SRP launches new battery storage system in East Valley

Salt River Project and Plus Power have launched two new grid-charged battery storage systems in the East and West Valleys.

The Sierra Estrella Energy Storage and Superstition Energy Storage together add 340 megawatts and 1,360 megawatt-hours of additional battery storage capacity to SRP’s system, according to a company press release. That’s enough to power 76,000 residential homes for a four-hour period. The batteries will absorb excess energy when customer demand is lower and store it for use during times of peak demand.

The 90-megawatt Superstition Energy Storage facility, located in Gilbert, will store enough energy to serve more than 20,000 Valley homes for a four-hour period.

The 250-megawatt Sierra Estrella Energy Storage facility, located in Avondale, is SRP’s largest grid-tied battery and is now the largest standalone battery in Arizona. The project sits on 9 acres in Avondale. It will store enough energy to power more than 56,000 homes for a four-hour period.

With both facilities operational, nearly 1,300-megawatts of battery and pumped hydro storage are helping serve SRP customers.

“We appreciate our partnership with Plus Power to develop these resources, which will provide flexibility and resource diversity to help maintain reliable power during Arizona’s hot summers,” stated Jim Pratt, SRP chief executive officer, in the release.

Plus Power designed the facilities in consultation with Avondale and Gilbert first responders and will operate them to national safety codes and standards for battery energy storage. The facilities feature lithium-ion battery energy storage systems that were designed and manufactured in the U.S. by Tesla. Both facilities were supported by a federal investment tax credit from the Inflation Reduction Act.

“We are proud to partner with SRP to bring the Sierra Estrella and Superstition battery storage projects online to help meet growing summer peak demand, while creating local jobs and tax benefits for Avondale and Gilbert,” stated Brandon Keefe, chief executive officer of Plus Power, in the release. “Plus Power is in the business of solving hard climate problems for our customers; we are excited to provide these projects as solutions to SRP and Greater Phoenix to help meet their growing electrical needs with zero emissions and zero water sources of electricity.”

SRP is continuing to develop and deploy technology as part of the company’s commitment to reduce carbon intensity by 82% by 2035 and achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Through its Integrated System Plan, SRP found it will need to at least double the number of generating resources on its power system in the next 10 years to meet increasing energy demand in the Phoenix metropolitan area as it moves forward with the planned retirement of 1,300-megawatts of coal resources.