The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) has approved 79 MW and 50 MW battery storage projects in Suffolk County, New York State. It grants Key Capture Energy capacity and dispatch rights under 20-year power purchase agreements (PPA).
The LIPA board of directors has done that approved two battery storage projects proposed by developer Key Capture Energy. The 79 MW Hauppauge project and the 50 MW Shoreham facility, both in New York’s Suffolk County, will provide the utility with capacity and distribution rights under 20-year PPAs.
The Hauppauge project will sell LIPA 79 MW and 316 MWh of capacity. The Shoreham project is being developed on part of the site of the former Shoreham nuclear power station, which LIPA owns (and this author’s father worked there as a licensing specialist before its decommissioning in 1994). The utility company is guaranteed to purchase a capacity of 50 MW and 200 MWh.
LIPA says both facilities will help meet clean energy goals and reliability needs for the Long Island service area and the Rockaways portion of Queens, New York, which is geographically on Long Island.
“These projects are critical to our electric grid and will be valuable additions to our energy supply portfolio,” said LIPA acting CEO John Rhodes, adding that the utility’s decision will allow Key Capture Energy to seek final approval from the relevant cities where the projects will be located.
In 2019, the New York State Climate Act set a goal for 70% of the state’s electricity to be produced from renewable sources by 2030. The legislation included a target of 3 GW of energy storage for the state, which has since been expanded to 6 GW. GW by the NY Public Service Commission. There is broad agreement among developers and supporters, it is clear that successful storage implementation requires clear state-level policies like this.
LIPA says it plans to meet its share of these goals by purchasing approximately 175 MW of new bulk energy storage contracts to prepare the grid for expected changes, such as increasing demands for electrification as fossil fuels are phased out and in preparation for offshore wind energy. generation.
Although the Shoreham nuclear power station has been a victim of contemporary concerns about the safety of nuclear energy, LIPA is not oblivious to the fire safety issues associated with battery storage using lithium-ion technology. According to the utility, fire incidents at smaller battery storage facilities on Long Island and New York State have highlighted the need to adequately address fire safety, including measures to prevent and respond to battery storage fires.
To address these incidents, New York established the Inter-Agency Fire Safety Working Group to ensure the safety and security of battery-based energy storage. LIPA says the two projects proposed by Key Capture Energy reflect the working group’s recommendations.
Developers of battery storage projects have done just that emphasized the importance of involving fire safety officials and first responders in the details of facility technologies and layout.
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