[USA] Puget Sound Energy and Form Energy partner to evaluate multi-day energy storage solutions

On January 5, 2024, Puget Sound Energy (PSE) and energy storage developer Form Energy announced that they had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to look into deploying a pilot multiday energy storage system to help PSE meet state requirements for clean energy and customer expectations for reliable service.[1] The partnership will allow both companies to collaborate on the development of a 10 MW, 100-hour iron-air battery pilot within the utility’s service area. The companies will evaluate the potential benefits of Form Energy's technology, as well as determine an initial project configuration that could be deployed by the end of 2026.

Washington’s Clean Energy Transformation Act requires electric utilities to be coal free by 2025, carbon neutral by 2030, and 100% served by renewable and non-emitting resources by 2045. Utilities in the state must replace dispatchable fossil fuel generation while meeting the growing demand for electricity from electric vehicles and other end uses. Therefore, energy storage is emerging as a key solution. Multi-day energy storage can provide power over several days compared to most commercially available batteries that supply only about four hours of backup power. Energy storage systems are crucial for PSE, offsetting the need for the utility to build additional generation resources that are used only at times of high demand.

[1] https://www.pse.com/en/press-release/details/Puget-Sound-Energy-partners-with-Form-Energy-to-evaluate-multi-day-energy-storage-solutions

[USA] California awards Form Energy $30 million grant for state’s largest long-duration energy storage project

On December 13, 2023, the California Energy Commission (CEC) approved a $30 million grant to long-duration energy storage developer Form Energy to build the state's largest long-duration energy storage project, capable of discharging energy to the grid for 100 hours.[1] The 5 MW/500 MWh iron-air battery storage project will be built at a Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) substation in Mendocino County. It is expected to come online by the end of 2025 and will help support grid reliability and demonstrate solutions needed to meet the state’s climate and clean energy goals. Form Energy’s iron-air battery is based on “reversible rusting,” meaning the system discharges energy by absorbing oxygen from the air and converting iron to rust and charges by using electrical current to convert the rust back to iron. The technology has lower costs compared to lithium-ion battery production.

The award is one of three approved under the commission’s Long-Duration Energy Storage program, which invests in the demonstration of non-lithium-ion technologies across California to create a diverse portfolio of energy storage technologies. As of August 2023, the state had 6,600 MW of battery storage, operating at the current industry standard of 4 to 6 hours of discharge. The number is projected to increase to 8,600 MW by the end of 2023. The state estimates more than 48 GW of battery storage and 4 GW of long-duration storage will be needed to meet the goal of 100% clean electricity by 2045.

[1] https://www.energy.ca.gov/news/2023-12/cec-awards-30-million-100-hour-long-duration-energy-storage-project

[USA] FERC accepts ISO New England plan facilitating storage as transmission-only assets

On October 19, 2023, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) accepted a proposal from ISO New England (ISO-NE) to allow for energy storage to “play an important role in ensuring a reliable transmission system.”[1]  Storage as transmission-only assets (SATOAs), which may include a variety of storage resources like batteries and pumped hydro storage, would be owned and maintained by transmission companies, but ISO-NE system operators would control their use. Because they would be built only to serve a transmission reliability purpose, they will not compete in electricity markets and will have minimal effect on wholesale prices. These assets would used “under specific system conditions to prevent localized overloading after at least two unplanned equipment outages on the transmission system.” They may also be deployed as a last resort to help prevent or mitigate controlled outages if demand exceeds regionally available supply or to help with system recovery after an outage.

The new rules will not apply to or restrict other energy storage resources that already compete in the markets, which include almost 2,000 MW of pumped storage and more than 600 MW of new and existing battery storage resources. The rules would also not apply to or restrict the roughly 18,000 MW of battery resources proposed in ISO-NE’s Interconnection Request Queue or future projects looking to participate in the markets. Construction of SATOAs will depend on selection in ISO-NE’s open regional system planning process administered, similar to the way reliability-based system upgrades are handled today. FERC directed the ISO to submit a filing identifying the effective date of the SATOA revisions no less than 30 days prior to their implementation.

