In Texas, two companies, Energy Vault, recognised for its gravity energy storage technology, and Agilitas, known for smaller-scale projects in the Northeastern US, have commissioned and put into operation utility-scale energy storage projects in the state.
Energy Vault’s 57MW/114MWh Cross Trails BESS enters commercial operations
Energy storage developer and system integrator Energy Vault has announced the start of commercial operations for its 57MW/114MWh Cross Trails battery energy storage system (BESS) project.
Cross Trails is located in Scurry County, Texas and marks the first fully executed asset under the company’s ‘own & operate’ growth strategy.
The BESS was completed ahead of schedule and has a 10-year offtake agreement with optimiser Gridmatic.
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The agreement is backed by Gridmatic’s Energy Storage Fund, a US$50 million fund created in 2023 to manage up to 500MW of battery capacity in ERCOT and CAISO.
The model mitigates investment risks for the owner by assuring a fixed income, while enabling Gridmatic to benefit more from the battery’s performance potential. This differs from a revenue-sharing model, in which revenues from a project are divided between the optimiser and the project owner.
Gridmatic will also provide qualified scheduling entity (QSE) services.
Cross Trails will provide energy and ancillary services in what Energy Vault says is a ‘highly attractive’ node in the ERCOT region.
The company also claims the project was completed ahead of schedule, at least in part due to its B-Vault AC storage solution.
Additionally, the BESS signifies Energy Vault’s first deployment of its second-generation B-Vault AC solution, which is equipped with the company’s energy management system (EMS) VaultOS.
Recently, Energy Vault signed an agreement with developer Jupiter Power to supply an additional 100MW/200MWh BESS at a Jupiter site in ERCOT.
That project will utilise the company’s B-Vault solution and VaultOS EMS.
Notably, Energy Vault also highlighted its sale of investment tax credits (ITCs) for Cross Trails. In a recent analysis of the US budget reconciliation, ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill,’ BloombergNEF said that if tax credits are cut, US energy markets could see a “last-minute rush” followed by plummeting installation numbers.
Marco Terruzzin, chief revenue officer of Energy Vault said of Cross Trails:
“Completing Cross Trails ahead of schedule and achieving ERCOT certification early is a testament to our team’s expertise and the commitment of the entire leadership team to delivering long-term, sustainable shareholder value under the ‘Own & Operate’ growth strategy announced in 2024.”
Agilitas Energy commissions 9.9MW/22.4MWh Houston BESS
Elsewhere in Texas, developer Agilitas Energy commissioned its 9.9MW/22.4MWh BESS in the city of Houston.
The project marks the first distributed generation BESS interconnected to utility CenterPoint Energy’s distribution system and participating in ERCOT’s wholesale delivery market.
Agilitas is known for developing distributed and smaller utility-scale solar PV and BESS projects in the Northeastern US. However, in 2023, the company entered the ERCOT market by acquiring a portfolio of standalone energy projects from Gulf States Renewable Energy for around US$75 million.
That deal saw the company taking on six in development assets totalling 60MW near Houston.
Each BESS used batteries supplied by BYD Energy, and as a whole, the deal marked a turn for Agilitas not just in terms of project size but also in terms of location, with the company previously focusing on the Northeastern US.
Agilitas says its newly commissioned BESS will strengthen grid resiliency during peak events and lower electric system costs by participating in the ERCOT energy and ancillary services markets.
The company is also on track to commission another 9.96MW/22.4MWh BESS later this year in the state.
Barrett Bilotta, president, CEO and co-founder of Agilitas said of the company’s newly commissioned BESS:
“This project underscores our confidence that ERCOT—long recognised as one of the premier energy markets in the U.S.—will increasingly value the unique benefits that only energy storage can provide.”
