The New York Power Authority on Oct. 2 unveiled plans to establish a new 20-megawatt battery project in Northern New York that will demonstrate the operation of a large-scale energy storage system.
NYPA noted that the first-of-its kind project supports New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s commitment to combat climate change and grow the energy storage sector.
The NYPA Board of Trustees approved spending $6 million for preliminary development of the 20-MW (20 MWh) battery facility at a NYPA-owned power substation in the North Country.
NYPA noted that approximately 80 percent of the electricity supply in Northern New York is from renewable resources, which includes the Authority’s St. Lawrence hydropower project and more than 650 MW of wind generation.
Canadian hydropower energy imports also come in through this region, and a significant amount of additional wind and solar power development is expected in the area.
“However, current transmission constraints can prevent the energy from being delivered downstate. Storing renewable energy, by using a battery to absorb excess generation, for later delivery through projects like this one is a viable solution to this transmission constraint,” NYPA said.
The Authority said that the project will help kick-start energy storage adoption throughout the state, supporting Cuomo’s Energy Storage Roadmap, which sets out how New York State will work to achieve energy storage targets and specifically targets a plan for building 1,500 megawatts of energy storage by 2025.
Increasing energy storage capabilities also bolsters Cuomo’s Reforming the Energy Vision strategy to build a clean, resilient, and affordable energy system and ensure that 50 percent of the state’s electricity supply comes from renewables by 2030, NYPA said.
"The North Country Energy Storage Project will be a first-of-its kind for the Power Authority,” said Gil Quiniones, NYPA President and CEO. “Developing, operating and optimizing a lithium-ion battery system of this size will help us advance energy storage development efforts at the Power Authority, as well as position us to lead storage adoption across the State.”
The battery storage facility is targeted to go into service in 2020.