[1] https://isonewswire.com/2023/10/25/ferc-accepts-rules-allowing-storage-to-aid-transmission/?utm_source=isone&utm_medium=newsfeed

[USA] SEIA analysis finds $100 billion in solar and storage investment since IRA passed

According to a new analysis released by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) on August 16, 2023, since the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was signed into law in August 2022, U.S. solar and storage companies have announced over $100 billion in private sector investments.[1] These investments include the construction or expansion of 51 solar manufacturing facilities in the last year. The new and expanded solar factories equal 155 GW of new production capacity across the solar supply chain, including 85 GW of solar module capacity, 43 GW of solar cells, 20 GW of silicon ingots and wafers, and 7 GW of inverter capacity. The analysis found that by 2026, the U.S. will have over 17 times its current manufacturing capacity across modules, cells, wafers, ingots, and inverters when the factories are in operation.

According to SEIA, 65 GWh of energy storage manufacturing capacity has been announced across 14 new or expanded facilities. In addition, over 3 GW of new large-scale energy storage projects have been deployed, and an estimated 100,000 customers have installed a residential solar system paired with battery storage. Solar manufacturing facilities announced that they will employ more than 20,000 people. Over the next decade, the solar industry will generate $565 billion in private sector investments over the next decade and by 2033, U.S. solar capacity will reach 668 GW, enough to power every home east of the Mississippi River.

[1] https://www.seia.org/blog/policy-prosperity-solar-supercharging-american-communities-after-one-year-energy-incentives

[USA] Vistra completes expansion of 750 MW Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility in California

On August 1, 2023, Vistra Corp. announced that it had completed the 350-megawatt/1,400-megawatt-hour Phase III expansion of its Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility in California, bringing the site’s total capacity to 750 MW/3,000 MWh and making it the largest grid battery system in the U.S.[1] The Phase III expansion reached commercial operation on June 2. The facility will operate under a 15-year resource adequacy agreement with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) beginning August 1, 2023. The Phase III expansion is made up of 122 individual containers that house more than 110,000 battery modules. The project was completed on schedule and within budget in 16 months. Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility is co-located on the site of Vistra's existing natural gas-fueled Moss Landing Power Plant.

Vistra now owns the second-most energy storage capacity in the country. In addition to its California assets, the company owns and operates two solar facilities, one solar-plus-storage facility, and a 260-MW storage facility in Texas. Vistra has plans for four solar installations and ten other storage and solar-plus-storage facilities, all in development in Illinois and Texas. The energy company is also in the process of acquiring Ohio-based Energy Harbor Corp. and its 4,000 MW nuclear fleet.

[1] https://investor.vistracorp.com/2023-08-01-Vistra-Completes-Milestone-Expansion-of-Flagship-California-Energy-Storage-System

[USA] DOE releases reports highlighting commercialization paths for long-duration storage, advanced nuclear, clean hydrogen

On March 21, 2023, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced the launch of its Pathways to Commercial Liftoff, a series of reports charting pathways to commercialize long-duration storage[1], advanced nuclear reactors, and clean hydrogen.[2] The reports are designed to help the private sector and other stakeholders make decisions about emerging technologies that are needed to slash greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector. Each report highlights possible solutions to the challenges facing the technologies and routes to commercialization. Additional reports are expected in the coming months.

The reports concluded that by 2030, cumulative investments must increase from approximately $40 billion to $300 billion across the hydrogen, nuclear, and long-duration energy storage sectors. In the clean hydrogen report, the DOE found that production for U.S. demand could grow from about 1 million metric tons a year to about 10 MMT/year in 2030. However, despite increased investor engagement and project announcements, the DOE report states that infrastructure buildout, demand uncertainty, workforce development, and other challenges to at-scale adoption need to be addressed for clean hydrogen to realize its full potential. 

