/PRNewswire/ -- Pivot Energy, an impact-focused independent power producer of distributed-scale solar and energy storage, today announced the closing of a...

City Council: Greenhouse Megastore deal & West Newell solar farm approved; proposed budget & tax levy unveiled. By Steve Brandy Oct 20, 2026 | 9:10 PM In a packed but rather brief meeting on Tuesday evening (Oct 20), the Danville City Council gave final approval to a deal keeping the Greenhouse Megastore in town. With the previous owner George family, known for Royal Donut and Mad Goat Coffee, reacquiring the store's assets at a bankruptcy auction after parent company BFG Supply Company filed; a reimbursement of $125,000 to help with the reacquisition was passed, along with a ten year 50% sales tax abatement worth up to $125,000. Ben George recalled that during his family's previous ownership, the store had about 70 employees. Upon BFG's filing it had about 35, and the George family intends to keep the business right at 70 Eastgate Drive, on the west side of Lynch Road. AUDIO: Its family has deep roots here in Danville, and broadly in Vermilion County. So its intention is to reestablish those roots at Greenhouse Megastore, and to keep it here for a long time; and hopefully grow it. Vermilion Co supply a full assortment of professional gardening supplies; including fertilizers and soils, and flower pots and equipment, and even the greenhouse structures. Ben George talks about the George family's reacquisition of the Greenhouse Megastore. A special use permit for Pivot Energy to build a solar farm on the south side of West Newell Drive just east of Menards was passed. Land owner Larry Dennison stated during public comment that the land is zoned for agriculture, but not productive; and that this was a move he wanted to make. Mayoral candidates Aldermen Doug Ahrens and Tricia Teague took alternate views on this; with Teague saying since the land is already zoned for Ag, and just needing the Special Use Permit, this is a good way to find use for the land on a timely basis. Ahrens, meanwhile, was one of two "no" votes, saying the land should be preserved for possible commercial development down the road. Community Development Administrator Logan Cronk spoke afterwards; saying the solar facility would be about 300 feet off the road, and a couple hundred feet from Menards. Land owner Larry Dennison (left) and Pivot Energy's Elan McMillan (right) talk about the proposed solar energy farm for east of Menards, on the south side of West Newell Road. AUDIO: I saw Alderman Ahrens' and Alderwoman Teague's points. Its future land use map has this zoned as Commercial. But I also see Alderman Teague's point that this hasn't developed in decades and decades and decades, and when is it going to, right? They do not have to go through the building permit process. A reminder, this property is out of the actual corporate limits of the City of Danville, but it's within its zoning jurisdiction. So, Vermilion Co still have the zoning right here. Meanwhile, the proposed new Danville budget and tax levy were unveiled by Comptroller Alyssa Sweeten; coming in as a $94 million budget when fund transfers are figured in, with the general funds portion checking in at $42.7 million. The tax levy, subtracting fees collected by various departments, comes in at $36 million; with state funding covering much of the rest of the budget. The rumbling in the background debate of "should the budget and levy once again be done at the same time" did not come up; but as mayor Rickey Williams, Jr pointed out, there will be plenty of time to talk about all this at upcoming committee and full council meetings. AUDIO: I think it's really important for the public to understand, though, that the reason the budget is so big is because Vermilion Co is finally going to be using a substantial amount of the sewer reserve that Vermilion Co had built up over the last few years to do some major rehabilitation sewer projects. Its actual budget, as you can see, is nowhere near that $90-some million; except that Vermilion Co is using reserve funds to do major projects to improve sewer infrastructure throughout the city. The new Danville fiscal year begins next May, but the city is required to have a tax levy turned in to the county by January 1st. Hence, both have been passed together in recent years. Stay tuned. DeAndre Day (left) and the Reverend Ken McRae (right) talk about events scheduled for Thursday, November 5th. Day spoke about the Black College Fair at DHS from 4:30 to 6:30 PM; while McRae spoke about the planned mayoral forum at 6 PM at the Fischer Theatre.

Renewable energy news: Greenvolt, Voltus, Pivot Energy. October 9, 2026 The latest renewable energy news includes announcements on Greenvolt, Voltus, Pivot Energy, Gurbanesti wind farm in Romania, and others. Greenvolt Secures €284 Million Financing for 253 MW Wind Farm in Romania Discover more Renewable energy Learn Engineering Portuguese renewable-energy developer Greenvolt has secured €284 million in project financing for its 253.1 MW Gurbanesti wind farm in Romania. The financing was arranged with eight institutions: UniCredit, Erste Group Bank, Banca Comercială Română, Siemens Financial Services, Société Générale, BRD, ING and Alpha Bank. The project, currently under construction east of Bucharest, will feature 42 GE Vernova wind turbines rated at 6.1 MW each. Commercial operation is expected by the end of 2027. Gurbănești forms part of Greenvolt's 506 MW Wind Rose portfolio, alongside the 253.1 MW Ialomița wind farm. Financing secured for the two projects totals €632 million. Greenvolt's Romanian development pipeline includes 707 MW of wind and 209 MW of battery storage. Voltus Raises $225 Million to Expand Virtual Power Plant Capacity to 20 GW US distributed-energy technology company Voltus has raised $225 million in Series D financing, led by Generation Investment Management alongside Activate Capital and Vitol. Additional investors include Broadscale Group, Climate Investment, NGP, Ajax Strategies and All Aboard Fund. Voltus aggregates flexible electricity resources, including batteries, industrial equipment and commercial energy loads, allowing customers to participate in electricity markets. The company currently manages approximately 8.5 GW of flexible capacity and targets 20 GW by 2030. Funding will expand its Bring Your Own Capacity programme across the PJM and MISO electricity markets and increase the number of connected batteries. The company operates across the United States and Canada. Discover more Switch Power Plans Explore Wind Power Pivot Energy Secures $173 Million Loan for 135 MW US Community Solar Portfolio US renewable-energy developer Pivot Energy has closed a $173 million term loan facility covering 51 community-scale solar projects with 135 MWdc of combined capacity across six US states. First Citizens Bank, Huntington Bank and BankUnited provided the financing. The transaction consolidates three existing project portfolios under one long-term debt structure and represents Pivot Energy's first term loan financing. The proceeds refinance projects previously supported through the company's construction warehouse facility, releasing borrowing capacity for additional developments. Pivot develops, owns and operates distributed solar and energy storage facilities serving local communities and commercial electricity customers. The refinancing supports further construction activity without requiring separate long-term financing for each existing portfolio. Discover more energy storage electricity