Phoebe Skok
@phoebeskok.bsky.social
Freelance energy journalist and science writer • Master's in Climate Science and Policy from @scrippsocean.bsky.social
Pitch me energy stories at [email protected] and others at [email protected]
Pitch me energy stories at [email protected] and others at [email protected]
Pinned
Phoebe Skok
@phoebeskok.bsky.social
· May 22
Climate comms/PR folks + other clean energy people - I want to talk to you!
I’m a freelance energy journalist covering solar, storage, and the grid, and I'm looking for new story leads & sources. Shoot me a message here or at [email protected] with your thoughts.
More specifics below ⬇️
I’m a freelance energy journalist covering solar, storage, and the grid, and I'm looking for new story leads & sources. Shoot me a message here or at [email protected] with your thoughts.
More specifics below ⬇️
he battery industry has long chased the gigafactory model. Yet, many of the most successful technological innovations and industries have hit their stride by following in the footsteps of the semiconductor industry.
The contract-fab model is heading for batteries - Energy Storage
Unigrid’s offshore contract manufacturing hints at a new playbook for storage startups that mirrors the chip industry’s evolution.
www.ess-news.com
December 16, 2025 at 11:26 PM
he battery industry has long chased the gigafactory model. Yet, many of the most successful technological innovations and industries have hit their stride by following in the footsteps of the semiconductor industry.
PJM is writing batteries checks that they can't cash.
The RTO's market was built around conventional generation's performance characteristics; it doesn't easily accommodate storage's attributes like fast response or bidirectional energy flow
The RTO's market was built around conventional generation's performance characteristics; it doesn't easily accommodate storage's attributes like fast response or bidirectional energy flow
Storage in PJM is solving grid problems it can’t get paid for - Energy Storage
As other ISOs surge ahead, PJM’s legacy rules and fragmented governance continue to slow battery deployment.
www.ess-news.com
December 15, 2025 at 7:16 PM
PJM is writing batteries checks that they can't cash.
The RTO's market was built around conventional generation's performance characteristics; it doesn't easily accommodate storage's attributes like fast response or bidirectional energy flow
The RTO's market was built around conventional generation's performance characteristics; it doesn't easily accommodate storage's attributes like fast response or bidirectional energy flow
Reposted by Phoebe Skok
December 14, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Solar furniture, which couples shaded tables, benches and outdoor workstations with solar PV panels, batteries and device charging, is springing up on college campuses around the country.
Universities are turning solar furniture into campus infrastructure
As universities expand outdoor learning, off-grid solar furniture is emerging as a new class of campus infrastructure.
pv-magazine-usa.com
December 11, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Solar furniture, which couples shaded tables, benches and outdoor workstations with solar PV panels, batteries and device charging, is springing up on college campuses around the country.
Earlier this fall, California Governor Gavin Newsom enacted Senate Bill 283.The law requires developers to meet with local fire authorities before submitting project applications and after installation, aligning project design with safety standards.
California’s new bill could usher in a “safe-by-design” era for battery storage - Energy Storage
Developers have less than two months to prepare for California’s new safety standards, where smart documentation -not system redesign - will be the key to smooth compliance.
www.ess-news.com
December 8, 2025 at 11:26 PM
Earlier this fall, California Governor Gavin Newsom enacted Senate Bill 283.The law requires developers to meet with local fire authorities before submitting project applications and after installation, aligning project design with safety standards.
Hello battery and climate folks!
Got any predictions for what's next for the storage industry in 2026? Send 'em my way here or at [email protected]. 👀
Got any predictions for what's next for the storage industry in 2026? Send 'em my way here or at [email protected]. 👀
December 6, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Hello battery and climate folks!
Got any predictions for what's next for the storage industry in 2026? Send 'em my way here or at [email protected]. 👀
Got any predictions for what's next for the storage industry in 2026? Send 'em my way here or at [email protected]. 👀
Governance, not financing, is the next big hurdle for commercial solar. While the outlook for commercial real estate (CRE) solar is rosy, the devil’s in the details: many projects find their biggest obstacles hidden in a contract’s fine print.
