Google acquires clean energy developer
Alphabet, Google's parent company, announced last month it will acquire clean energy and data center infrastructure developer Intersect in a $4.75 billion deal expected to close in the first half of this year.
The portfolio Alphabet will acquire includes projects under construction in Texas and California.
The acquisition represents a new approach for Alphabet. In the past it had relied on utilities and independent energy developers to bring power generation online for its data center loads. Acquisition of Intersect indicates that Google plans to construct, own and manage its own clean energy power plants.
ERCOT's large load queue jumped almost 300 percent last year
And speaking of data centers, they are driving a rapid increase in the number and capacity of large load interconnection requests in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (or ERCOT) region, according to a December report from the grid operator.
Grid planners in Texas are assessing more than 233 GW of large load interconnection requests, with more than 70 percent coming from data centers. The total capacity exploring grid interconnection near the end of 2025 increased almost 300 percent over the 2024 year-end total.
The large increase in load requests is taxing the regulator and leading to long delays. ERCOT rules were developed to consider 40-50 large loads at a time. According to the report, ERCOT had received about 250 large load requests and about 2,000 new generation interconnection requests in 2025. Seventy-seven percent of the new generation interconnection requests were for solar and energy storage resources.
States promote green energy
As federal policy has swung away from promoting renewable energy and in favor of fossil fuels, many states have announced plans to continue to maintain the momentum towards a clean energy transition.
Virginia Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger and fellow Democrats outlined their energy agenda last month within that state, emphasizing the need to lower electric costs. Spanberger, who is slated to be sworn in on January 17, made energy affordability and clean energy a key part of her campaign. Key to the legislation is increasing utility energy storage requirements and removing regulatory hurdles for new wind and solar projects.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy recently signed into law focused on "smart solar" permitting. The bill will expedite the approval process for residential solar and battery systems. This legislation would require state regulators to make an online, automated permitting platform for rooftop solar and battery installs available statewide within 18 months of the bill's signing. Brown University Climate Solutions Lab estimates that adopting smart permitting statewide could result in an additional 200,000 residential solar systems installed by 2040 within the state.
And Gov. JB Pritzker earlier this month signed the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act. The CRGA Act includes requirements to add 3 GW of battery storage to the grid, increase consumer access to home efficiency rebates, increase funds for low-income energy efficiency programs, adopt grid-enhancing technologies and reduce bottlenecks in the process to develop and improve transmission lines.
Plug In Solar gets UL Certification
Plug-in solar, also known as balcony solar, is a popular option in Europe, and it's now starting to catch on in the United States. More than a million such units have been deployed just within Germany. Last year Utah became the first state to allow 1.2-kW plug-in solar panel systems without utility approval.
Earlier this month, Senate Bill 868 was introduced in the California Senate, designed to eliminate red tape and set statewide safety standards for portable solar systems. Lawmakers in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire are also looking into permitting these systems.
Underwriters Labs recently unveiled a new testing program for plug-in solar systems. The program based on UL 3700, defines safety criteria for interactive plug-in PV equipment. It defines construction, performance and labeling standards tailored to plug-in solar systems, offering manufacturers a reliable foundation for designing products that consistently meet safety and performance requirements.
Plug-in solar systems certified to UL 3700 could be suitable for renters and homeowners who are unable to install rooftop systems and could be used to provide back-up power for essential devices during power outages.
