Energy News: Embracing EVs and Lithium, Utility Companies Look to the Future

A look at the energy news from PR Newswire in March and April that you might have missed.

By Teri Fane | Published May 9, 2023

2023 continues to be a busy year for energy news. In March and April, PR Newswire distributed more than 2,050 energy-related news releases. 

In this post, we'll take a look at some of the most-read releases of the period as well as a few of the trends that dominated the energy news cycle in recent months.

Popular Energy News Releases

• In early March, Vistra announced plans to combine its Zero renewables and storage projects with Energy Harbor’s nuclear and retail businesses to create “Vistra Vision.”
  
• Georgia Power provided three updates on its continued nuclear power testing of the Vogtle Unit 3 and Unit 4. The company excitedly announced Unit 3 had safely reached “initial criticality” in March, meaning operators had safely started a nuclear reaction inside the reactor.
  
• Just 10% of California drivers use 25% of the state’s gasoline, according to a new report from the nonprofit Coltura. 
  
• The governments of Ethiopia and The Netherlands endorsed Nedamco Africa’s initiative to improve water management for over 10 million people. 
  

Energy News Trends for March–April 2023

Here’s a look at a few of the trends we noticed among the energy-related press releases in March and April, with a few examples of each.

Embracing Electric Vehicles 

The Inflation Reduction Act continues to encourage manufacturers and consumers to get on board with electric vehicles. EVs are expected to make up over half of vehicle sales by 2030, according to Bloomberg.  During the past two months, companies have released news on new electric vehicles, expanding battery & charging capabilities, and filling educational gaps with consumers. 

Here are some of the big electric vehicle headlines our team noticed:

• Increasing Demand & New Vehicles:
  • The United State Postal Service (USPS) announced that as part of its Delivering for America (DFA) 10-year plan to return the organization to financial sustainability and achieve service excellence, it intends to update and electrify its delivery vehicle fleet. The company plans to acquire at least 66,000 battery electric delivery vehicles, including 45,000 battery electric-powered Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDVs) and 21,000 commercial off-the-shelf vehicles (COTS) expected to be battery electric-powered.
  • Genesis Motor America revealed the expansion of electric vehicle offerings across the U.S. The EV lineup is now available in 15 states, which is another step in the company's commitment to having an all-electric lineup of vehicles by 2030. Along with the expanded availability, Genesis collaborated with Electrify America to offer three years of complimentary 30-minute charging sessions from the date of purchase to owners of the 2023 GC60, 2023 Electrified GV70, and 2023 Electrified G80.
  • In early March, DYU launched the DYU TI electric bike. The bike has a 250W motor that can achieve a top speed of 15.5 mph and travel up to 30 miles on a single charge. 
    
• Consumer Education
  
  • Autel Energy aims to address the learning curve with consumers when it comes to EVs. In early April the company presented its educational series, “Clean Energy Stage by Autel,” at the New York International Auto Show. The series featured industry leaders from AAA, Empire Clean Cities, and various New York City government agencies, who addressed and answered the concerns and questions of the public about EVs and electrification integrated into their daily lives.
    
• EV Charging / Grids
  
  • Core Development Group announced its strides toward completing one of the largest EV fleet charging systems in the Americas with approximately 6,000 charging stations across 23 large commercial and industrial locations in the U.S. Core Development is accomplishing this feat by working with over 20 different local utility companies across 12 states.
  • Consumers Energy is providing rebates to seven Domino’s Pizza locations installing EV chargers at restaurant locations in Michigan. The program is designed to help fleet owners and operators reduce operating costs, eliminate emissions and simplify vehicle maintenance by transitioning to electric vehicles. 
  • At the end of March, Hutton Electric, Heating & Air introduced an alternative and cost-saving option for powering electric vehicles at home. Residential EV charging stations often require homeowners to upgrade their home electric service panel which could cost thousands. By using the company's proven power load management technology, Hutton Electric allows homeowners to safely connect EV charging stations directly to a home's existing electric panel.
    
  • Con Edison and Orange & Rockland partnered with ev.energy on the Smart Charge New York program. The program provides cash incentives to EV drivers who charge their vehicles in Con Edison and Orange & Rockland's service areas. 

By the numbers: In the past two months, PR Newswire distributed more than 820 press releases mentioning "electric vehicles." 