In the long-duration storage report, the DOE found that the U.S. grid may need 225 GW to 460 GW of long-duration storage to support power markets for a net zero economy by 2060, representing $330 billion in capital spending. To reach commercial viability, technological progress, cost reductions, and an increase in public and private investment must be achieved. For advanced nuclear reactors, the DOE found that U.S. nuclear capacity could triple by 2050 from about 100 GW today. The report identified several obstacles, including increasing deployment of mature technologies and building efficient and timely delivery models.

[1] The DOE defines long-duration storage as resources that can provide continuous energy for 10 hours to about 160 hours.

[2] https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-releases-new-reports-pathways-commercial-liftoff-accelerate-clean-energy-technologies

[USA] MISO opens energy and operating reserves markets to storage

On September 6, 2022, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) announced that Electric Storage Resources (ESRs) are now eligible to participate in its energy and operating reserve markets for the first time.[1] According to the press release, the new resource type has operational characteristics that support reliability and resilience. ESRs include batteries, pumped storage facilities, and compressed air energy storage. Although a “nominal” amount of storage capacity is currently registered, MISO’s generator interconnection queue shows that more than 150 energy storage projects (about 13,300 MW of capacity) are in development. “We are excited to see this space grow with increasing member interest and participation, particularly as we continue to adapt to the accelerating resource transition,” said Jessica Lucas, MISO’s executive director of system operations. “With the introduction of Electric Storage Resources to our market portfolio, we will continue to position MISO’s grid and its members for the Grid of The Future.”

The integration of these resources follows the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) Order 841, which directed grid operators to remove barriers to market participation for storage resources. MISO had previously requested to delay the compliance deadline until 2025, but FERC denied that request.

[1] https://www.misoenergy.org/about/media-center/miso-introduces-electric-storage-resource-to-market-portfolio/

[USA] NREL report: significant energy storage deployment can balance load and reduce emissions

According to a National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) report released in January 2022, significant deployment of energy storage can balance load, meet demand, and help electricity grids run more efficiently.[1] The report, titled Grid Operational Impacts of Widespread Storage Deployment, is the sixth in the Storage Futures Study series, which uses advanced modeling to explore how energy storage will influence the electricity grid. It builds upon a previous report in the series in which the NREL added new capabilities to its Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) model to build least-cost scenarios for a range of cost and performance assumptions. The scenarios from that report showed that storage capacity could exceed 125 GW by the end of 2050, even in the most conservative estimates. This is more than five times the current storage capacity of 24 GW.

The newly released report assessed the hourly operations of high storage power systems with storage capacities ranging from 213 GW to 932 GW. NREL researchers found that by 2050 sufficient storage deployment would allow the grid to operate with no unserved energy and low reserve violations. In addition, the study found that storage is heavily aligned with the availability of solar, which has a predictable cycle that works well with storage. Although energy storage technology has a low annual capacity factor due to its need to charge, researchers found that it has a high utilization—more than 75%--during the top 10 net load hours, when demand is highest. Lastly, the report found that storage’s ability to meet peak demand when solar generation is low can displace generation from thermal sources. Storage could prevent start-ups of those generators and reduce carbon emissions and other air pollutants.

[1] https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy22osti/80688.pdf

[USA] Hydrostor announces filing for planned 4GWh long-duration storage facility in southern California

On December 1, 2021, Gem A-CAES LLC, a subsidiary of Toronto-based Hydrostor, filed an Application for Certification with the California Energy Commission (CEC) to develop a 500 MW (4,000 MWh) energy storage facility near Rosamond, Kern County in southern California.[1] The recent filing follows Hydrostor’s November 2021 announcement and filing for the Pecho Energy Storage Center, a 3.2 GWh A-CAES project located in San Luis Obispo County, California. The project, called the Gem Energy Storage Center, will use Hydrostor’s Advanced Compressed Air Energy Storage (“A-CAES”) solution, which is a long-duration energy storage technology that can deliver hundreds of megawatts and 4 to 24+ hours of storage. The project is expected to have a capital investment of $975 million, and the company expects to bring it online as early as 2026. During the four years of construction, the project is expected to provide a peak of 700 jobs. Once operational, Gem will create 30 to 40 full-time jobs.

