New York City Will Begin Development of 100 MW Battery Storage Project

(Credit: Pixabay)

174 Power Global and Con Edison today announced the signing of a seven-year dispatch rights agreement for the development of a 100-megawatt battery storage project, the East River Energy Storage System, in Astoria, Queens.

174 Power Global will build and own the battery system, which is expected to be one of the biggest in New York State. The facility will be located on land owned by the New York Power Authority (NYPA) and leased under a long-term contract to 174 Power Global. The new energy storage system represents a redevelopment of the Charles Poletti Power Plant property, repowering New York City’s grid with a clean energy resource.

The East River Energy Storage System is designed to balance peak electricity demands and provide grid reliability by delivering reactive power, voltage support and frequency stability to the New York region, further escalating its transition to a sustainable energy future. Utility scale battery projects in New York City are necessary to include more renewable power generation currently in development.

The energy storage system is expected to achieve commercial operation on January 1, 2023. The project will be permitted and constructed following applicable codes requirements in the State of New York.

The NYPA has embarked on several energy efficient initiatives lately. In June, it launched a statewide program that aims to replace at least 500,000 streetlights with energy-efficient LED technology by 2025. And in 2019, the NYPA and the City University of New York (CUNY) partnered on $26 million in comprehensive energy efficiency improvements at the City College of New York (CCNY). Once completed, it will save 15% in electricity consumption annually and reduce maintenance costs.