Photo credit: Intersect Power
Texas is currently leading the way in the use of solar energy and will be able to store some of that solar energy thanks to three massive grid-scale battery plants announced by Intersect Power.
According to a press release, the clean energy development company recently secured $837 million in financing to deploy one gigawatt-hour of battery storage capacity in the Lone Star State. Intersect Power aims to have the three standalone systems – Lumina I, Lumina II and Radian – operational later this year.
Notably, each battery project includes 86 Tesla Megapacks, and both Lumina II and Radian are managed by Autobidder, the electric vehicle and clean energy giant’s real-time trading and control platform.
As Canary Media reported, the battery facilities will store solar energy generated by Intersect’s 640-megawatt Lumina solar farm and its 320-MW Radian project in Texas. According to Intersect Power, the three sites will each have an energy storage capacity of 320 megawatt hours with a duration of two hours.
Texas leads the nation in solar power generation and is expected to surpass California’s grid battery installations this year, according to Canary Media. Intersect’s projects will help secure the Lone Star State’s power grid and ensure it can meet rising energy demands.
“The grid is broken,” Sheldon Kimber, CEO of Intersect, told the outlet about the energy supply and demand issues the state has experienced without adequate battery backup.
“…We are increasing our battery growth much faster than we ever thought possible. We have built the equivalent of one of the largest battery developers in our company within a year.”
As the solar and storage market booms in Texas, customers can enjoy lower energy bills and the peace of mind that comes from a clean, polluting source.
As Canary Media detailed, deploying additional solar and battery projects can also help energy-hungry industries bypass the middleman (the energy utilities) and connect directly to the grid.
While this would not work for residential customers, Intersect Power believes this could be a game changer for facilities that require a lot of energy to operate, such as data centers and factories.
Fortunately, Texas has made it easier to connect new projects to the grid, helping the state lead the energy transition. With solar and wind energy exploding, a new era of cheap, clean electricity for all is on the horizon.
“Renewable energy is a critical component of overall American energy production,” Kimber said in a press release. “Clean energy production in Texas has significantly boosted economic development and job creation in the state while bringing energy security and independence to the United States.”
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