Thermal energy storage provider Antora Energy has closed a $550 million Series C funding round to accelerate deployment of its thermal battery systems for industrial facilities and data centers in the United States. While not a lithium-ion BESS, the raise is significant for the broader storage sector as it demonstrates investor willingness to fund alternative long-duration storage technologies. Antora’s systems store energy as heat and deliver both electricity and industrial process heat, addressing a segment of the market that electrochemical batteries cannot serve. The funding round, one of the largest for a non-lithium storage technology this year, signals growing diversification in the U.S. storage investment landscape beyond conventional battery chemistries.

Power firm Axpo and independent power producer Zelestra have entered into a long-term tolling agreement for a battery energy storage project in northern Italy. This marks Zelestra’s second such tolling deal in July, underscoring the company’s aggressive expansion into the Italian storage market. Tolling structures are becoming increasingly common in European BESS project finance, as they provide offtake certainty while allowing developers to retain merchant upside exposure. Italy’s storage market is accelerating due to the country’s high solar penetration, grid congestion in the south, and regulatory reforms enabling standalone storage participation in energy markets. The Axpo-Zelestra deal adds to the growing pipeline of contracted Italian BESS capacity.

Greenvolt Power has inaugurated the 200 MW Turośń Kościelna Battery Energy Storage Facility in Poland, with energy trading and optimization services to be provided by Entrix. The project is one of the largest operational battery storage facilities in Poland and represents a significant milestone for the country’s emerging storage market. Poland’s grid is undergoing rapid transformation as coal retirements accelerate and renewable targets tighten, creating urgent demand for flexible capacity. The Turośń Kościelna facility will provide frequency regulation, capacity, and energy arbitrage services to the Polish power market. Entrix’s involvement as optimizer highlights the growing role of specialized energy traders in maximizing BESS revenue stacks in European markets.

Aecon Group has executed an agreement with Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) for the 150 MW / 1,200 MWh Simcoe energy storage project in Norfolk County, Ontario. The eight-hour duration project is among the longer-duration battery storage assets under development in Canada and is designed to provide capacity and energy shifting services to the Ontario grid. The IESO agreement provides revenue certainty through Ontario’s capacity market framework, addressing a key bankability challenge for Canadian storage developers. The Simcoe project reflects Ontario’s strategic emphasis on storage to manage nuclear baseload inflexibility and integrate growing renewable generation. Aecon’s execution of the agreement signals a firm commitment to delivery.

Avantus announced that its Aratina 1 project has reached commercial operations, delivering 200 MW of solar and 500 MWh of energy storage to the California grid. The project is located in Kern County and will provide energy and capacity services to the CAISO market, supporting California’s reliability needs during evening ramp periods and summer peak events. Aratina 1’s COD adds to the growing inventory of operational solar-plus-storage assets in the CAISO footprint, which remains the most mature market for co-located renewable and battery projects in the United States. The project’s operational status also validates Avantus’ development and construction execution platform as the company continues to scale its portfolio.

The Maryland Public Service Commission held a public hearing on Round 1 of the Next Generation Energy Act, reviewing four transmission-connected battery storage proposals totaling 1,240 MW. The projects include the 500 MW / 6-hour Oystercatcher Energy Storage Project, the 300 MW / 4-hour Fourth Quarter BESS Project, the 400 MW / 4-hour Chalk Point Storage Project, and the 40 MW / 4-hour Jade Meadow III Battery Storage Project. The Commission is expected to issue decisions on Energy Storage Capacity Credits by October 1, 2026. This proceeding represents one of the most significant state-level storage procurement processes in the U.S. this year and could establish precedent for how transmission-connected storage is valued and compensated in the PJM region.