RALEIGH, N.C., Jan. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- North
Carolina's Electric Cooperatives today announces the planned
installation of cutting-edge battery energy storage technology in
10 communities across rural North
Carolina. The batteries will be sited at electric
cooperative substations, adding local energy resources in
communities for enhanced grid infrastructure resilience and
reliability for co-op member-consumers.
The batteries are being engineered and constructed by
North Carolina-based FlexGen, the
second largest energy storage technology company in the nation and
a leader in designing energy storage solutions that further the
ongoing evolution in the energy industry.
Collectively, the 10 battery projects will provide 40 MWs of
power and will be charged when demand for electricity is low and
discharged during moments of peak demand. This not only enhances
electric reliability but is expected to provide cost savings over
the lifetime of the batteries. Because cooperatives are
not-for-profit, at-cost energy providers, co-op members will
benefit from those savings.
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
"Energy storage technology enables North Carolina's Electric Cooperatives to
enhance reliability and achieve cost savings that will benefit our
member-consumers in rural North
Carolina, now and in the years to come," said Amadou Fall,
chief operating officer at North
Carolina's Electric Cooperatives. "Cooperatives remain
committed to innovation that advances our Brighter Future vision
for electricity that is increasingly sustainable, affordable and
reliable, and supports our goal of reaching net-zero carbon
emissions by 2050."
The battery energy storage system installations will begin in
early 2022, with activations anticipated in the summer. Each site
will bring temporary construction jobs to the local community and
help enhance area resources for future investment.
Electric cooperatives in North
Carolina have worked together for years to lead innovative
energy strategies, including community solar, microgrids, demand
response programs and solar plus storage initiatives.
The substation batteries complement this growing collection of
distributed energy resources, which cooperatives are integrating
into the grid and deploying at scale. By monitoring and
coordinating distributed resources, cooperatives are acting as a
'distribution operator.' In this role, cooperatives can manage
resources across the state collectively to maximize benefits,
including greater visibility across the system, optimized operation
for enhanced grid resilience and increased reliability.
"North Carolina's Electric
Cooperatives continue to show their leadership and focus on
delivering a more intelligent and reliable grid for members across
the state," said FlexGen CEO Kelcy
Pegler. "The FlexGen team is thrilled to be delivering our
best-in-class technology to provide more resilience and flexibility
to our home state grid and consumers."
North Carolina's Electric
Cooperatives is the family of organizations supporting the state's
electric co-ops, including the North Carolina Association of
Electric Cooperatives, the trade association, and the North
Carolina Electric Membership Corporation, the power supplier.
Driven by service and inspired by innovation, North Carolina's 26 electric cooperatives are
building a Brighter Future for 2.5 million North Carolinians.
Beyond providing electricity, each of the local not-for-profit
cooperatives is investing in their communities and delivering new
energy solutions to improve quality of life for co-op members in 93
of 100 counties.
FlexGen designs and integrates energy storage solutions and
the software platform that enables today's energy transition,
creating a more intelligent and reliable grid.
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SOURCE FlexGen