Southern Company launches new battery storage research demonstration
Southern Company and its subsidiary, Gulf Power, began on Wednesday a new battery storage research demonstration project in Pensacola, Florida.
The McCrary Battery Energy Storage Demonstration, which is located at Gulf Power’s Douglas L. McCrary Training and Storm Center, will test and evaluate a 250-kilowatt/one-megawatt-hour Tesla Powerpack lithium-ion industrial energy storage system over two years.
Southern Company plans to use insights gained from the project to advance battery storage technology development across its system.
“At Southern Company, we are constantly broadening our industry-leading expertise to harness new technologies that can deliver clean, safe, reliable, affordable energy to customers,” Southern Company Executive Vice President and CEO Kimberly S. Greene said. “This collaborative research project with Gulf Power will deepen our understanding of battery energy storage systems and the value they can provide.”
Southern Company and Gulf Power developed the project in collaboration with the Electric Power Research Institute’s (ERPI) Integrated Grid Initiative and Tesla.
“Gulf Power is proud to be involved in this battery energy storage demonstration at the McCrary Training and Storm Center and to be in the forefront of evaluating innovative energy technologies,” Stan Connally, Gulf Power chairman, president and CEO, said. “Throughout our history, we have been host to the development of energy solutions that have resulted in greater energy efficiency, cleaner energy production and value for our customers – and this commissioning event signals our ongoing commitment to build a better energy future.”
