Callisto I is a 200 MW/400 MWh battery energy storage system located in central Houston, ten miles from the Houston Ship Channel at the site of a former HL&P H.O. Clarke fossil-fired power plant.

The site can accommodate an additional 400 MW/800 MWh of battery energy storage generation, Jupiter Power officials said.

Jupiter Power is a developer, owner and operator of standalone, grid-connected battery storage projects. Callisto I is Jupiter’s ninth project in ERCOT, bringing its total ERCOT fleet to 1,375 MWh. In December of 2023, Jupiter Power announced the closing of a $65.2 million financing with First Citizens Bank to finance the construction of Callisto I.  

Jupiter Power said Callisto I significantly increases Houston’s supply of reliable, zero emissions power as it faces record demand increases. This growth and recent extreme weather events in Texas has led to efforts by state lawmakers to incentivize adding more dispatchable power to the ERCOT grid. 

That’s according to the latest reporting from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). For perspective, the 40.4 GW of generating capacity added in 2023 was the most in a year since 2003.

EIA said 20.2 GW came online during the first half of 2024, 3.6 GW (or 21%) more than the capacity added during the first six months of 2023.

Solar continued to lead all U.S. generating capacity additions in the first half of 2024, representing 12 GW (or 59% of all additions). Texas and Florida made up 38% of U.S. solar additions. The largest new projects included the 690 MW solar and storage Gemini facility in Nevada and the 653 MW Lumina Solar Project in Texas.

Nearly 60% of the planned capacity (25 GW) for the second half of 2024 is from solar. If this planned capacity comes online, solar additions will total 37 GW in 2024, a record in any one year and almost double last year’s 18.8 GW.

Battery storage made up the second-most capacity added so far this year, according to EIA. Battery additions made up 21% of new additions and were concentrated in four states: California, Texas, Arizona and Nevada.

10.8 GW of battery storage is planned for the latter half of 2024. If it all comes online, the 2024 total (15 GW) would be a record. Plans for storage capacity in Texas and California currently account for 81% of new battery storage capacity in the second half.

Wind power made up 12% (2.5 GW) of U.S. capacity additions. Canyon Wind (309 MW) and Goodnight (266 MW), both located in Texas, were the largest wind projects that came online in the first half of 2024.

Nuclear power also increased in the U.S. during the first half of 2024, with Vogtle Unit 4 in Georgia coming online in April.

Retirements slow

Retirements of U.S. electric generating capacity has slowed so far in 2024. Operators retired 5.1 GW of generating capacity in the first half of the year, compared to 9.2 GW retired during the same period in 2023.

Natural gas units represented more than half (53%) of the capacity retired in in the first half of 2024, followed by coal (41%).

According to EIA, about 2.4 GW of capacity is scheduled to retire during the second half, including 700 MW of coal and 1.1 GW of natural gas.

Aypa Power intends to develop, own, and operate a 150 MW/600 MWh battery storage facility in Kuna, Idaho just outside the capital of Boise. Aypa’s secured financing package includes a $233 million green loan, including a construction and term loan, a tax equity bridge loan, and a letter of credit facility. Additionally, the project secured $90 million in tax equity, bringing the total financing to $323 million. The company secured a 20-year agreement with Idaho Power last year and hopes to bring it online in 2025.

Renewable Energy World asked Aypa Power to see if the Idaho battery storage project requires any additional state or local approval and is awaiting a response. It’s a natural question for any clean energy project proposed in Idaho given a recent trend of local opposition.

Kuna residents recently came out in force against the 2,385-acre Powers Butte Energy Center solar project developed by Savion, Idaho News 6 reports. The proposed solar farm would be located in a rural farming area, much to the annoyance of the opposition, who say the farm would be a blight on the surrounding area.

Kuna residents attended the second public hearing on the Powers Butte Energy Center project, but Ada County Commissioners did not make a decision on the project’s future. By the end of the month, the Ada County Commission moved to halt on the project, BoiseDev reports, citing public opposition and their own feelings in their decision. Commissioners said the project would come with environmental concerns and unfavorable views.

Ryan Davidson, an Ada County Commissioner, called the decision “tough” and said the board he serves on is “not anti-solar.” He said the commission previously approved a Savion solar project that was developed “out in the desert,” instead of near residents.

It’s not just solar that faces an uphill battle in Idaho: a controversial wind project is facing another obstacle after Sen. Jim Risch introduced legislation to delay the 1,000 MW Lava Ridge Wind project, which is located on federal land near the Minidoka National Historic Site. The project’s opponents claim that the wind farm will “visually compromise” the historic site honoring more than 13,000 Japanese-Americans who were incarcerated during World War II.

