SDG&E and AES complete world’s largest lithium ion battery facility

LinkedIn
Twitter
Reddit
Facebook
Email
The unveiling of the new project in Escondido, California. Credit: Facebook, SDG&E

Utility San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) and US-based storage provider AES Energy Storage, a subsidiary of AES Corporation, have completed what they claim to be the world’s largest lithium-ion battery energy storage facility in Escondido, California.

The 30MW/120MWh system is capable of storing enough energy for the equivalent of 20,000 customers for four hours. The two companies signed agreements to build two storage systems in August last year. The second system at El Cajon is 7.5MW in capacity. A total of 400,000 batteries were installed in nearly 20,000 modules in 24 containers.

The agreement came off the back of the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) directing Southern California investor-owned electric utilities to fast-track additional energy storage options to enhance regional energy reliability last year in response to the Aliso Canyon gas leak.

John Zahurancik, AES Energy Storage president, said: “These two projects, including the world’s largest advanced energy storage site, are the latest proof of energy storage’s capacity to scale up and solve our most pressing grid issues in a short period.”

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Enjoy 12 months of exclusive analysis

Not ready to commit yet?
  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Annual digital subscription to the PV Tech Power journal
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

Last year, Energy-Storage.News caught up with Brian Perusse, vice president of AES Energy Storage and Jim Avery, chief development officer of SDG&E, to discuss the unique challenges of the projects and the AES Advancion 4 energy storage platforms that were used.

By 2030, SDG&E expects to develop or interconnect more than 330MW of energy storage on the system. Last week, AES Corporation and investment manager Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo) agreed to acquire major US utility-scale solar developer sPower for an estimated US$1.58 billion.

Read Next

Premium
August 28, 2025
Energy-Storage.news Premium speaks with Sergio Melendez, storage sector manager at CAISO, and Ali Karimian, market optimisation director at GridBeyond, about regulating Bid Cost Recovery Payments in the California Independent System Operator market.
August 28, 2025
California utility Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has pushed back recommissioning of the Elkhorn battery energy storage system (BESS) by approximately one year, to 30 June 2026.
Premium
August 27, 2025
Following in the footsteps of several other US jurisdictions this year, officials at California’s Orange County are one step closer to amending zoning laws to allow the development of BESS. 
August 27, 2025
Three companies, Pacifico Energy, Zenith Volts, and Fermi America have begun expanding power generation and energy storage capabilities for US data centre development.
August 26, 2025
Governor of New Jersey, US, Phil Murphy, signed legislation into law to reach 2,000MW of energy storage capacity by 2030, and nearly doubling the state’s clean energy capacity.

Most Popular

Email Newsletter