September 2026 Newsletter
Super El Niño is not the superhero we requested.
El Niño is back and it's creating some interesting weather dynamics this season. By creating unusually warm ocean temperatures in the Pacific, forecasters are predicting the subsequent 2026/2027 winter storms to be the strongest in recorded history. That's right, THE STRONGEST IN RECORDED HISTORY.
To put in perspective the rarity of Super El Niños, there have only been five since 1950.
How does this impact you? Well, fortunately for the East Coast, a Super El Niño typically means a quieter Atlantic hurricane season. It also means more rain for drier areas, and areas that are typically wet will be drier than normal. This unordinary weather pattern impacts everything from agriculture and transportation to energy. Yes, energy.
The good news is we have time to prepare, and Gavin Newsom recently proclaimed a state of emergency, mobilizing state resources ahead of these strong winter storms.
Preparedness is essential this year and Sesame Solar is here to help. Read more below to see how self-generating, off-grid mobile power can ensure your community is energy resilient ahead of this year's Super El Niño storms.
Team Sesame
Sesame Solar's Demo Nanogrid is coming to you!
Join your fellow cities, counties and emergency response departments who are learning how a mobile, self-generating power solution can support emergency response operations, disaster recovery and continuity of operations.
Our Demonstration Nanogrid will be in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia in November, and in Northern California in early Q1 2027.
Email us at TeamSesame@sesame.solar if you're interested in a demonstration.
Preparing for Power Outages During El Niño Flooding
Emergency managers across the U.S. are preparing for what could be an unusually active El Niño season. In California, one Emergency Management Director we spoke with shared concerns about possible flooding and the long power outages that can come with major storms.
Those concerns are now getting attention at the state level. On September 21, Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency to strengthen California's El Niño preparedness. The state is beginning preparations before winter weather intensifies, including staging emergency supplies, protecting roads and critical infrastructure and helping communities prepare for flooding, landslides and coastal impacts.
The Hurricane Forecast Is Quiet. Our Preparedness Shouldn't Be.
It’s peak hurricane season and (fingers-crossed), we’re on the cusp of breaking a big record. We’re about to set the record for the latest first hurricane formation of the season since the satellite era. What does this mean? While the Atlantic has produced several tropical storms, we’ve had zero hurricanes to date.
But don’t go celebrating just yet. The data is a little more nuanced (isn’t it always?).
Earlier this Spring, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted this hurricane season would be below normal due to a variety of factors, primarily El Niño, which can often suppress hurricanes. Not to get too sciencey, but here it goes: El Niño typically increases vertical wind shear over the Atlantic, and this makes it more difficult for tropical storms to organize and intensify into hurricanes.
Here’s where it gets complicated. Data from Climate Central reports that hurricanes are getting more intense, bringing heavier rainfall and higher storm surges when they make landfall.
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US companies are on the cusp of big climate solutions. Thank the government.
The United States has never been one of the most ambitious countries when it comes to tackling climate change, but it has long maintained a program that funds innovative clean energy technology. This program is known as the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy, or ARPA-E, and over the past 15 years it has doled out more than $4 billion to universities and startups that are trying to change the way we produce energy.
As a historic El Niño storm season develops, Governor Newsom is proclaiming a state of emergency, mobilizing state resources ahead of potential winter storms and other impacts. The emerging El Niño event is already breaking records, and forecasters expect it to continue to strengthen, potentially becoming the strongest in recorded history. This emergency proclamation streamlines measures to help California prepare for this historic event.
The Governor’s action puts California in a stronger position before winter weather intensifies. It directs state agencies to begin protecting vulnerable communities, prepare roads and critical infrastructure, stage emergency supplies, and help local partners reduce flood, landslide, and coastal risks.
Sesame Solar Selected for Michigan's "Make It in Michigan" Grant Program
Sesame Solar has been selected as one of 26 companies receiving support through the third round of Michigan’s “Make It in Michigan” Mobility Prototyping Grant Program, which is providing a combined $2 million to companies working across advanced mobility, defense, aerospace and advanced manufacturing.
For Sesame Solar, the award will support the establishment of an in-house hydrogen testing and development lab at our manufacturing facility in Jackson, Michigan. The new lab will expand our ability to test, evaluate and refine hydrogen technologies used in our mobile power systems.
Lauren Flanagan on Mentorship, Curiosity and Career Growth
Sesame Solar Co-Founder and CEO Lauren Flanagan joins WCS Talks Unplugged, the podcast from Women in Cleantech and Sustainability, to share the experiences, relationships, and lessons that have shaped her career.
In the conversation, Lauren reflects on her path from studying philosophy to building technology companies and helping advance innovative clean energy solutions. She discusses the importance of curiosity, strong mentors, meaningful professional relationships, and continuing to learn throughout your career.
Lauren also shares insights from her experience as an entrepreneur and leader, including the value of communicating your strengths, choosing collaborators who share your values, and creating opportunities by becoming actively involved in the communities and causes that matter to you.
Listen to the episode to hear Lauren’s perspective on mentorship, entrepreneurship, leadership, career growth, and the evolving clean energy industry.
Off-Grid Mobile Nanogrids: The Energy Resilience Solution for Essential Services in an Extreme Weather Future
Download Sesame Solar’s White Paper to:
- Learn about several essential service and emergency response scenarios served by Sesame Solar's Mobile Nanogrids.
- Discover the distributed energy resources (DERs) that can combine to create a closed-loop Nanogrid that delivers clean, self-generating, reliable power 24/7.
- Understand the many benefits these systems deliver for customers.
- Read about cases in which Mobile Nanogrids have already served emergency responders and essential services in the wake of extreme weather.
