Batteries

To effectively map out the current and future states of power delivery, it’s imperative to discuss what the landscape looked like in the past. Understanding the evolution of any industry typically requires a healthy dose of historical context, and making sense of today’s energy grid is no exception.

Our focus on energy and emissions extends beyond our mill gates. Since 2009, Sappi has participated in the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) SmartWay® Transport Partnership, an innovative collaboration between the EPA and companies that provide freight delivery services. In support of the partnership, we include the SmartWay specifi cation in our carrier bid contracts, and since 2013, approximately 95 percent of our cumulative domestic ton-miles have been shipped by SmartWay carriers.

Bolstered by decreasing costs and strengthening regulatory support, demand for renewable energy is increasing as wind and solar photovoltaics continue to become more prominent contributors to utilities’ generation and revenue mix. As enthusiasm for renewable energy grows, wind and solar remain hampered by how much energy can be stored when generated to be used subsequently when energy is needed.

The cost of energy storage has fallen to the point where the power generation industry is moving from demonstration projects to full deployment. Driven by demand and a federal order designed to nurture broader adoption of storage capabilities, practical applications of energy storage are emerging that are competitive with conventional solutions.

Duke Energy's advancement of battery energy storage technologies in the Carolinas includes $500 million of projects in the company's 15-year forecast – continuing the company's industry-leading deployment of the technology.

Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s iconic community improvement nonprofit organization, is partnering with Duracell to distribute 9V batteries, valued at more than $2 million, to 42 Keep America Beautiful community-based affiliates for the 2018 Duracell/Keep America Beautiful 9V Battery Grant Program. Duracell’s 9V Battery Grant Program is among the largest in-kind donations Keep America Beautiful has received in its 65-year history.

Underground hard rock mining companies continue to go deeper in search of more raw materials and higher-grade ore. Working at such depths leads to air quality concerns due to equipment emissions, which today are primarily powered by diesel.

Advancing standardized electric vehicle charging systems is crucial to widening EV adoption across the transportation value chain – from passenger drivers to public transit and enterprise-scale medium- and heavy-duty fleets. That’s why Black & Veatch, a market leader in the design and deployment of EV charging networks, has joined CharIN, the Charging Interface Initiative (CharIN e.V.), as a core member.

Pawl Wroblewski, Portfolio Manager at Clearbridge Investments, shares perspective on the most attractive investment opportunities in the electric vehicle revolution.