AES to partially replace California gas plant with 300 MW of battery storage
AES is already developing 100 MW of battery storage operating at the Alamitos facility, according to the Long Beach Post, which will operate under a 20-year contract with Southern California Edison when it comes online in 2021. But AES plans to triple that capacity, and combined with the more efficient gas facility, the plant is a win for clean energy as well as neighborhood aesthetics, according to the developer.
The company has not yet set a schedule for development of the additional 200 MW, and that capacity has yet to be contracted, according to a company spokesperson.
“We are really excited about this state-of-the art, zero-emissions energy storage system,” an AES spokesperson told the Post. “This project is great for the community and the environment. It produces zero emissions and uses virtually no water. Aesthetically it is much more appealing as well. It will look like a modern-day, two-story data server facility.”
The project cements California’s dominance over the market for energy storage due to AB 2514, the landmark legislation requiring the state’s investor owned utilities to procure 1.3 GW of energy storage by 2020.
