Key Capture Energy, Talen Energy partner on 20 MW battery storage project in Maryland

In an effort to further the green potential of what is presently the H.A. Wagner coal plant in Baltimore, Key Capture Energy, LLC, and Talen Energy Corporation are collaborating to install a 20 MW battery storage project adjacent to the facility and may expand it later.

Talen is the owner of H.A. Wagner. Presently, it intends to cease burning coal at the facility entirely by the end of 2025, shifting it to something more in line with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles. The new battery facility will play a critical part in this and is expected to begin operations sometime next year.

“Our partnership with KCE on the H.A. Wagner battery storage demonstration project is instrumental to helping Talen advance our clean energy transition and continue to contribute to grid stability and resiliency, which is key for those within Baltimore’s BGE transmission zone,” Talen President Alex Hernandez said. “We believe that this initial project will provide a model that can be replicated throughout our national footprint. We look forward to working with KCE as we continue to convert legacy fossil plants and shift to the batteries of tomorrow.”

The company is pushing H.A. Wagner as part of the opening salvo in a major renewables shift. Plans presently call for the development of 1 GW of battery storage projects under Talen’s banner across three states. Each project will range from around 20 to 300 MW, and all will be developed over the next three to five years. All will be built on Talen-owned land and make use of legacy fossil fuel generation and transmission infrastructure.

“The U.S. has more than 200,000 MW of coal fired generation in operation today; with market and political forces impacting these generators, and increasing amounts of intermittent wind and solar being constructed across the country, there will continue to be a need for capacity that has historically been provided to the U.S. electric grid by coal, natural gas, hydro and nuclear,” Jeff Bishop, co-founder and CEO of Key Capture Energy, said. “We are excited to be working on the front lines and to be participating in this incredible transition to a clean energy future, as Talen continues to generate value and invest in the communities where they operate.”