Southern California Edison (SCE), like all EEI member companies, is driving clean energy innovation as it works to deliver an energy future that is cleaner, stronger, and smarter for its customers. In May, SCE announced that it will add massive amounts of energy storage to its system to integrate more renewable energy and increase energy grid reliability.

SCE has signed seven contracts for a combined 770 megawatts (MW) of battery-based energy storage to help enhance California’s lectric system reliability needs. When finished, these resources will exceed the total amount of new storage capacity added nationwide in 2019, which was 523 MW, according to the Energy Storage Association and Wood Mackenzie.

Most of SCE’s storage projects will be co-located with existing universal solar power plants, allowing the company to ensure that it has the capacity to store renewable energy and deploy it during peak demand times. These projects will be the first of their kind on California’s energy grid.

“These new emissions-free projects will help us ensure the reliability of the grid for our customers and integrate an ever-increasing amount of clean renewable energy over the next decade,” said William Walsh, SCE vice president of Energy Procurement & Management.

These projects will assist in integrating renewable energy into the grid from variable wind and solar resources and also will help the state transition its energy profile, as several large coastal power plants are scheduled to retire over the next three years.

In addition, these projects will help address potential energy shortfalls identified in California. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) last year authorized electric companies to solve potential reliability losses in the state electric supply that stem from the retirement of aging natural gas plants, the increasing levels of solar and wind energy that need to be integrated into the system, and shifts in peak demand times.

SCE expects to submit the contracts to the CPUC for review later this month. The company aims to have the projects online by August 2021.

“Signing these contracts aligns with SCE’s Pathway 2045, continues our support of California’s goal to green the state and also encourages clean energy projects of all types, creating jobs and strengthening our economy,” said Walsh.

To read the original press release, click here.

Tags : The Energy Grid, Clean Energy, All