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    1. Energy Storage

    Plus Power partners with Salt River Project on 340 MW Energy Storage in Arizona

    Nov. 1, 2022
    As part of the contract, the companies will deploy a 250-MW battery storage system dubbed “Sierra Estrella” in Avondale, and a 90-MW battery storage system called “Superstition” in Gilbert
    Rendering credit Salt River Project
    Srp Energy Storage Rendering 63611c90cd9a4

    Public power utility Salt River Project has partnered with battery energy storage systems provider Plus Power to deploy two grid-charged battery storage systems in Arizona.

    Selected through SRP’s latest source request for proposals process, the projects will have a combined output of 340 megawatts – enough to power more than 76,000 average-size houses over a four-hour period.

    As part of the contract, the companies will deploy a 250-MW battery storage system dubbed “Sierra Estrella” in Avondale, and a 90-MW battery storage system called “Superstition” in Gilbert, both of which will be owned and operated by a subsidiary of Plus Power.

    SRP will have dispatch control of these Tesla lithium-ion technology-powered battery storage systems. The controls will enable SRP to activate the systems during peak hours, especially during early evenings, to supply energy to the grid, thereby meeting the residential customers’ needs.

    “Adding more large-scale batteries on our system and working with developers so SRP controls the times of day we deploy batteries onto our grid greatly improves our operational experience with this technology while providing us opportunity to manage charging and discharging as it fits our customer needs,” Kelly Barr, SRP’s Chief Strategy, Corporate Services and Sustainability Executive, said in a statement.

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    Plus Power will design and build these projects in accordance with the updated national codes and standards for Battery Energy Storage Systems. It is also coordinating with the fire departments of both Gilbert and Avondale to involve the local first responders directly throughout the project design, construction, operation, and training phases and prepare a thorough Emergency Response Plan.

    Both the four-hour battery storage projects are expected to go online by early summer 2024.

    With this, SRP’s total commitment to battery storage will surpass 800 MW by 2024, which is enough to power more than 180,000 average size homes and represents over 10% of SRP’s anticipated peak-hour electricity demand from customers in 2024. 

    About the Author

    EnergyTech Staff

    Rod Walton is senior editor for EnergyTech.com. He has spent 14 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist.

    Walton formerly was energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World. Later, he spent six years covering the electricity power sector for Pennwell and Clarion Events. He joined Endeavor and EnergyTech in November 2021.

    He can be reached at [email protected]. 

    EnergyTech is focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids.

    Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.