Portland General Electric will procure 400 megawatts of new battery storage projects to advance renewable energy in the region.
The projects are the largest single procurement of stand-alone energy storage by a utility outside of California. The four-hour duration lithium-ion battery storage will provide enough emissions-free electricity to power about 260,000 homes for four hours during times of typical peak demand from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays.
“These new, Oregon-based projects are a significant addition to our wind, solar and hydro resources — providing grid reliability, resiliency and flexibility while helping us manage costs,” said Maria Pope, Portland General Electric's president and CEO.
The project will develop two sites: Seaside and Troutdale.
Seaside will be a 200-megawatt facility located in North Portland. It has been under development by Eolian since 2017 and is expected to begin service in 2025. It is owned and operated by Portland General Electric.
The Troutdale facility will be owned and operated by NextEra Energy Resources, with Portland General Electric purchasing the output through a 20-year Storage Capacity Agreement contract. Its location at a substation in Troutdale, Oregon, will begin service by 2024 after development by Eolian.
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“Portland General Electric's groundbreaking energy storage acquisition will utilize proven technology to improve grid reliability while accelerating the integration of increasing volumes of renewable energy with the flexible capacity provided by these systems,” said Eric Stoutenburg, director of energy storage at Eolian.
The projects are designed to address grid challenges. The ability to optimize intermittent renewable power sources like solar and wind plants can allow for greater flexibility and the opportunity to manage costs.
The stored energy can be deployed during extreme weather or at times of high demand, a change that can foster greater dependence on renewable energy sources and assist in reaching Oregon’s 2030 clean energy target.
The project will also create jobs in development, engineering, construction and installation, as well as logistics, operations and maintenance.
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