Lithium, Battery Power, and Energy Storage Solutions 

The increasing demand for electric vehicles, smartphones, and other smart devices means an increased need for lithium and lithium-ion batteries. A 2022 analysis by the McKinsey Battery Insights team projects that the entire lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery chain, from mining through recycling, could grow by over 30% annually from 2022 to 2030, when it would reach a value of more than $400 billion.

The team noticed several releases regarding lithium mining and lithium-ion batteries during March and April, including:

• Lithium-Ion Batteries
  
  • Montavista Ltd. introduced a new line of lithium metal batteries for commercial drones. Commercial drones equipped with Montavista's new METARY® P series have demonstrated 60 - 80 % longer flight times in comparison with using a commercial lithium-ion battery. 
    
  • In mid-April, Sigma Lithium achieved its first production of Green Lithium. The company has successfully completed its transition from developer to producer with this move and plans to complete its first shipment of 15,000 tonnes of Green Lithium by May of this year.
  • As the domestic battery manufacturing industry grows, ABTC, a lithium-ion battery recycler, expanded its operations by purchasing a move-in-ready, commercial-scale battery recycling facility located in the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center. The approximately 137,000 square foot facility was previously used for the recycling of lead-acid batteries, and as such is already designed and permitted for similar operations.
    
• Lithium Mining 
  
  • Financialnewsmedia.com reported the lithium mining industry is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7% by 2031, bringing in revenues of $3.1 billion.
    
  • At the end of April, the City of Greater Sudbury announced mining and automotive industry leaders will meet in Canada for the second annual BEV In-Depth: Mines to Mobility conference. As automotive manufacturers move to fully electric vehicles by 2040, this event brings together leaders from across Canada to focus on the entire BEV supply chain and forges relationships between leaders in mining, automotive, battery technology, transportation, and green energy. 
  • Lithium extraction start-up Novalith raised AU$23 million for its clean lithium extraction technology. Novalith's technology cuts process costs, plant costs, and plant footprints by up to 65%, 50%, and 25%, respectively compared to the conventional process and it uses 90% less water than current approaches. 

By the numbers: In the past two months, PR Newswire released more than 500 press releases  that mentioned "lithium."

Energy Companies Make Moves for the Future 

In our last blog post, we promised to watch how energy companies were sharing their advancements toward cleaner energy.  Energy utility companies are increasingly adopting renewable energy to reduce their carbon footprint and take advantage of the economic benefits that come with generating energy that does not come from fossil fuels.

From Duke Energy’s new solar farms to Scheider Electric’s Suite of SaaS Sustainability Solutions, here are some of the headlines our team noticed from energy utility companies in March and April:

• Duke Energy, through its commercial brand Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions, continued its ongoing expansion into solar and renewable energies in March with announcements of two new solar sites in Bay and Levy Counties in North Carolina. It also began operations at its largest plant in Navarro County, Texas. 
  
• In late March, PG&E revealed that 96% of the energy it provided to customers in 2022 was greenhouse gas-free. Approximately 40% of the electricity came from renewable resources including biopower, small hydroelectric, solar, and wind power, 49% from carbon-free nuclear power generated by Diablo Canyon Power Plant, and 7% from large hydroelectric power. 
  
• Schneider Electric launched Zeigo™ in mid -April. Zeigo is a suite of SaaS sustainability solutions  built to simplify and accelerate climate action for companies of all sizes. The new application will deliver easy emissions calculations paired with a customized decarbonization roadmap and a regionally tailored solutions provider marketplace.  
  
• Portland General Electric Company announced the procurement of 400 MW of new battery storage projects, the largest single procurement of standalone energy storage to date by a utility in the U.S. outside the state of California.
  

By the numbers: In the past two months, PR Newswire released more than 700 press releases from utility companies mentioning "renewable energy."

Looking Ahead 

We will continue to monitor the growing EV market and how the lithium market responds to its increasing demands. We also expect to see an uptick in launches and announcements during World Environment Day (June 5) and National Clean Energy Week coming up in September. 

About the Author

Teri Fane is a Customer Content Specialist at Cision PR Newswire and manages the @PRNEnergy Twitter account. When she's not at work, she can be found trying to keep her plants alive, traveling, or hanging out with her lab mix Radar.