CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of
its continued commitment to building a smarter energy future, Duke
Energy today announced plans to install North Carolina's two largest battery energy
storage systems – a $30 million
investment as part of the company's Western Carolinas Modernization
Plan.
For many months, Duke Energy has been working on future energy
needs in the region with stakeholders, including members of the
Energy Innovation Task Force (EITF). The EITF is an ongoing
collaborative effort with the city of Asheville and Buncombe County. One focus area of the group
has been to take advantage of emerging technologies like energy
storage to better serve the region.
"Duke Energy has experience with many battery storage projects
around the nation," said Robert
Sipes, vice president of Western Carolinas Modernization for
Duke Energy. "Western North
Carolina is an ideal spot to use this technology to serve
remote areas, or where extra resources are needed to help the
existing energy infrastructure."
The two sites identified are the first of a larger plan Duke
Energy has to deploy energy storage for the region. The two
projects are viewed as positive solutions by local stakeholders due
to their relatively small footprint, making little noise and
producing no emissions to the environment.
In the city of Asheville, a
9-megawatt lithium-ion battery system will be placed at a Duke
Energy substation in the Rock Hill community – near Sweeten Creek
Road. The battery will primarily be used to help the electric
system operate more efficiently. It will provide energy support to
the electric system, including frequency regulation and other grid
support services.
In Madison County in the town
of Hot Springs, the company is
planning a 4-megawatt lithium-ion battery system that will help
improve electric reliability for the town, along with providing
services to the overall electric system. The company is also
considering a solar facility in the town to work in conjunction
with the battery system.
Duke Energy's Western Carolinas Modernization Plan aims to meet
the region's power demand by balancing public input, environmental
impacts and the need to provide customers with safe, reliable and
affordable energy.
The plan included a commitment from Duke Energy to deploy at
least 5 megawatts of energy storage for the region. But the company
is planning more.
"These initial utility-scale energy storage projects represent
an integral first step in upgrading and modernizing our grid
infrastructure," said EITF Technology Working Group co-chair
Ned Ryan Doyle. "Investments in
energy storage are a key component to a more reliable and resilient
grid. It provides a foundation for the expansion of true clean
energy sources."
Further details on the projects will be filed with the North
Carolina Utilities Commission in early 2018. Both projects are
expected to be online in 2019.
Duke Energy has a smaller battery installation in the region. In
Haywood County, the company has a
95-kilowatt-hour zinc-air battery and 10-kilowatt solar
installation serving a communications tower on Mount Sterling in
the Smoky Mountains National Park. The project went online earlier
this year.
A previously announced part of the Western Carolinas
Modernization Plan involves Duke Energy closing a half-century-old,
coal-fired power plant in Asheville in 2019 – and replacing it with a
cleaner, natural gas-fired power plant, consisting of two
generating units.
About Duke Energy
Headquartered in Charlotte,
N.C., Duke Energy is one of the largest energy holding
companies in the United States.
Its Electric Utilities and Infrastructure business unit serves
approximately 7.5 million customers located in six states in the
Southeast and Midwest. The company's Gas Utilities and
Infrastructure business unit distributes natural gas to
approximately 1.6 million customers in the Carolinas, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Its Commercial Renewables business
unit operates a growing renewable energy portfolio across
the United States.
Duke Energy is a Fortune 125 company traded on the New York
Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the
company is available at duke-energy.com.
The Duke Energy News Center serves as a multimedia resource for
journalists and features news releases, helpful links, photos and
videos. Hosted by Duke Energy, illumination is an online
destination for stories about people, innovations, and community
and environmental topics. It also offers glimpses into the past and
insights into the future of energy.
Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and
Facebook.
Contact: Randy Wheeless
Office: 704.382.8379
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
Twitter: @DE_RandyW
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SOURCE Duke Energy