-pledges-funding-support-to-4-2gwh-of-battery-storage-across-australia. 74 A. Colthorpe, “Australia to Begin ‘Energy Storage Target' Tenders This Year, Details to Come in Budget”, Energy Storage News, May 4, 2023, https://www.energy-storage.news/australia-to-begin-energy-storage-target-tenders-this-year-details-to-come-in-budget. 75 C. Murray, “Development Banks IFC and AfDB Finance Solar-plus-Storage Projects in Malawi and Eritrea”, Energy Storage News, April 19, 2023, https://www.energy-storage.news/development-banks-ifc-and-afdb-finance-solar-plus-storage-projects-in-malawi-and-eritrea. 76 C. Murray, “US' DFC Provides US$25 Million for Malawi Solar-plus-Storage Project”, Energy Storage News, September 26, 2022, https://www.energy-storage.news/us-dfc-provides-us25-million-for-malawi-solar-plus-storage-project. 77 C. Murray, “Development Banks Invest US$83 Million in 34MWh of Storage Projects in Guyana”, Energy Storage News, June 21, 2022, https://www.energy-storage.news/development-banks-invest-us83-million-in-34mwh-of-storage-projects-in-guyana. 78 International Hydropower Association (IHA), “New Tool Maps World's Water Batteries: The Clean Storage Solution for Renewables”, September 11, 2017, https://www.hydropower.org/news/new-tool-maps-world-e2-80-99s-water-batteries-the-clean-storage-solution-for-renewables. 79 rPlus Hydro, “rPlus Hydro Reaches Major Milestone on Its 900-Megawatt Seminoe Pumped Storage Project”, January 26, 2023, https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rplus-hydro-reaches-major-milestone-on-its-900-megawatt-seminoe-pumped-storage-project-301731647.html; Litian Heavy Industry Machinery Co., Ltd, “Zhejiang Jinyun Pumped Storage Hydropower Project”, https://www.litechtools.com/rock-drilling-tools-zhejiang-jinyun-pumped-storage-hydropower-project.html, accessed May 5, 2023; Hydro Review, “Iberdrola Connects First 220 MW Pump-Generating Unit at Tâmega Complex”, January 31, 2022, https://www.hydroreview.com/hydro-industry-news/iberdrola-connects-first-220-mw-pump-generating-unit-at-tamega-complex. 80 BloombergNEF, op. cit. note 67; IEA, op. cit. note 69.81 IEA, op. cit. note 69.82 Ibid.83 Ibid.84 Colthorpe, op. cit. note 75.85 R. Kumar Singh, “India Unveils $30 Billion Plan to Upgrade Grid for Clean Power”, Bloomberg, December 8, 2022, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-08/india-unveils-30-billion-plan-to-upgrade-grid-for-clean-power. 86 IEA, op. cit. note 69.87 Hydropower generation data in 2022 for all countries from IHA, personal communications with REN21, May 11, 2023, unless otherwise stated.88 Ibid. IEA, “Annual grid-scale battery storage additions, 2017-2022”, 2023, https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/annual-grid-scale-battery-storage-additions-2017-2022. Figure 3 from all sources in this note.89 Ibid.90 Ibid.91 General Electric, “GE Connects All Units at 12 GW Jinzhai Pumped Storage Hydro Power Plant in China”, January 31, 2023, https://www.ge.com/news/press-releases/ge-connects-all-units-at-12-gw-jinzhai-pumped-storage-hydro-power-plant-in-china; China National Energy Administration, “Transcript of the press conference of the National Energy Administration in the first quarter of 2023”, http://www.nea.gov.cn/2023-02/13/c_1310697149.htm.92 I. Todorović, “China's State Grid Puts World's Biggest Pumped Storage Hydropower Plant Online”, Balkan Green Energy News, https://balkangreenenergynews.com/chinas-state-grid-puts-worlds-biggest-pumped-storage-hydropower-plant-online. 93 Water Power Magazine, “First Unit Connected at Gouves Plant, Portugal”, January 24, 2022, https://www.waterpowermagazine.com/news/newsfirst-unit-connected-at-gouves-plant-portugal-9448843; C. Murray, “Iberdrola's 880 MW Pumped Hydro Plant in Portugal to Go Online in Mid-2022”, Energy Storage News, February 3, 2022, https://www.energy-storage.news/iberdrolas-880mw-pumped-hydro-plant-in-portugal-to-go-online-in-mid-2022; I. Todorović, “Portugal, Switzerland Launch Pumped Storage Hydropower Plants of Over 2 GW in Total”, Balkan Green Energy News, July 22, 2022, https://balkangreenenergynews.com/portugal-switzerland-launch-pumped-storage-hydropower-plants-of-over-2-gw-in-total. 