Salt River Project said Thursday that it will add two new battery storage systems that will go online in 2024 with a combined output of 340 megawatts, giving the Arizona utility company more options during times of heavy power demand.
SRP said it signed contracts with Houston-based Plus Power for the two projects, which will be built in Avondale and Gilbert. Both facilities will be owned and operated by a Plus Power subsidiary.
The stations will be grid-charged and will store enough energy to power more than 76,000 average-size residential homes for four hours, SRP said. The utility will be able to decide when to deploy that power back into its grid and said it will typically be during peak demand periods in early evenings when power use is high and renewable resources are not available.
The company said the addition of the stations and battery technology will improve its operational experience, and they will bring SRP’s total battery storage capacity to 800 megawatts by 2024 — more than 10% of SRP’s anticipated 2024 peak-hour electricity demand and enough to power more than 180,000 average size homes.
