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http://www.newenergyworldnetwork.com/renewable-energy-news/by-technology/energy-storage-by-technology-renewable-energy-news/california-attracts-foreign-investment-into-renewable-energy.html

The World Trade Center Association Los Angeles (WTCA) has signed an agreement with the German city of Berlin to develop renewable energy projects, in a move to attract foreign investment into the US state of California.

The agreement is geared towards fostering economic growth in California’s Los Angeles county through the development of clean technology clusters and other renewable energy projects.
WTCA president Vance Baughum said the partnership with Berlin is the start of a long-term relationship between the two regions, in which they will share and collaborate on clean technology development.
The state has recently seen a large volume of investment into clean energy projects, with major regional power utility Southern California Edison (SCE) recently finalising a $25m federal stimulus grant to develop a pioneering wind energy storage demonstration project.
The grant matches $29.9m in capital provided by SCE, a subsidiary of major global power company Edison International, and its partners.
The total cost of the project, which will provide a pathway towards wider adoption of the technology, is $54.9m, and includes a $1m grant from the California Energy Commission.
SCE senior vice president for transmission and distribution Jim Kelly said it will help the company and the wider electric utility industry ‘better understand the optimal use of large-scale batteries in grid operations’.
SCE, US battery manufacturer A123 Systems and the California Independent System Operator Corporation are partners on the project.
The company said it will use the funding to facilitate greater integration of wind power from the Tehachapi region in southern California into the grid.
The Tehachapi wind energy storage project is expected to spur broader demand for the technology, bringing production to a scale that will make it more affordable, the company anticipates.
The energy storage project is due to be deployed at an SCE substation around 100 miles north of Los Angeles in early 2012 with testing set to take place until the end of 2014.
Robert Johnson, vice president of A123 Systems, which is one of California’s stellar renewable energy said grid management upgrades were essential for a cleaner energy future.
‘We expect that the ability to dynamically manage the grid through large scale advanced lithium-ion battery systems will be a necessary innovation to realise the promise of a smarter, cleaner energy grid,’ Johnson said.
California has recently shown strong leadership in green issues, with a significant majority of its citizens this week voting against a proposition that would have suspended emissions reduction goals.