Governance, not financing, is the next big hurdle for commercial solar
Solar’s momentum in commercial real estate hinges less on policy roadblocks and more on navigating multi-tenant governance, shared infrastructure and risk allocation.
pv-magazine-usa.com
December 4, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Governance, not financing, is the next big hurdle for commercial solar. While the outlook for commercial real estate (CRE) solar is rosy, the devil’s in the details: many projects find their biggest obstacles hidden in a contract’s fine print.
Philippe Grandcolas, directeur adjoint scientifique de CNRS Ecologie & Environnement, explique comment on pourrait créer des ponts entre scientifiques et journalistes et pourquoi on a besoin d’un changement culturel pour réduire la crise de biodiversité.
« Il faut un changement culturel profond face à la crise de la biodiversité » - Philippe Grandcolas - Reporters d'Espoirs
Philippe Grandcolas nous livre sa vision sur la manière dont nous pourrions créer des ponts entre scientifiques et journalistes, le rôle ...
reportersdespoirs.org
December 1, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Philippe Grandcolas, directeur adjoint scientifique de CNRS Ecologie & Environnement, explique comment on pourrait créer des ponts entre scientifiques et journalistes et pourquoi on a besoin d’un changement culturel pour réduire la crise de biodiversité.
A recent study out of Montreal's Concordia University found that photovoltaic pavements can slash urban emissions by 98% when used to electrify urban food delivery and mobility; the panels also free up rooftops.
Solar sidewalks slash urban emissions 98%, study finds
A Concordia model reveals how photovoltaic pavements can electrify urban food delivery and mobility, slashing emissions by 98% while freeing rooftops for agriculture.
pv-magazine-usa.com
November 28, 2025 at 7:16 PM
A recent study out of Montreal's Concordia University found that photovoltaic pavements can slash urban emissions by 98% when used to electrify urban food delivery and mobility; the panels also free up rooftops.
Hello comms folks,
Trying to improve the gender balance in my reporting - I'm looking for female/nonbinary/trans solar and energy storage experts (markets, policy, tech) to serve as sources for future stories.
Drop me a line at [email protected] or on LinkedIn if you have any recs!
Trying to improve the gender balance in my reporting - I'm looking for female/nonbinary/trans solar and energy storage experts (markets, policy, tech) to serve as sources for future stories.
Drop me a line at [email protected] or on LinkedIn if you have any recs!
November 25, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Hello comms folks,
Trying to improve the gender balance in my reporting - I'm looking for female/nonbinary/trans solar and energy storage experts (markets, policy, tech) to serve as sources for future stories.
Drop me a line at [email protected] or on LinkedIn if you have any recs!
Trying to improve the gender balance in my reporting - I'm looking for female/nonbinary/trans solar and energy storage experts (markets, policy, tech) to serve as sources for future stories.
Drop me a line at [email protected] or on LinkedIn if you have any recs!
System design has long been a critical point of differentiation for many solar installers. By now, many solar experts agree that the era of cookie cutter solar has come to a close.
Question is: Did it ever start?
Question is: Did it ever start?
The era of cookie cutter solar has come to a close. Did it ever start?
Once shorthand for fast, uniform installs, “cookie-cutter solar” is giving way to site-specific, storage-integrated systems.
pv-magazine-usa.com
November 21, 2025 at 12:07 AM
System design has long been a critical point of differentiation for many solar installers. By now, many solar experts agree that the era of cookie cutter solar has come to a close.
Question is: Did it ever start?
Question is: Did it ever start?
Energy storage is increasingly dictating data center site selection as regulatory pressure, not technology limits, drives the next wave of storage deployment across US data center hubs.
Why energy storage is increasingly dictating data center site selection - Energy Storage
Regulatory pressure, not technology limits, is driving the next wave of storage deployment across US data center hubs.
www.ess-news.com
November 18, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Energy storage is increasingly dictating data center site selection as regulatory pressure, not technology limits, drives the next wave of storage deployment across US data center hubs.
ERCOT will soon roll out its real-time co-optimization with batteries (RTC+B) program, which could open up new value streams for batteries. But the rollout hinges on something deceptively simple: telemetry.
