It was never my plan to wait until 38 to become a first-time dad (is it fair to blame Covid for setting us all back a couple of years?), but I’ve wanted to do it for as long as I can remember.
I have spent the last 15 years or so living pretty selfishly. Pursuing a career, exploring new cities, chasing dreams. I’ve been there and done that, and I’m tired of it! Now I can’t imagine a better way to spend the rest of my time on the wheel than to channel my energy into raising, educating, and loving just one little human being, who will have every opportunity to become the best version of myself and my partner, Katie. Her name is Gemma, and at the time of this writing, she’s coming very soon.
i am ready Or as ready as it’s ever going to be, I suppose. This is a terrible time to bring life into the world. A lot of things are changing. But isn’t that always the case?
Speaking of transitions, I’m lucky enough to work for a company that values newborn bonding time, so I’ll be out of the mix on paternity leave for a while. don’t worry, Factor this You’ve got you covered, Jeremiah, and Kevin will have Rock Study Hands on.
Before I go, how about another Friday round of project development and finance deals between friends, for old time’s sake?
Amrisco, the all-in-one utility provider, has announced the start of commercial operations for the largest behind-the-meter (BTM) project, a 50 megawatt (MW)/200 megawatt-hour (MWH) battery energy storage system (BESS) in Arizona.
The base was manufactured in Kingman, AZ for Nucor, North America’s largest steel producer. Nucor’s bar mill is undergoing a major expansion, including the installation of a new electric arc furnace, which will help increase the facility’s production capacity to 600,000 tons per year, strengthening the company’s operational capabilities at the site.
Amrisco’s onsite battery will help stabilize electrical loads from Nucor’s new arc furnace, reducing stress on the grid. By smoothing energy demand, utility Arizona Electric Power Cooperative (AEPCO) can better manage power fluctuations and increase the use of renewable energy.
Construction began in December 2024, with 58 Tesla Megapack 2XL units under a 20-year Storage Services Agreement (SSA). The battery system, owned by Emaresco, was installed at a Nucor substation in the area of Moheyo Electric Cooperative and operated by EEPCO, part of Arizona G&T Cooperatives. Amerisco will provide a 25 MW AC solar asset, scheduled to begin operations in 2026, further supporting Nucor’s energy transition and site expansion.
Jonathan Mancini, senior vice president of solar and base project development at Amrisco. Courtesy: Ameresco
“We are thrilled to have been selected for this groundbreaking project,” said Jonathan Mancini, senior vice president of solar and base project development at Amerisco. “By placing a battery energy storage system onsite at Nucor’s Kingman plant, we are helping to support their expansion and build a more flexible, reliable and cleaner future.”
Greenfront Energy Partners advised Nucor on contracting and structuring solar and storage solutions in Kingman.
Flux and torch to fire the Winchester
Updating our project in the desert, storage solutions provider Flux Energy and privately held independent power producer (IPP) Mashal Total Energy has announced the Winchester project, a solar plus storage facility developed by Mashal in Cochise County, Arizona.
Located alongside two 80 MW solar arrays, Winchester will provide a total of 160 MW/640 MW of energy storage capacity across two identical systems. Once operational, the project will support grid balancing and forecasting for the region, as well as economic development and local infrastructure investment for Cooke County.
The project will use Fluence’s advanced GridStack Pro 5000 energy storage solution with expected delivery in early 2027. The solution would include a complete solar-plus-storage facility with domestically manufactured enclosures, inverters, and thermal management systems to qualify for the Home Materials Tax Credit, while supporting American manufacturing and American energy security.
“This facility is a huge step toward ensuring affordable, reliable, and secure power for the local community and will support regional economic activity and anticipated load growth for many years to come.”
Fluency now has more than 22 gigawatt hours (GWH) of battery energy storage capacity deployed or contracted in 90+ projects across the United States. Mashaal has originated, developed and sold over 1.2 GW of renewable power assets and is partnered with Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners.
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Geronimo! Construction begins with a beehive
Developer, owner, and operator Geronimo Power (formerly National Grid Renewables) has begun onsite construction on its 150 MW Bee Hollow solar project in St. Clair County, Illinois, in the Mid-Continent Independent System Operator (MISO) market.
“We are thrilled to begin construction on the Bee Hollow solar project that will bring new jobs and tax revenue to the area, demonstrating our commitment to driving economic growth in rural America,” said Nathan Franzen, Geronimo’s Chief Project Delivery Officer. “These communities are the lifeblood of America’s heartland and we’re proud to see projects like Bee Hollow make a real impact.”
