In the spirit of harnessing clean energy and enhancing grid reliability, Californian utility San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has signed contracts for 83.5MW of energy storage.
Projects that demonstrate how energy storage can benefit a wide range of stakeholders and the electric grid can compete for US$15.5 million of funding from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
Work has been completed on a 1MW / 2MWh battery energy storage system for a ‘multi-resource microgrid’ in Denver, by Younicos and its project partners, Panasonic and utility Xcel Energy.
Queensland-based developer SolarQ is planning to build a 350MW(ac) solar plant combined with a ground-breaking 4,000MWh of lithium-ion battery storage in the Gympie Region of Queensland, Australia.
Tualatin, Oregon-headquartered Powin Energy has partnered with Eaton to deliver their 2MW expedited energy storage product which was procured to address the energy shortages the LA Basin faced as a result of the four-month long methane leak.
More than a tenth of a 250MW energy storage procurement by utility Southern California Edison will comprise of Ice Energy’s Ice Bear units, deployed in partnership with NRG Energy.
Clearly, renewable energy is now a viable alternative to traditional generation from a cost perspective. However solar and wind’s penetration of the grid is constrained by ageing infrastructure, high grid connection costs and their intermittent, weather-dependent nature. Scott McGregor looks at how long-duration energy storage on an industrial scale can help.
Energy storage companies “have suffered significant and detrimental harm” from changes to rules governing the frequency regulation market in US regional transmission organisation (RTO) PJM Interconnection’s service area, the Energy Storage Association has said.