North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives plan to install battery energy storage technology in 10 communities across rural parts of the state.
The batteries will be sited at electric cooperative substations, adding what are expected to be local energy resources for enhanced grid infrastructure resilience and reliability.
The batteries are being engineered and constructed by North Carolina-based FlexGen.
Collectively, the 10 battery projects will provide 40 MW of power and will be charged when demand for electricity is low and discharged during peak demand.
The batteries will be located at or near:
- Bolivia, N.C. with Brunswick Electric
- Maysville, N.C. with Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative
- Lillington, N.C. with Central Electric
- Rocky Point, N.C. with Four County EMC
- Hubert, N.C. with Jones-Onslow EMC
- Rockingham, N.C. with Pee Dee Electric
- Asheboro, N.C. with Randolph EMC
- Fayetteville, N.C. with South River EMC
- Goldsboro, N.C. with Tri-County EMC
- Wake Forest, N.C. with Wake Electric
The battery energy storage system installations will begin in early 2022, with activations anticipated in the summer.
The substation batteries are part of a growing collection of distributed energy resources across the state. By monitoring and coordinating distributed resources, cooperatives are acting as a “distribution operator,” according to a statement. In this role, cooperatives can manage resources collectively to maximize benefits, including greater visibility across the system, optimized operation for enhanced grid resilience and increased reliability.