RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion Energy
Virginia announced four battery storage pilot projects to help pave
the way for additional energy storage technology needed to support
the company's increase in renewables and to improve grid
reliability.
The four utility-scale battery storage pilot projects totaling
16 megawatts are the largest projects of their kind in Virginia. The projects were filed with the
State Corporation Commission (SCC) for approval Friday and are
enabled by the Grid Transformation & Security Act of 2018,
which allows Dominion Energy to invest in up to 30 megawatts of
battery storage pilot projects. As Dominion Energy continues to
increase its solar fleet – currently the 4th largest of
any utility holding company in the nation – the company is looking
for new and innovative ways to store the renewable energy it
produces and maintain reliable service to customers.
"Energy storage is critical to providing continued reliability
for our customers as we expand our renewable portfolio," said
Mark D. Mitchell, vice president –
generation construction. "Battery storage has made significant
strides in recent years, in both efficiency and cost. These pilot
projects will enable Dominion Energy to better understand how best
to deploy batteries to help overcome the inherent fluctuation of
wind and solar generation sources."
"These pilot projects will allow us to analyze the use of energy
storage for grid stability support as an alternative to traditional
upgrades of grid equipment, such as transformers," noted
Joe Woomer, vice president – grid
& technical solutions. "Battery storage has the potential to
serve a key role in maintaining reliable service for our customers
as we work to integrate renewables and improve grid
resiliency."
The four proposed Central
Virginia-based lithium-ion projects will cost approximately
$33 million to construct and will
provide key information on distinct use cases for batteries on the
energy grid. Pending SCC approval, the pilots would be evaluated
over a five year period once operational as currently expected in
December 2020.
- Two battery systems totaling 12 megawatts at the Scott Solar
facility in Powhatan County will
demonstrate how batteries can store energy generated from solar
panels during periods of high production and release energy during
periods when load is high or solar generation is low. It would also
help optimize the power produced by the solar facility.
- A 2-megawatt battery at a substation in Ashland will explore how batteries can improve
reliability and save money on equipment replacement by serving as
an alternative to traditional grid management investments such as
transformer upgrades, necessary to serve customers during times of
high energy demand.
- A 2-megawatt battery at a substation in New Kent County serving a 20 megawatt solar
facility will show how batteries can help manage voltage and
loading issues caused by reverse energy flow, to maintain grid
stability.
Separately, the company issued a Request for Proposals (RFP)
seeking bids for up to 500 megawatts of solar and onshore wind
generation in the state. Bidders seeking more information on the
competitive bidding process and the RFP submittal documents should
visit: www.dominionenergy.com/2019solarwindrfp.
About Dominion Energy
Nearly 7.5 million customers in 18 states energize their homes
and businesses with electricity or natural gas from Dominion Energy
(NYSE: D), headquartered in Richmond,
Va. The company is committed to sustainable, reliable,
affordable and safe energy and is one of the nation's largest
producers and transporters of energy with about $100 billion of assets providing electric
generation, transmission and distribution, as well as natural gas
storage, transmission, distribution and import/export services. The
company expects to cut generating fleet carbon dioxide emissions 80
percent by 2050 and reduce methane emissions from its gas assets 50
percent by 2030.
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SOURCE Dominion Energy