Welcome to Grid Brief! Here’s what we’re looking at today: Form Energy breaks ground on a pilot project in Minnesota, the IEA’s monthly electricity outlook, and TVA’s SMR investment.

Form Energy Breaks Ground in Minnesota

Last week, energy storage startup Form Energy and Great River Energy, a Minnesota Cooperative, broke ground on a 1.5 MW/150 MWh multi-day energy storage pilot project. Located in Cambridge, MN, this project will be able to store up to 100 hours of energy when it is up and running in 2025.

Form Energy’s novel iron-air technology relies on reverse rusting (pictured below). The battery cells are filled with a water-based electrolyte, like those found in AA batteries, and contain iron and air electrodes. While discharging, the battery absorbs oxygen from the air, converting the metallic iron into rust. During charging, the application of an electrical current turns rust back into iron and the battery breathes out oxygen.

The project in Minnesota is Form’s first commercial deployment of its technology. The company is building its initial high-volume battery manufacturing facility in West Virginia on the site of an old steel plant. This factory, dubbed Form Factory 1, is expected to begin operations in 2025.

Where is the World Getting Its Electricity?

The International Energy Agency recently released its monthly electricity statistics for Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OCED) countries. These numbers come from May 2024 and are the IEA’s most recent figures.

Key highlights include:

• In May 2024, overall electricity production in OCED countries was 854,446.9 GWh, an increase of 5.1% from April.

• Renewables were responsible for 39.4% of net electricity production, a jump of 7.6% versus May 2023.

• Hydropower was the leading renewable, producing 131,633 GWh, followed by solar (90,175 GWh) and wind (84,743 GWh).

• Nonrenewables contributed to 60.6% of net electricity production, a decline of .4% from May 2023.

• Coal is primarily responsible for this reduction with its generation falling 1.4% year-over-year.

• From May 2023 to May 2024 natural gas and nuclear power production increased by 1.3% and 5.5%, respectively.

Upgrade to Grid Brief Premium to get extra deep dives into energy issues all over the world.

Conversation Starters

• TVA allocates $150 million to SMR Development at Clinch River Site (Power Magazine)

  The Tennessee Valley Authority’s Board of Directors have approved an additional $150 million for the public power utility’s $200 million New Nuclear Program to deploy an SMR at the Clinch River Site near Oak Ridge, TN.

• Thermal energy storage startup launches (Canary Media)

  Oakland, California-based Calectra is hoping to disrupt the energy storage industry. The startup’s technology involves using bricks to convert electricity into high-temperature heat.

• Columbian oil pipelines under attack (Bloomberg)

  Recently leftist rebels in eastern Columbia attacked two of the country’s crucial pipelines five times in a matter of days.

Share Grid Brief

We rely on word of mouth to grow. If you're enjoying this, don't forget to forward Grid Brief to your friends and ask them to subscribe!