Opposition to the Lava Ridge Wind project led the Bureau of Land Management to suggest nearly halving the size of the project from 400 turbines to 241 as part of the “preferred alternative” plan. Idaho’s state legislature unanimously passed a resolution in March 2023 expressing opposition to the Lava Ridge Wind Energy Project.

Based on local reporting, Idaho residents haven’t appeared to have objected to any battery storage project, though Aypa’s would be the state’s first utility-scale facility.

Idaho Power, the investor-owned utility providing electricity to most of the state, sees energy storage serving a key role in the future. Last year, the utility laid out a plan to acquire 101 MW of energy storage to address potential capacity shortfalls driven by limited third-party transmission capacity, load growth, and declining peak performance from several resources, NewsData reports. Some of that load growth will come from a Meta data center that’s expected to be completed in 2025.

While opponents of wind and solar — referred to unaffectionately as “NIMBYs,” an acronym for Not in My Backyard — have successfully fought projects across the country, the majority of Americas don’t mind living near clean energy projects, according to polling data.

A Washington Post-University of Maryland poll found around 75% of Americans are comfortable living near solar projects. Wind projects faired slightly worse at 70%. The poll did not ask about energy storage projects.

Despite broad support for clean energy projects in the U.S., at least 15% of counties have “halted new utility-scale wind, solar, or both,” according to a USA Today report, by implementing “outright bans, moratoriums, construction impediments, and other conditions.”

“Battery storage is a key element to building a green economy here in New York, and we have taken comprehensive efforts to ensure the proper safety standards are in place,” Governor Hochul said. “With updating fire codes, we’re ensuring that New York’s clean energy transition is done safely and responsibly.”

Governor Hochul convened the Working Group in 2023 to ensure the safety and security of energy storage systems, following fire incidents at facilities in Jefferson, Orange, and Suffolk Counties. The Working Group was tasked with independently examining energy storage facility fires and safety standards and creating a draft fire code Recommendations Report.

Proposed recommendations include:

• Requiring industry-funded independent peer reviews for all BESS installations exceeding energy capacity thresholds established for lithium-ion batteries;
• Requiring that qualified personnel or representatives with knowledge of the BESS installation are available for dispatch within 15 minutes and able to arrive on scene within four hours to provide support to local emergency responders in the event of a BESS fire.
• Extending safety signage requirements beyond the BESS unit itself to include perimeter fences or security barriers and include a map of the site, BESS enclosures, and associated equipment.
• Removing the fire code exemption for BESS projects owned or operated by electrical utilities to ensure that all projects comply with the fire code.
• Including a requirement that every BESS facility is equipped with an Emergency Response Plan (ERP) and site-specific training to be offered for local fire departments to familiarize them with the project, hazards associated with BESS, and procedures outlined in the ERP.
• Including a fire code requirement in all BESS installations for monitoring of fire detection systems by a central station service alarm system to ensure timely, proper notification to the local fire department in the event of a fire alarm.
• Introducing a new provision in the fire code mandating regular industry-funded special inspections for BESS installations to ensure thorough safety and compliance.

“Lithium-ion batteries and energy storage facilities play a large role in New York’s work toward achieving our clean energy goals,” said Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley. “Governor Hochul recognized the importance of putting the proper safety standards in place for this new, but critical, technology, and this draft language based on recommendations from the Governor’s Working Group will help ensure the safe operation of these facilities into the future.”

15 draft recommendations were proposed by the working group after examining existing FCNYS and other energy storage fire safety standards. The group previously released initial data finding no reported injuries nor harmful levels of toxins detected following fires at battery energy storage systems in Jefferson, Orange, and Suffolk Counties last summer.

The Signal Butte energy storage project would be a 250 MW, four-hour BESS located in the Elliot Road Technology Corridor in Mesa, AZ. The project would use lithium-ion technology and be operational by mid-2026. 

Signal Butte was selected from SRP’s 2023 All-Source Request for Proposals process. The project was jointly bid by Eolian, L.P., the original developer of the project; and Aypa Power.

The project would be owned and operated by Aypa Power, who purchased this late-stage battery energy storage project from Eolian, taking over the remaining development and construction required to bring this project into operation.

Once online, SRP will have full dispatch control of the storage system and will decide when to deploy its energy output. The project would typically be charged when energy costs are lowest and be discharged in the early-evening when demand is highest.  

SRP currently has nearly 1,300 MW of batteries and pumped hydro and 2,300 MW of carbon-free resources serving its customers. By the end of 2027, SRP expects nearly half of its generation mix to be carbon-free. 

The battery energy storage system (BESS) will have a 20-year guaranteed capacity of 25 megawatts (MW) and 100 megawatt-hours (MWh). A 25-year tolling agreement positions Ameresco as the asset owner and Snohomish PUD as the exclusive customer of the project. It allows Ameresco to provide Snohomish PUD the flexibility to utilize the battery energy storage system for charging and discharging activities under the agreement.

