By Rod Walton, EnergyTech Senior Editor
NC Electric Cooperatives will install battery storage sites in 10 communities across rural North Carolina, the utility said.
North Carolina-based FlexGen is engineering and constructing the battery systems, which will be sited at electric cooperative substations. These energy storage sites will offer enhanced grid infrastructure resilience and reliability, the cooperative said.
Collectively, the 10 battery projects will provide 40 MW and will be charged when demand for electricity is low and discharged during moments of peak demand. This not only enhances electric reliability but is expected to provide cost savings over the lifetime of the batteries, according to the cooperative's news release.
“Energy storage technology enables North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives to enhance reliability and achieve cost savings that will benefit our consumer-members in rural North Carolina, now and in the years to come,” said Amadou Fall, chief operating officer at North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives. “Cooperatives remain committed to innovation that advances our Brighter Future vision for electricity that is increasingly sustainable, affordable and reliable, and supports our goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”
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The FlexGen batteries will located and connected to local utilities at these rural North Carolina sites: Bolivia, with Brunswick Electric; Maysville, with Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative; Lillington, with Central Electric; Rocky Point, with Four County EMC; Hubert, with Jones-Onslow EMC; Rockingham, with Pee Dee Electric; Asheboro, with Randolph EMC; Fayetteville, with South River EMC; Goldsboro, with Tri-County EMC; an Wake Forest, with Wake Electric.
The battery energy storage system installations will begin in early this year, with activations anticipated in the summer. Each site will bring temporary construction jobs to the local community and help enhance area resources for future investment.
Electric cooperatives are not-for-profit, at-cost energy providers.