The project is expected to interconnect at either the Whirlwind Substation in Kern County or the planned Rosamond Switching Station. According to the press release, Gem is “strategically located to provide enhanced utilization of both existing and future renewable energy resources serving California and the High Desert.” The project will also play a vital role in helping meet California’s future energy and reliability needs, significantly reducing the frequency of large-scale blackouts.

[1] https://www.hydrostor.ca/hydrostor-files-second-application-for-certification-for-500-mw-x-8-hour-4000-mwh-gem-energy-storage-center/

[USA] ESS and SB Energy sign agreement to deploy 2 GWh of iron flow storage through 2026

On September 30, 2021, Oregon-based long-duration battery manufacturer ESS announced that it had reached an agreement with SB Energy, a U.S. renewable energy firm that is a subsidiary of Japan’s SoftBank Group, to deploy 2 GWh of iron flow storage through 2026.[1] ESS produces flow batteries built with only iron, salt, and water that can provide up to 12 hours of output. The manufacturer has also developed a large-scale battery system starting at 3 MW with durations of between 6 and 16 hours for power providers and large manufacturers. According to the press release, ESS systems can help customers enhance grid resiliency and eliminate the risk of systems catching fire, especially in wildfire-prone areas likes those in California.

Under the agreement, SB Energy will deploy iron flow battery systems to complement its solar power projects in Texas and California. SB Energy has five utility-scale solar projects totaling 1.7 GW under construction or operation and is developing other solar and storage projects to be built in the near term. The first system has already arrived at a solar generation site in Davis, California, and will be installed later in October 2021.

[1] https://essinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/ESS_SBEnergyFramework_release_FINAL.pdf

[USA] Vistra's 300 MW storage facility to remain offline after overheating incident

Vistra Corp announced on September 7, 2021, that it has begun a preliminary assessment of the Phase 1 300 MW/1,200 MWh lithium-ion battery storage system at its Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility in Monterey Bay, California, following an overheating issue on September 4, 2021.[1] Vistra's 300 MW storage system is the largest battery storage facility in the world and began operations in December 2020. Phase II of the project, which added an additional 100 MW/400 MWh, came online in August 2021. Moss Landing operates under a long-term agreement with Pacific Gas & Electric.

According to the statement, "a limited number of battery modules" at the facility overheated, resulting in the facility going offline. Experts from Vistra, engineering contractor Fluence, battery manufacturer LG Energy Solution, and others are conducting the initial investigation into the cause of the issue. The North County Fire Protection District of Monterey County is also helping with the investigation. In a statement, the California Public Utilities Commission said that it is also investigating the incident.[2] The 300 MW unit will remain offline for the duration of the investigation. Vistra's Phase II system, located in a separate standalone building, was unaffected by the incident and remains operational.

[1] https://investor.vistracorp.com/news?item=197

[2] https://investor.vistracorp.com/2021-01-06-Vistra-Brings-Worlds-Largest-Utility-Scale-Battery-Energy-Storage-System-Online

[USA] Report: Energy storage deployment could reach 125 GW by 2050

According to a report released on June 1, 2021, by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), energy storage deployment could reach over 125 GW of installed capacity by 2050 under modest assumptions—a more than five-fold increase.[1] Depending on cost and other variables, the report, “Storage Future Study (SFS), Economic Potential of Diurnal Storage in the U.S. Power Sector,” estimates that deployment could total as much as 680 GW by 2050. Currently, there is 23 GW of storage capacity in the U.S., most of which is pumped hydropower.