94 France 3 Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, “Suisse : dans les entrailles de la toute-puissante centrale hydroélectrique de Nant de Drance”, November 14, 2022, https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/auvergne-rhone-alpes/haute-savoie/annecy/video-suisse-dans-les-entrailles-de-la-toute-puissante-centrale-hydroelectrique-de-nant-de-drance-2654772.html. 95 C. Murray, “rPlus Energies Submits Final License Application for 9GWh Pumped Hydro Plant in Wyoming”, Energy Storage News, January 26, 2023, https://www.energy-storage.news/rplus-energies-submits-final-license-application-for-9gwh-pumped-hydro-plant-in-wyoming; C. Murray, “rPlus Hydro Submits Final License Application for 8GWh Pumped Hydro Plant in Nevada”, Energy Storage News, March 8, 2023. https://www.energy-storage.news/rplus-hydro-submits-final-license-application-for-8gwh-pumped-hydro-plant-in-nevada; IEA, “Annual grid-scale battery storage additions, 2017-2022”, 2023, https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/annual-grid-scale-battery-storage-additions-2017-2022. 96 IEA, op. cit. note 8997 A. Colthorpe, “US Installed Grid-Scale Battery Storage Capacity Reached 9GW/25GWh in ‘Record-Breaking' 2022”, Energy Storage News, February 28, 2023, https://www.energy-storage.news/us-installed-grid-scale-battery-storage-capacity-reached-9gw-25gwh-in-record-breaking-2022. 98 C. Murray, “Europe Reached 4.5GW of Battery Storage Installed in 2022; Could Hit 95GW by 2050”, Energy Storage News, April 20, 2023, https://www.energy-storage.news/europe-reached-4-5gw-of-battery-storage-installed-in-2022-could-hit-95gw-by-2050. 99 S&P Global Commodity Insights, “China's Power Companies Mull Gameplan for Next Phase of Energy Transition”, April 3, 2023, https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en/market-insights/latest-news/energy-transition/040323-chinas-power-companies-mull-gameplan-for-next-phase-of-energy-transition. 100 TenneT, “Around €30 Billion: Europe's Largest-Ever Contracting Pack-Age for Security of Supply, the Energy Transition and Climate Protection Launched”, April 20, 2022, https://www.tennet.eu/news/around-eu30-billion-europes-largest-ever-contracting-pack-age-security-supply-energy. 101 Ibid.102 Ibid.103 S. Takyar, “India and Maldives to Establish Transmission Interconnection for Renewable Power Transfer”, REGlobal, April 27, 2022, https://reglobal.co/india-and-maldives-to-establish-transmission-interconnection-for-renewable-power-transfer-. 104 IEA, “Egypt-Saudi Electricity Interconnection Project – Policies”, April 4, 2022, https://www.iea.org/policies/14291-egypt-saudi-electricity-interconnection-project.105 EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators, “ACER Has Decided on Alternative Electricity Bidding Zone Configurations”, August 9, 2022, https://www.acer.europa.eu/news-and-events/news/acer-has-decided-alternative-electricity-bidding-zone-configurations. 106 H. Madsen, DTU Compute, “Digitalisation for Sector-Coupling and the Future Weather-Driven Energy System”, March 2023, https://www.flexibleenergydenmark.dk/media/bp3dizwo/talk_daces.pdf.107 Green Car Congress, “Allianz to invest in Finnish green hydrogen and power-to-gas developer Ren-Gas; sector coupling”, December 12, 2022, https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/12/20221212-rengas.html.108 Hydrogen Central, “Greenhyscale Has Begun the Installation Process of a 6 MW Prototype Electrolyser in the Danish Green Industrial Park, Greenlab”, April 12, 2023, https://hydrogen-central.com/greenhyscale-begun-installation-process-6-mw-prototype-electrolyser-danish-green-industrial-park-greenlab. 