3 companies providing power grid upgrades for California

As power demands continue to grow in the U.S., one of the biggest consumers in the union, California, has a few companies that offer a solution to the massive consumption. Companies such as Advanced Microgrid Solutions and Stem look to provide battery storage solutions to California’s overtaxed electrical grid systems. The state has already implemented a law requiring utilities to install more than a gigawatt of storage by 2020, and with laws like these, we are going to see more private companies working to help supplement California’s power services.    

Who are these companies?        

Advanced Microgrid Solutions
Advanced Microgrid Solutions is leading the charge in California with a newly announced partnership with property developer, The Irvine Company. The partnership calls for AMS to install Tesla battery packs in 24 buildings that The Irvine Company manages, and offers what’s called a Hybrid-Electric Building Project, designed to target specific buildings that require grid support. Many benefit from these systems as AMS pays for them, builds and manages them.  More information on Advanced Microgrid Solutions can be found here.   

Stem
As another bay-area grid solutions company, Stem’s business model puts the management onto the client for whom it wishes to control.  Offering a complete software suite dedicated to displaying real-time power usage with various metrics, Stem also supplies their own storage system called PowerStore. This UL certified system stores energy from the grid during low usage hours much like the Tesla system. They too have a recently signed contract, but with California Edison for an 85MW system. More information on Stem can be found here.      

Ice Energy
Santa Barbara-based Ice Energy has a slightly different way of storing and distributing energy. The company’s Ice Bear system works directly with existing commercial air conditioning systems to make ice at night and then melt during peak hours in order to assist in cooling. This system can shift upwards of 72 kilo-watt hours from peak hours to off peak hours. Ice Energy has recently been rewarded a 25.6MW contract courtesy of Southern California Edison.

While there are more companies looking to provide innovative electricity storage solutions, none currently have contracts to provide in the state of California. Perhaps after California sets the example, more states will pass laws requiring a certain amount of electricity storage.