The report’s authors concluded that new storage deployment would primarily start with shorter durations of about four hours, and as costs drop, durations would gradually increase to 12 hours. By 2030, annual battery storage deployment could range from one to 30 GW. By 2050, deployments could range between seven to 77 GW. According to the authors, energy storage will provide the most considerable value when deployed together with solar and given the ability to provide grid services. In the study, researchers added new capabilities to the NREL’s Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) to model the value of diurnal battery energy storage and its offerings to grid services. They modeled two sets of scenarios: one with storage providing multiple grid services and one that restricted the services that storage can provide. The NREL found that not allowing storage to provide grid services like firm capacity and time-shifting would hinder deployment.

[1] https://www.nrel.gov/news/program/2021/grid-scale-storage-us-storage-capacity-could-grow-five-fold-by-2050.html

[USA] Agilitas Energy to begin pre-construction activities on largest battery energy storage system in Rhode Island

On May 6, 2021, Agilitas Energy announced that it is starting pre-construction work on its 3 MW/9 MWh lithium-ion battery storage system in Pascoag, Rhode Island, which will be the largest battery energy storage system in the state.[1] The battery storage project will provide peak shaving services to the Pascoag Utility District, a quasi-municipal, “not-for-profit” utility that serves 4,800 customers, and ancillary services to ISO-New England (ISO-NE). According to Mike Kirkwood, the general manager of the Pascoag Utility District, the project will allow the District to modernize its infrastructure and avoid a more costly transmission line reconstruction project. The project is Agilitas Energy’s first battery energy storage system in Rhode Island and is slated to enter commercial operation by Q2 2022.

In 2020, Rhode Island’s then-governor Gina Raimondo signed an executive order committing the state to meet 100% of its electricity demand with renewables and non-fossil fuel resources by 2030. According to Agilitas Energy, battery storage could enable the state to meet its climate goals by storing electricity generated by renewable energy sources for use at another time. Additionally, the company stated that its system would enable flexibility and result in cost savings for end consumers.

[1] https://agilitasenergy.com/agilitas-energy-to-commence-construction-of-largest-bess-in-rhode-island/

[Japan] JERA Has Begun a Demonstration Test for a Battery Energy Storage System Data Platform

On November 25, 2020, JERA announced that it has begun a demonstration test for a Battery Energy Storage System Data Platform (BESS Platform). JERA is a major Japanese energy company that was established through a joint venture between Tokyo Electric Power Fuel & Power (Headquarters: Tokyo) and Chubu Electric Power (Headquarters: Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture).

The BESS Platform is a membership-based platform that provides users services by utilizing the operational data collected from the battery storage installed on the user's premises. It was built on JERA’s Internet of Things (IoT) platform.

A survey conducted by JERA reported that the main reason that users install battery storage is to securely back up their electricity supply during a disaster. Therefore, the batteries have surplus capacity in normal times. JERA aims to develop services to enable optimal energy use, such as the visualization of power consumption and peak-loading shifts. The demonstration test will verify the performance of the BESS platform, including the automatic collection of battery storage operational data, and JERA evaluate the services based on the data collected. The demonstration test started in November 2020 and will run until the end of March 2021.

JERA aims to become the leading company to offer innovative clean energy solutions. The BESS Platform demonstration project is JERA’s latest effort to contribute to achieving a carbon-free society.[1] [2]

[1] https://www.jera.co.jp/information/20201125_553

[2] https://www.jera.co.jp/english/information/20201125_553

[USA] DOE releases its first energy storage strategy

On December 21, 2020, the Department of Energy (DOE) released the Energy Storage Grand Challenge Roadmap, the DOE’s first comprehensive energy storage strategy.[1] Announced in January 2020 by Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette, the Energy Storage Grand Challenge (ESGC) seeks to increase domestic production of energy storage and create American leadership in storage. DOE also released two companion ESGC reports, the 2020 Grid Energy Storage Technology Cost and Performance Assessment and the Energy Storage Market Report 2020, to provide easily accessible data and information to energy stakeholders.