“This project represents a paradigm shift in the Pacific Northwest energy industry,” said Nicole Bulgarino, executive vice president at Ameresco. “By collaborating with Snohomish PUD, we are pioneering a unique model where the owner and the customer are distinct entities, showcasing the versatility and scalability of utility-scale storage solutions.”

Ameresco says the BESS will provide the PUD with enhanced electrical system reliability and flexibility while reducing exposure to energy price volatility.

“We’re excited to work with Ameresco on making this new battery energy storage project a reality,” stated John Haarlow, Snohomish PUD CEO/General Manager. “Energy storage is a critical component to helping us keep the grid reliable and affordable while also meeting our clean energy goals.”

Construction is expected to begin in late 2024 and the BESS could be operational in late 2025.

The largest non-standalone BESS project in the Northwest is located at Wheatridge Renewable Energy Facility (30 MW, 60 MWh) in Morrow County, Oregon. That site features first-of-its-kind wind, solar, and storage co-location.

The new project replaces DTE’s retired Trenton Channel Power Plant, a century-old coal-fired facility.

DTE’s Trenton Channel Energy Center, expected online in 2026 if approved by regulators, would be the largest standalone battery storage project in the Great Lakes region. It also represents a step toward DTE’s goal to more than double its total energy storage capacity by 2042.

The Michigan utility said the new battery project would reduce strain on the grid, decrease the need to start and stop generation as demand fluctuates and augment DTE’s growing wind and solar resources.

Powin’s contribution includes the integrated hardware, advanced software controls and extensive service packages.

In June DTE Energy demolished the boiler house of the Trenton Channel coal-fired plant, which powered Michigan for 100 years. The coal-burning power plant was retired in 2022. Until they were demolished in March, the Trenton Channel site also featured two 600-foot tall red-and-white striped smokestacks that had long been a local landmark.

The 535 MW Trenton Channel plant was completed in 1924. At the time of its commissioning, it was the fourth major power plant Detroit Edison (now DTE Energy) put into operation and the largest project the company had undertaken. At one point, with the expansion of the coal-burning plant in 1950, the facility generated 1,060 MW of energy.

SRP is seeking a non-lithium-ion inverter-based LDES technology with a target online date of no later than 2028. This resource will be located at the Copper Crossing Energy and Research Center in Florence, Arizona, which will also host CMBlu Energy’s “Desert Blume”, a 5 MW, 10-hour LDES project.

The company is also seeking a non-lithium-ion, non-inverter based LDES technology as a pilot at its coal-fired Coronado Generating Station (CGS) in St. Johns, Arizona. CGS is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2032. This RFP is part of SRP’s work to explore other resources to repurpose the site.

“We’re seeking proposals from emerging storage technologies to consider how they could support achieving SRP’s sustainable power system of the future,” said Chico Hunter, Manager of Innovation and Development at SRP. “We’re proud of SRP’s many lithium-ion battery storage projects coming online, and with the significant growth in our service territory, it is important we continue to pilot new types of energy storage technologies.”

SRP’s recent Integrated System Plan determined SRP will need to at least double power resource capacity from a wide range of technologies, including LDES, in the next decade to continue to provide affordable, reliable and sustainable energy to one of the fastest growing areas of the nation.

Through this RFP and pilot process, SRP aims to better understand the performance and costs associated with emerging non-lithium-ion LDES technologies. This will support SRP’s ongoing planning efforts to prepare for the Valley’s rapidly evolving power system needs while prioritizing affordability, reliability and sustainability.

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.

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.

The coal-burning power plant was retired in 2022. Until they were demolished in March, the Trenton Channel site also featured two 600-foot tall red-and-white striped smokestacks that had long been a local landmark.

The 535 MW Trenton Channel plant was completed in 1924. At the time of its commissioning, it was the fourth major power plant Detroit Edison (now DTE Energy) put into operation and the largest project the company had undertaken. At one point, with the expansion of the coal-burning plant in 1950, the facility generated 1,060 MW of energy.

Early Friday morning, we demolished the Trenton Channel Power Plant’s boiler house. The plant powered Michigan’s growth for 100 years and now the site will play an important role in the state’s clean energy journey. pic.twitter.com/3jN9AgF4fq

— DTE_Energy (@DTE_Energy) June 21, 2024

In 2026, the site will become home to DTE’s Trenton Channel Energy Center — the largest standalone battery storage project in the Great Lakes region. The center will have the capacity to store 220 MW (or 880 MWh) of electricity. It also represents a step toward DTE’s goal to more than double its total energy storage capacity by 2042.

The utility said the new battery project will reduce strain on the grid, decrease the need to start and stop generation as demand fluctuates and augment DTE’s growing wind and solar resources.