Duke Energy to invest $500M in energy storage facilities in Carolinas

Published on October 12, 2018 by Dave Kovaleski


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Duke Energy is investing $500 million in various projects for the advancement of battery energy storage technologies in the Carolinas over the next 15 years.

The company’s recent Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) outlined plans to develop about 300 megawatts of capacity in the Carolinas over the next 15 years. Currently, North Carolina only has about 15 megawatts of battery storage capacity in operation, while South Carolina has even less than that.

“Duke Energy is at the forefront of battery energy storage, and our investment could increase as we identify projects that deliver benefits to our customers,” Rob Caldwell, president of Duke Energy Renewables and Distributed Energy Technology, said. “Utility-owned and operated projects in North Carolina and South Carolina will include a variety of system benefits that will help improve reliability for our customers and provide significant energy grid support for the region.”

Among the projects in the works is a solar facility in the Hot Springs, North Carolina-area, which will include a 4-megawatt lithium-based battery storage facility. Also, Duke is planning a 9-megawatt lithium-ion battery system at a Duke Energy substation site in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Further, Duke recently launched a 95 KW zinc-air battery installation and 10-kilowatt solar installation on Mount Sterling in the Smoky Mountains National Park.