DOE’s roadmap includes a goal to develop and domestically manufacture energy storage technologies that can meet all U.S. market demands by 2030. To achieve this, DOE has a suite of initiative including promoting continued research, boosting the manufacturing and supply chain for batteries, providing relevant energy storage data, and enhancing workforce development programs. The DOE aims to achieve a $0.05/kWh levelized cost of storage for long-duration stationary applications, which include utility-scale battery storage facilities that can store energy for 10 hours or more, by 2030. The reduction would be a 90% reduction in costs and would help facilitate “commercial viability” for storage across a wide range of uses. The DOE also aims to lower the costs of battery packs for EVs with a driving range of 300 miles to $80/kWh by 2030, which is 44% lower than current battery packs. If achieved, the DOE projects that electric cars would be competitive with standard gasoline cars.

[1] https://www.energy.gov/articles/department-energy-releases-energy-storage-grand-challenge-roadmap

[USA] ESA announces vision for 100 GW of new energy storage

On August 24, 2020, the Energy Storage Association (ESA), the national trade association dedicated to energy storage, announced an expanded vision for energy storage called 100×30: Enabling the Clean Power Transformation which charts a path for the storage industry to deploy 100 GW of new storage by 2030.[1] [2] The vision is informed by market developments and draws inspiration from ESA’s 2017 vision document (35×25: A Vision for Energy Storage). The 100 GW of new energy storage will include technologies like batteries, thermal, mechanical, and pumped storage hydropower. According to the ESA, 100 GW of storage deployment by 2030 would produce 200,000 jobs which is approximately three times current levels. This figure assumes that 100 GW of new storage will lead to 15 GW to 20 GW of annual installations for 2030, at a rate of 10 jobs per MW installed. The 100 GW will also reduce operating costs of the grid and lower customer cost. It will also significantly reduce emissions by enabling greater amounts of clean generation to reliably displace fossil generation

In order to reach the new goal, the ESA says that policy support is key. At the federal level, ESA points to a combination of increased policy support like investment tax credits (ITCs) for standalone storage facilities and the continuation of emerging policies that remove barriers to market participation. At the state level, ESA says energy storage targets corresponding with renewable portfolio standards will be important tools to ready the grid for increased renewable penetrations.

[1] https://energystorage.org/the-u-s-energy-storage-association-reveals-100x30-vision-for-the-industry/

[2] https://energystorage.org/about-esa/our-plan/100x30-a-vision-for-energy-storage/

[USA] Report: APS declares thermal runaway event caused 2019 battery explosion

According to a report released on July 27, 2020, an explosion on April 19, 2019 at Arizona Public Service’s (APS) McMicken Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facility in Surprise, Arizona was caused by an internal cell failure in a single battery which led to a cascading thermal runaway event[1].[2] The report was written for APS by Davion Hill, a U.S. energy storage leader DNV GL, a Norway-based company that provides advisory and analytics services to the energy industry. The report found that abnormal lithium metal deposits likely led to the internal failure. Contributing factors to the explosion include: a lack of thermal barriers between battery cells, a fire suppression system ill equipped to stop the thermal runaway, a concentration of flammable off-gassing, and a lack of coordination with emergency responders.

The APS report concluded that four issues must be addressed in future BESS installations: barriers to limit cell-to-cell and module-to-module cascading; ventilation and cooling; a combined strategy of fire suppression followed by ventilation and cooling strategies; and response procedures that incorporate system monitoring, the detection of gases, ventilation practices, extinguishing methods, and critical information.

[1] A thermal Runaway occurs in situations where an increase in temperature changes the conditions in a way that causes a further increase in temperature.

