PG&E proposes plan to develop nine new energy storage projects in California
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is proposing nine new battery energy storage projects to integrate renewable energy resources into the California electric system.
If approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), these nine projects – which total approximately 1,600 megawatts (MW) — would bring PG&E’s total battery energy storage system capacity to more than 3,330 MW by 2024.
“As we work year-round to strengthen our electric system, we are also planning, engineering, and building the grid for a future that harnesses the power of solar plus storage on an unprecedented scale. We are committed to safely delivering reliable and clean energy in a way that achieves the greatest value for our customers. And we know we can’t go it alone. We welcome continued partnerships with the best and the brightest to make California’s clean energy future a reality,” Joe Bentley, senior vice president, Electric Engineering at PG&E, said.
If approved, the energy would come online between 2023 and 2026 to support California’s greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction policy. The projects would replace electricity generation from the expected retirements of Southern California natural gas plants and PG&E’s Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP).
Including these nine new projects, PG&E now has contracts for battery energy storage systems totaling more than 3,330 MW of capacity being deployed throughout California through 2024. More than 600 MW of the 3,330 MW that has been contracted has been connected to California’s electric grid, including 400 MW Vistra Moss Landing Battery Energy Storage Facility in Monterey County; 63 MW NextEra Blythe BESS located in Riverside County; and 50 MW Gateway BESS located in San Diego.
An additional 1,100 MW of storage capacity would come online in 2022 and 2023, including Elkhorn Battery, which is anticipated to be operational before summer 2022. The nine proposed projects all feature lithium-ion battery energy storage technology, each with a four-hour discharge duration.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corp., serves more than 16 million people in Northern and Central California.
