Dominion Energy Announces Battery Storage Pilot Projects

- Four pilots totaling 16 megawatts are largest projects of their kind in Virginia

- Energy storage is key to grid reliability, continued solar and wind expansion

- Grid Transformation & Security Act enables company to invest in 30 megawatts of battery storage

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Aug 06, 2019, 10:45 ET

RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion Energy Virginia announced four battery storage pilot projects to help pave the way for additional energy storage technology needed to support the company's increase in renewables and to improve grid reliability.

The four utility-scale battery storage pilot projects totaling 16 megawatts are the largest projects of their kind in Virginia. The projects were filed with the State Corporation Commission (SCC) for approval Friday and are enabled by the Grid Transformation & Security Act of 2018, which allows Dominion Energy to invest in up to 30 megawatts of battery storage pilot projects. As Dominion Energy continues to increase its solar fleet – currently the 4^th largest of any utility holding company in the nation – the company is looking for new and innovative ways to store the renewable energy it produces and maintain reliable service to customers.

"Energy storage is critical to providing continued reliability for our customers as we expand our renewable portfolio," said Mark D. Mitchell, vice president – generation construction. "Battery storage has made significant strides in recent years, in both efficiency and cost. These pilot projects will enable Dominion Energy to better understand how best to deploy batteries to help overcome the inherent fluctuation of wind and solar generation sources."

"These pilot projects will allow us to analyze the use of energy storage for grid stability support as an alternative to traditional upgrades of grid equipment, such as transformers," noted Joe Woomer, vice president – grid & technical solutions. "Battery storage has the potential to serve a key role in maintaining reliable service for our customers as we work to integrate renewables and improve grid resiliency."

The four proposed Central Virginia-based lithium-ion projects will cost approximately $33 million to construct and will provide key information on distinct use cases for batteries on the energy grid. Pending SCC approval, the pilots would be evaluated over a five year period once operational as currently expected in December 2020.

Two battery systems totaling 12 megawatts at the Scott Solar facility in Powhatan County will demonstrate how batteries can store energy generated from solar panels during periods of high production and release energy during periods when load is high or solar generation is low. It would also help optimize the power produced by the solar facility.
A 2-megawatt battery at a substation in Ashland will explore how batteries can improve reliability and save money on equipment replacement by serving as an alternative to traditional grid management investments such as transformer upgrades, necessary to serve customers during times of high energy demand.
A 2-megawatt battery at a substation in New Kent County serving a 20 megawatt solar facility will show how batteries can help manage voltage and loading issues caused by reverse energy flow, to maintain grid stability.

Separately, the company issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking bids for up to 500 megawatts of solar and onshore wind generation in the state. Bidders seeking more information on the competitive bidding process and the RFP submittal documents should visit: www.dominionenergy.com/2019solarwindrfp.

About Dominion Energy

Nearly 7.5 million customers in 18 states energize their homes and businesses with electricity or natural gas from Dominion Energy (NYSE: D), headquartered in Richmond, Va. The company is committed to sustainable, reliable, affordable and safe energy and is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy with about $100 billion of assets providing electric generation, transmission and distribution, as well as natural gas storage, transmission, distribution and import/export services. The company expects to cut generating fleet carbon dioxide emissions 80 percent by 2050 and reduce methane emissions from its gas assets 50 percent by 2030.

SOURCE Dominion Energy