[2] https://www.aps.com/en/About/Our-Company/Newsroom/Articles/Equipment-failure-at-McMicken-Battery-Facility

[USA] Enel Green Power begins construction on 146 MW PV and battery facility

Enel Green Power, an Italian multinational renewable energy corporation with roughly 100 renewable power plants in North America, announced on July 21, 2020 that it began constructing a 146 MW photovoltaic (PV) facility co-located with a 50 MW/75 MWh battery in Texas, its first utility-scale hybrid project in North America.[1] The project is scheduled to be operation by summer 2021. In the press release, CEO of Enel Green Power, Antonio Cammisecra, said, “The Lily solar plus storage project highlights the huge potential of renewable energy growth and represents the future of power generation, which will increasingly be made up by sustainable, flexible plants that provide zero-carbon electricity while boosting grid stability.”

Enel also announced that it plans to deploy an additional 1 GW of battery storage capacity across its renewable projects in the U.S. over the next two years. To achieve this, Enel plans to set up 1 GW of utility-scale wind and solar projects in the U.S. and Canada annually through 2022 and evaluate the potential for co-located storage for each project. According to the company, that storage could provide benefits like bolstering grid reliability and further monetizing energy production.

[1] https://www.enelgreenpower.com/media/press/2020/07/enel-green-power-starts-construction-of-its-first-renewables-storage-project-in-north-america

[USA] D.C. Circuit upholds FERC energy storage order

On July 10, 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld a 2018 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) order, Order No. 841, promoting the participation of energy storage technologies like batteries on the electric grid.[1] The court ruled that the order does not infringe upon states’ authority over distribution systems. Order No. 841 is intended to reduce barriers for energy storage resources (ESR) to access the federal wholesale electricity market. While the order is broadly seen by the storage and clean energy advocates as key to furthering the deployment of energy storage, groups like the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), a national association representing State Public Service Commissioners, argued that the order is an attempt to curtail state authority over the distribution system. Specifically, NARUC argued that certain parts of the order, such as blocking states from making rules to “broadly prohibit” energy storage from participating in federally regulated wholesale markets, are violating states’ authority. The three-judge panel of the court found that FERC is within its legal authority under the Federal Power Act (FPA) to ensure storage rules and practices involving wholesale rates are just and reasonable because the order only regulates matters concerning federal transactions.

[1] https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/dc-circuit-upholds-landmark-ferc-order-aimed-at-boosting-energy-storage-59391742

[USA] “WFEC, NextEra Energy Resources, Planning Largest Combined Wind, Solar and Energy Storage Facility in U.S.”

[Western Farmers Electric Cooperative, 23 July 2019]

The Western Farmers Electric Cooperative (WFEC) will enter into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with NextEra Energy Resources. The project will be the “largest combined wind, solar and energy storage project in the U.S.” There will be two phases to the project, the Skeleton Creek Wind site (250 MW capacity) will come online by the end of 2019; Skeleton Creek Solar (250 MW of solar) and Skeleton Creek Storage (200 MW – 4 hour duration battery project) will both come online at the end of 2023. The Skeleton Creek projects will help WFEC diversify their energy portfolio which will soon consist of 521 MW of solar generation, 955 MW of wind generation, and 270 MW of hydroelectric generation. Additionally, by the time these projects come online, 50% of WFEC’s nameplate capacity will come from wind, solar, and hydro energy. Furthermore, these new projects will also revitalize the local economy, create hundreds of construction jobs, full-time operational jobs, and millions of dollars of additional revenue to the residents and the communities in the region. John Ketchum, President and CEO of NextEra Energy Resources, said of the upcoming projects, ““Pairing renewable energy with battery storage presents a tremendous advantage for Western Farmers and its customers. With this combined facility, we can optimize and maximize the amount of low-cost, emissions-free electricity we provide, while helping Western Farmers diversify its power generation portfolio, reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and set a great example for others to follow.”