Telemetry could impact ERCOT’s rollout of real-time co-optimization with batteries - Energy Storage
Projects that fail to upgrade their data infrastructure risk underperformance, delays, and lost trust with the network operator.
www.ess-news.com
November 13, 2025 at 4:31 PM
ERCOT will soon roll out its real-time co-optimization with batteries (RTC+B) program, which could open up new value streams for batteries. But the rollout hinges on something deceptively simple: telemetry.
Unpacking the intricacies of real estate transactions and residential solar are both tricky. Slap the two fields together, and you'll likely find yourself dazed, confused, and trapped between a maze of misconceptions and a wall of red tape.
How rooftop solar can complicate residential real estate transactions
Many homeowners assume leased or loaned solar systems will boost their home’s value, but outstanding loans often drag down equity instead.
pv-magazine-usa.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Unpacking the intricacies of real estate transactions and residential solar are both tricky. Slap the two fields together, and you'll likely find yourself dazed, confused, and trapped between a maze of misconceptions and a wall of red tape.
The “Kelley Blue Book” for energy assets could improve circularity in the solar sector. Seattle-based urban mining startup Buckstop uses a proprietary, AI-powered appraisal model to instantly value end-of-life solar panels.
pv-magazine-usa.com/2025/10/15/t...
pv-magazine-usa.com/2025/10/15/t...
The “Kelley Blue Book” for energy assets could improve circularity in the solar sector
Seattle-based urban mining startup Buckstop uses an AI-powered appraisal model to instantly value end-of-life solar panels.
pv-magazine-usa.com
November 8, 2025 at 6:41 PM
The “Kelley Blue Book” for energy assets could improve circularity in the solar sector. Seattle-based urban mining startup Buckstop uses a proprietary, AI-powered appraisal model to instantly value end-of-life solar panels.
pv-magazine-usa.com/2025/10/15/t...
pv-magazine-usa.com/2025/10/15/t...
On one hand, it’s (relatively) easy to announce a battery gigafactory. On the other, it’s much harder to build one, especially without experienced operating teams.
More over at pv magazine USA:
More over at pv magazine USA:
It’s easy to announce a battery gigafactory. It’s much harder to build one
America’s battery factory buildout hinges on experienced operating teams.
pv-magazine-usa.com
October 8, 2025 at 7:04 PM
On one hand, it’s (relatively) easy to announce a battery gigafactory. On the other, it’s much harder to build one, especially without experienced operating teams.
More over at pv magazine USA:
More over at pv magazine USA:
Energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs) have long enabled schools, hospitals and other public facilities to purchase efficiency upgrades without requiring new taxpayer money and staying budget neutral. Increasingly, they’re also being used for onsite solar.
Performance contracts could be public solar’s silent financiers
Energy savings performance contracts are helping schools, hospitals, and municipalities adopt solar without upfront costs.
pv-magazine-usa.com
October 6, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs) have long enabled schools, hospitals and other public facilities to purchase efficiency upgrades without requiring new taxpayer money and staying budget neutral. Increasingly, they’re also being used for onsite solar.
Bid cost recovery is becoming an increasingly important settlement mechanism for energy storage systems in the CAISO.
Here's more about how BCR works:
Here's more about how BCR works:
Making sense of CAISO’s bid cost recovery mechanism and what it means for batteries - Energy Storage
As California batteries increasingly depend on bid cost recovery to smooth out market deviations, the make-whole mechanism is being reshaped to balance flexibility and fairness.
www.ess-news.com
October 2, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Bid cost recovery is becoming an increasingly important settlement mechanism for energy storage systems in the CAISO.
Here's more about how BCR works:
Here's more about how BCR works:
Tucked away in California’s Central Valley lies Fresno County, one of the nation’s top agricultural producers. Solar is reshaping the landscape, but what happens to the rural farming communities next door?
Solar is reshaping California’s Central Valley. What happens to the rural farming communities next door?
A democratically organized nonprofit is giving a seat at the clean energy table to 36 communities in Western Fresno County.
pv-magazine-usa.com
September 30, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Tucked away in California’s Central Valley lies Fresno County, one of the nation’s top agricultural producers. Solar is reshaping the landscape, but what happens to the rural farming communities next door?
Batteries rely heavily on copper, to where the average lithium-ion battery is up to 15% copper by weight.
