New York PSC approves Con Edison battery storage system plan

The New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) recently approved a plan that will enable Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. to expand the use of battery storage systems in its service territory, as part of a wider storage initiative.

The decision approves tariff amendments to Con Edison’s Electric Tariff Schedule. The changes are designed to make it easier to export power from energy storage technologies to Con Edison’s primary and secondary voltage distribution systems. The PSC said that it expects to consider further developments to support storage technologies in the future.

“It will now be much more straightforward for owners of private energy storage systems to export the electricity they produce to Con Edison’s electric distribution systems, fulfilling another component of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s REV strategy,” Commission Chair John B. Rhodes said. “Expanding the smart use of energy storage is key to creating the electricity grid of the future, one that is cleaner, more resilient, and more affordable.”

The new rules support an initiative launched recently by Cuomo to deploy 1,500 MW of energy storage by 2025 and employ 30,000 New Yorkers in the energy storage industry.

PSC and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) staff are working to develop an Energy Storage Roadmap, expected in the second quarter, that will outline a plan for achieving the initiative’s objects.

In his State of the State, Cuomo directed energy agencies and authorities to create a pipeline of storage projects through utility procurements, incorporate storage into criteria for large-scale renewable procurements, advance regulatory changes in utility rates and wholesale energy markets and reduce regulatory barriers related to energy storage technologies.

Cuomo also proposed committing at least $200 million from NY Green Bank for storage-related investments and directed NYSERDA to invest at least $60 million through storage pilots and activities to reduce barriers to deploying energy storage, including permitting, customer acquisition, interconnection and financing costs.

Cuomo’s Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) aims to enable 50 percent of the state’s electricity needs to be met with renewable energy and to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030 by investing in clean and renewable technologies.