109 Bloomberg, “Fluence's Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Market Bidding Platform Selected to Optimize 182.5 MW Battery Energy Storage System”, February 17, 2021, https://www.bloomberg.com/press-releases/2021-02-17/fluence-s-artificial-intelligence-enabled-market-bidding-platform-selected-to-optimize-182-5-mw-battery-energy-storage-system. 110 Energy Industry, “Fluence's AI-Powered Trading Platform to Optimize 182.5 MW Battery Energy Storage System in California”, Energy Industry Review, February 18, 2021, https://energyindustryreview.com/marketplace/fluences-ai-powered-trading-platform-to-optimize-182-5-mw-battery-energy-storage-system-in-california. 111 Ibid.112 A. Parikh, “Punjab Solar & Wind Deviation Settlement Mechanism to Come into Effect from January 2020”, Mercom India, October 25, 2019, https://mercomindia.com/punjab-solar-wind-deviation-jan-2020; Forum of Regulators, “Model Guidelines for Management of RE Curtailment”, January 2020, http://www.forumofregulators.gov.in/Study_Reports.html.113 P. Sánchez Molina, “New Method for Long-Term Prediction of Renewables Generation in Europe”, pv magazine International, April 25, 2022, https://www.pv-magazine.com/2022/04/25/new-method-for-long-term-prediction-of-renewables-generation-in-europe. 114 European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, “Destination Earth Use Case, Energy Systems”, https://stories.ecmwf.int/energy-systems-use-case/index.html, accessed July 2023. 115 SMART4RES, https://www.smart4res.eu, accessed May 2023.116 Ibid.117 ENTSO-E Technopedia, “Enhanced RES Infeed Forecasting – Wind”, 2022, https://www.entsoe.eu/Technopedia/techsheets/enhanced-res-infeed-forecasting-wind.118 Smart Energy International, “Customer Centric DR Key for Japan's Energy Transition Challenges”, August 3, 2022, https://www.smart-energy.com/industry-sectors/energy-grid-management/customer-centric-demand-response-a-key-solution-for-japans-energy-transition-challenges. 119 Ibid.120 Yahoo Finance, “Global Virtual Power Plant Market Report 2022: High Investment in VPP Installations Is a Key Trend”, May 31, 2023, https://finance.yahoo.com/news/global-virtual-power-plant-market-141500559.html. Table 1 based on the following sources: AGL, “Annual Reports | Investors | About AGL”, August 19, 2022, https://www.agl.com.au/about-agl/investors/annual-reports; Autogrid, “Webinar: Building an Adaptive Energy Grid with DERMS and VPP”, https://www.auto-grid.com/assets/guidehouse-insights-vpp-leaderboard-2022, accessed May 31, 2023; Enel, “‘Enel Box', the New Enel Grids Solution for More Sustainable Substations as Part of a Circular Economy”, April 7, 2023, https://www.enel.com/media/explore/search-press-releases/press/2023/04/enel-box-the-new-enel-grids-solution-for-more-sustainable-substations-as-part-of-a-circular-economy; Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action, “Virtual Power Plants Come of Age in Europe”, May 4, 2022, https://www.german-energy-solutions.de/GES/Redaktion/EN/News/2022/20220504-virtual-powerplants.html; Prospero, “Biggest Virtual Power Plants in the World”, December 11, 2021, https://www.prosperoevents.com/biggest-virtual-power-plants-in-the-world; J. St. John, “OhmConnect Bets $100M That Free Smart Thermostats Can Prevent Summer Blackouts in California”, Canary Media, June 15, 2021, https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/grid-edge/ohmconnects-100m-bet-on-1-million-free-thermostats-to-save-california-from-summer-blackouts; M. Topalov, “Statkraft Unveils 1 GW Virtual Power Plant in UK, Intends to Double Capacity by Summer”, Current News, March 5, 2019, https://www.current-news.co.uk/statkraft-unveils-1gw-virtual-power-plant-in-uk-intends-to-double-capacity-by-summer; N. Wetsman, “Tesla Quietly Built a Virtual Power Plant in Japan”, The Verge, August 29, 2022, https://www.theverge.com/2022/8/29/23326776/tesla-virtual-power-plant-japan-grid-renewable; F. Lambert, “Tesla