But what if those batteries didn’t need copper at all? That’s what Sakuu, a Silicon Valley manufacturing startup, is betting on.
Here's how the tech works:
But what if those batteries didn’t need copper at all? That’s what Sakuu, a Silicon Valley manufacturing startup, is betting on.
Here's how the tech works:
Polymer batteries could help protect the energy storage industry from copper tariffs
As tariffs push copper costs higher, one startup thinks additive manufacturing could free batteries from the metal altogether.
pv-magazine-usa.com
September 24, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Batteries rely heavily on copper, to where the average lithium-ion battery is up to 15% copper by weight.
But what if those batteries didn’t need copper at all? That’s what Sakuu, a Silicon Valley manufacturing startup, is betting on.
Here's how the tech works:
But what if those batteries didn’t need copper at all? That’s what Sakuu, a Silicon Valley manufacturing startup, is betting on.
Here's how the tech works:
While the AI-fueled rise in energy demand has stolen the media spotlight, another just-as-critical but less discussed piece of the data center puzzle is waiting in the wings for its time in the limelight: utility approval.
Batteries could change the answer:
Batteries could change the answer:
How batteries can change a data center application from a “no” to a “yes” - Energy Storage
Energy storage can be the final push a utility needs to accept a new large load application.
www.ess-news.com
September 15, 2025 at 10:26 PM
While the AI-fueled rise in energy demand has stolen the media spotlight, another just-as-critical but less discussed piece of the data center puzzle is waiting in the wings for its time in the limelight: utility approval.
Batteries could change the answer:
Batteries could change the answer:
As the AI revolution keeps on turning, it’s tempting for renewable energy companies to jump on the machine learning bandwagon. Still, what’s going to help companies scale isn’t advanced analytics, but something much less sexy: clean, normalized, site-level data.
Dirty data can break a clean energy portfolio’s return on investment
While AI can help renewable companies get ahead, it will only take them so far without quality, clean data.
pv-magazine-usa.com
September 10, 2025 at 3:22 PM
As the AI revolution keeps on turning, it’s tempting for renewable energy companies to jump on the machine learning bandwagon. Still, what’s going to help companies scale isn’t advanced analytics, but something much less sexy: clean, normalized, site-level data.
When I sat down with Raghu Belur of Enphase Energy a few weeks ago, he walked me through some of the most concrete ways that AI is transforming residential storage fleets.
Here's what he told me:
Here's what he told me:
AI is transforming residential storage fleets. What does that look like in practice? - Energy Storage
Predictive diagnostics and self-testing can help residential battery systems reduce downtime and cut service costs.
www.ess-news.com
September 8, 2025 at 11:16 AM
When I sat down with Raghu Belur of Enphase Energy a few weeks ago, he walked me through some of the most concrete ways that AI is transforming residential storage fleets.
Here's what he told me:
Here's what he told me:
If you're a solar developer, there's a good chance the thought of trying out a vertically integrated approach—where your company owns both the generation assets and the retail customer relationship—may have crossed your mind. It might not be so easy.
Vertical integration in solar? Harder than it looks
While owning customer relationships and generating assets is enticing, it’s not as straightforward as it might seem, according to Zoë Gamble of CleanChoice Energy.
pv-magazine-usa.com
September 4, 2025 at 4:17 PM
If you're a solar developer, there's a good chance the thought of trying out a vertically integrated approach—where your company owns both the generation assets and the retail customer relationship—may have crossed your mind. It might not be so easy.
The solar market's been historically dominated by residential and commercial installations—but what about the projects in between? The "messy middle" of 150 kW to five MW has been overlooked.
More for pv magazine USA:
More for pv magazine USA:
Cracking the solar financing code for the “unbankable” mid-sized project
Small businesses and nonprofits have been largely ignored by traditional solar financiers, as they often don’t fit the standardized loan models built for homeowners with strong FICO scores.
pv-magazine-usa.com
September 2, 2025 at 6:16 PM
The solar market's been historically dominated by residential and commercial installations—but what about the projects in between? The "messy middle" of 150 kW to five MW has been overlooked.
More for pv magazine USA:
More for pv magazine USA: