Springfield's electrical grid is a step closer to becoming more reliable during periods of high demand. City Utilities celebrated the completion of a zinc battery energy storage system, or BESS, project along U.S. 65 on Wednesday, July 29, that will expand the utility's capacity.
The system will store electricity during times of low demand, typically overnight when electricity is cheaper, and will provide power during peak hours, usually between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the summer, according to a CU news release. The BESS near CU's Blackman Water Treatment Plant will add 5 megawatts of capacity to CU's system and will be able to dispatch power for up to six hours.
The storage system consists of zinc-based batteries that are non-flammable, fully recyclable
and made in the United States. According to CU, these batteries are designed to last longer than traditional lithium-ion technology and are considered among the safest forms of grid-scale energy storage available.
The battery system is now moving into final commissioning and testing, according to the release. It is expected to be fully operational in August.
The Blackman project represents just a portion of CU's larger effort to add more capacity to meet new requirements set by the Southwest Power Pool, a regional transmission organization mandated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Because of increasing electrical demand, aging infrastructure and extreme weather, the Planning Reserve Margin (PRM) the utility is required to meet has increased. That has required CU to invest more than $280 million, according to previous News-Leader reporting.
In addition to this battery storage system, CU is constructing a second, larger battery system near the former James River Power Station. This second battery system will add 31 megawatts of capacity and is expected to come online later this year.
CU, in its efforts to add to its generation capacity, is also installing three new natural gas combustion turbines at the McCartney Generating Station in northeast Springfield. In total, these initiatives will add 186 megawatts of new generation capacity which amounts to an 18% increase for CU locally.
As the utility invests in these new power supply resources, CU customers will see an electric rate increase starting next year and phased in over two years. According to previous News-Leader reporting, the average residential customer will see a 3% average increase in 2027 and an additional 3.6% average increase in 2028. These additional funds will be used to pay for lease financing for the infrastructure updates.
Marta Mieze covers local government at the News-Leader. Have feedback, tips or story ideas? Contact her at mmieze@news-leader.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield CU celebrates completion of battery energy storage system