Geronimo Power’s Apple River Solar, a 100 MW project located in Polk County, Wisconsin and connected to the Apple River 161KV substation. Courtesy: Geronimo Power
In total, Bee Hollow is expected to contribute $54 million in direct economic impact to the local area, including $17 million in new tax revenue, which will be distributed to local counties, townships and school districts over the first 20 years. The community will also benefit from a dedicated charitable fund, pledged above and beyond any tax revenue generated by the project.
Construction of the beehive will be carried out by the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) firm Burns & McDonnell, and will sustain more than 200 construction jobs during the process. The site has a pre-announced power purchase agreement with the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA) and is expected to come online by the end of 2026.
“A project of this scale is a collaborative effort, and we look forward to working with the region’s union skilled trades professionals and local subcontractors to bring this project to life,” said Scott Tuckey, site construction project manager at Burns & McDonnell’s Power Group.
Light shift stops at 75m facility
Base do-it-all LightShift Energy and KeyBank Capital Markets have just announced the closing of a $75 million credit facility that will support LightShift’s growing pipeline of energy storage projects throughout the East Coast. The flexible facility, which includes term loans, construction-to-term loans, and tax equity bridge loans, bolsters LightShift’s ability to bring new projects online quickly and at scale, according to the company.
The financing supports LightShift’s six operational projects and enables the development of 10 projects currently under construction or close to completion. This further lays the groundwork for another wave in LightShift’s project pipeline, as the company moves into a phase of “significant growth” amid demand for energy storage in the US.
The initial portfolio includes LightShift’s project with GlobalFoundries in Vermont, which will provide critical power services and significantly reduce power transmission and capacity costs at their semiconductor manufacturing plant. The project will jointly highlight the energy storage potential and, once operational in 2026, will be the largest battery project in the state.
Lightshift Energy’s 10.5 MW base in Danville, Virginia, is operational by 2022. LightShift recently received approval to build a second base in Danville. Courtesy: Light Shift Energy
KBCM served as the sole lender of the facility, which is structured to provide agile, scalable capital as LightShift’s utilities and corporate partners focus on navigating cost challenges around increased power needs and transmission disruptions and large load growth.
“Energy storage is a cornerstone of grid modernization, and LightShift’s innovative approach to energy storage aligns with the growing demand for flexible, scalable solutions.”
“This transaction marks an important milestone for the industry through project financing for fleets of batteries across different regions and offtakers, with a single operational objective to provide robust capacity to the grid in a fast, highly efficient manner,” added LightShift Co-Founder and Managing Partner. “We are proud to partner with CubBank as we tackle today’s most pressing grid challenges.”
Prasma Photonics scores $30 million in growth round
Prism Photonics, a company that uses existing optical fiber for infrastructure monitoring, has closed an unsecured $30 million round of funding led by Protego Ventures, with investment from energy transition-focused venture capital fund Adara Ventures and Invested Latin American transmission operator Chiuen Partners, a leading Latin American transmission operator. China Partners, China Partners, China Partners, China Partners, China Partners, China Partners, China Partners, China Partners, and CEE.
The funding will accelerate Prisma Photonics’ scale journey and growth in the US and Europe and fuel its expansion in Latin America, where utilities are racing to integrate renewable energy while addressing aging transmission systems.
Courtesy: Prisma Photonics
Prasma Photonics’ AI-powered Hyperscan fiber sensing platform has already been deployed across thousands of kilometers of critical infrastructure worldwide, including 15 Tier 1 transmission system operators in the US and Europe. Electric cooperative Great River Energy in Minnesota deployed the system 90 miles away to detect wildfires and icing, which addresses three common pain points.
Grid Capacity: Real-time dynamic line classification unlocks existing transmission capacity without new construction
Extreme weather resilience: Icing in thousands of miles of transmission lines, wildfire hazards, and line damage
Prisma’s technology transforms existing fiber optic cables (already buried along transmission lines) into continuous sensor networks. No new hardware installation is required. AI models detect and classify grid events in real-time with meter-level accuracy.
“Prism Photonics has already proven its value to US and European utilities,” said Alberto Achivarre, partner at Adara Ventures. “It is now poised to support operators in emerging markets where there is tremendous potential for innovative grid technologies. We are proud to support the team as they work to unlock new potential, mitigate risks and advance the energy transition.”
