CPS Energy breaks ground on solar energy storage facility in San Antonio

CPS Energy broke ground this week on their first solar energy and battery storage project in San Antonio, Texas.

The $16.3 million project, which has been in development for three years, will consist of a 5 megawatt (MW) solar power facility and a 10 MW battery storage system located at 9800 W. Commerce in San Antonio.

“Today we took a very important step in advancing our technology in regards to battery storage,” Paula Gold-Williams, president and CEO for CPS Energy, said.

It will be built on 50 acres of land provided by their partner, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). The project will allow for solar shifting, which means energy is captured when solar production is at its peak and can be stored in onsite batteries and dispatched when energy demand is at its peak.

“Working with Southwest Research Institute, we will expand our knowledge of solar energy and battery storage and further expand our energy expertise,” Gold-Williams said. “For us, the most important thing is to meet this community’s energy demand today and tomorrow. This project aligns with our Flexible Path strategy and allows us to reduce our carbon footprint while at the same time incorporating battery storage into our system.”

RES Americas will construct the facility. Further, SwRI will help showcase the site as an example of energy innovation.

“As beneficial as the site will be to the city’s energy future, SwRI will also benefit by leveraging the facility to become even more active in the grid-scale energy storage industry, and to work with battery suppliers and component manufacturers,” Daniel Stewart, vice president of the SwRI Powertrain Engineering Division, said.

CPS Energy, which is based in San Antonio, was awarded a $3 million New Technology Implementation Grant (NTIG) from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to fund part of the cost.

“CPS Energy has proven that serving this community with reliable and affordable service is top-of-mind,” San Antonio City Councilman Greg Brockhouse said “That focus is evident in the way they conduct themselves and the emphasis they place on their People First philosophy. This project is a testament to their open-mindedness and vision for a better San Antonio.”

The site is expected to be operational in summer 2019.