Developer-operator GridStor’s 220MW/440MWh Hidden Lakes Reliability battery energy storage system (BESS) project in Texas, US, is now operational.
Dedicated on 4 November, with public officials and regional business owners, Hidden Lakes is GridStor’s first operating facility in Texas.
In March, GridStor secured a US$74 million financing led by First Citizens Bank for the BESS.
At that time, the company stated that the BESS project would create approximately 100 full-time jobs during construction. The company also stated that it would construct a public road to allow construction vehicles access to the site, at no cost to Galveston County residents.
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GridStor began construction on Hidden Lakes in October 2024. The company was aiming for commercial operations in summer 2025.
In March 2024, GridStor acquired the Hidden Lakes project from Balanced Rock Power, a developer of utility-scale solar PV and BESS.
The project was initially called Evelyn Battery Energy Storage. GridStor stated that because the system can connect to an existing substation owned by Texas New Mexico Power, it would facilitate a faster grid interconnection process.
GridStor stated that the BESS will generate tens of millions of dollars in estimated sales and use tax revenue, including property taxes that benefit Galveston County and the Dickinson Independent School District.
Additionally, the company highlighted the project’s ability to increase the resilience of the Texas electric grid while participating in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) market.
Over the past year, including Hidden Lakes, GridStor has acquired four BESS projects.
In September, the company acquired the 100MW/400MWh White Tank BESS from Strata Clean Energy, located in Arizona.
The company previously acquired a 100MW/400MWh BESS in Arizona from Capacity Power Group.
GridStor also acquired a 200MW/800MWh BESS in Oklahoma from Black Mountain Energy Storage this year.
In its announcement for White Tank, the company stated it aims to pursue acquisitions of advanced-stage projects that offer cost-effective, near-term solutions for utilities, data centres, and other large industrial clients in areas experiencing rapidly increasing energy demand.