Virtual Power Plant Is Rocketing Up, Reaches 50 MW”, Electrek, September 2, 2022, https://electrek.co/2022/09/02/tesla-virtual-power-plant-growing.121 Next Kraftwerke, https://www.next-kraftwerke.com/vpp, accessed May 2023.122 Shell, “Shell Acquires Full Ownership of MachineMax to Drive Next Phase of Global Commercialization to Multiple Industry Sectors”, June 24, 2021, https://www.shell.com/business-customers/lubricants-for-business/news-and-media-releases/2021/shell-acquires-full-ownership-of-machinemax-to-drive-next-phase-of-global-commercialisation-to-multiple-industry-sectors.html. 123 BP, “BP to Grow Leading US Technology Company That Turns Commercial Buildings into Virtual Power Plants”, October 7, 2021, https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/news-and-insights/press-releases/bp-to-grow-leading-us-technology-company-that-turns-commercial-buildings-into-virtual-power-plants.html. 124 Power Technology, “Lightsource bp begins operations at 152MW solar plant in Indiana”, May 24, 2023, https://www.power-technology.com/news/lightsource-bp-operations-bellflower-solar-indiana. 125 Z. Chenchen and X. Hua, “First Virtual Power Plant Management Center Opens in S. China”, CGTN, September 17, 2022, https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-09-17/First-virtual-power-plant-management-center-opens-in-S-China-1doKmadzJm0/index.html. 126 N. Wetsman, “Tesla Quietly Built a Virtual Power Plant in Japan”, The Verge, August 29, 2022, https://www.theverge.com/2022/8/29/23326776/tesla-virtual-power-plant-japan-grid-renewable.127 C. Murray, “Belgian TSO: Residential Virtual Power Plant Will Cover 15% of Country's Grid-balancing Needs by End of Year”, Energy Storage News, September 14, 2022, https://www.energy-storage.news/belgian-tso-residential-virtual-power-plant-will-cover-15-of-countrys-grid-balancing-needs-by-end-of-year. 128 Protergia, “Protergia and emsys VPP Officially Inaugurate First Virtual Power Plant in Greece”, pv magazine, November 3, 2022 https://www.pv-magazine.com/press-releases/protergia-and-emsys-vpp-officially-inaugurate-first-virtual-power-plant-in-greece-2. 129 V. Spasić, “First Virtual Power Plant in Greek Energy Market Inaugurated”, Balkan Green Energy News, November 4, 2022, https://balkangreenenergynews.com/first-virtual-power-plant-in-greek-energy-market-inaugurated. 130 M. Schoeck, “Sunrun Selected to Deploy 17 MW VPP Network in Puerto Rico”, pv magazine, November 2, 2022, https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2022/11/02/sunrun-selected-to-deploy-17-mw-vpp-network-in-puerto-rico. 131 Ibid.132 Sidebar 2 based on the following sources: US Department of Energy, “Grid Systems”, https://www.energy.gov/oe/grid-systems, accessed May 2023; NREL, “Microgrids”, https://www.nrel.gov/grid/microgrids.html, accessed May 2023; Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, “Microgrids”, https://www.c2es.org/content/microgrids, accessed May 2023; Siemens, “Microgrids for Sustainability”, https://www.siemens.com/global/en/products/energy/energy-automation-and-smart-grid/microgrid.html, accessed May 2023; GE Grid Solutions, “Microgrid and DER Management Solutions”, https://www.gegridsolutions.com/powerd/catalog/microgrid_der_mgmt.htm, accessed May 2023.133 Snapshot: United States based on the following sources: Babcock Ranch, https://babcockranch.com, accessed 2023; D. Orf, “How Microgrids and Solar Panels Are Becoming Unsung Hurricane Heroes”, Popular Mechanics, December 2, 2022, https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/green-tech/a42126384/how-microgrids-and-solar-panels-are-becoming-unsung-hurricane-heroes; R. Ramirez, “This 100% Solar Community Endured Hurricane Ian with No Loss of Power and Minimal Damage”, CNN, October 2, 2022, https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/02/us/solar-babcock-ranch-florida-hurricane-ian-climate/index.html. 134