Grid Scale

Two new battery storage projects coming online in Arizona

Two new battery storage projects coming online in Arizona
(Sierra Estrella Energy Storage. Source: Salt River Project.)

Two new battery storage projects are coming online in Arizona, bringing a combined 340 MW/1,360 MWh of additional capacity to the grid.

Salt River Project (SRP) and Plus Power held a ribbon cutting this week for the projects.

The 250 MW Sierra Estrella Energy Storage facility, located in Avondale, Arizona, is SRP’s largest grid-tied battery and now the state’s largest standalone battery. The 90 MW Superstition Energy Storage facility, located in Gilbert, Arizona, was expected to come online this week, SRP said June 24.

Both facilities feature Tesla lithium-ion battery energy storage systems. Plus Power worked with the Gilbert and Avondale Fire Departments on an emergency response plan and to ensure local first responders were engaged throughout the project design, construction, operation and training phases.

Superstition Energy Storage Facility. Source: Salt River Project.

Additionally, both projects were supported by a federal investment tax credit from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

When both facilities are operational, nearly 1,300 MW of battery and pumped hydro storage will be on SRP’s system.

The utility aims to reduce emissions (from 2005 levels) by more than 65 percent by 2035 and 90 percent by 2050. As a part of that plan, SRP will have retired approximately 2,600 MW of coal-fired generation by 2032.

Originally published in Power Engineering.

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