GridStor, a grid-scale battery energy storage systems developer, has introduced a 60 MW / 160 MWh lithium-ion battery storage facility – Goleta Energy Storage – in Santa Barbara County.
The facility will power the equivalent of 30,000 households, enough to supply electricity to all of Goleta’s residential customer base, every day during the highest demand on the electric system. The project is the second battery storage facility in the region, and, according to the company, the largest power resource in Santa Barbara County.
The facility is installed with 44 emission-free containerized Tesla batteries manufactured in-state in Lathrop, California.
“Goleta became a more resilient city today, with the dedication of GridStor’s storage batteries to our grid,” said Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte. “We are committed to our renewable energy goals, and this facility brings us that much closer to a day where we will rely predominately on wind and solar and have less need for the traditional gas-powered plant that has historically served us locally.”
The facility will not only support the existing 900 MW of wind and solar power operating in the region but also assist with maintaining grid reliability during the planned build-out of additional renewable energy projects over the next decade.
GridStor received $55 million of project debt financing from NORD/LB to complete the facility.
“Energy reliability is a top priority for businesses in our region, and this project will bring a greater sense of energy security to our South Coast communities,” said Santa Barbara County Third District Supervisor Joan Hartmann. “Santa Barbara County generates little of our own power, which makes our infrastructure susceptible during wildfires, mudslides, and other natural disasters, while the GridStor facility gives us a critical backup in times of need and is a major step forward for securing our day-to-day power locally.”
Under a contract, GridStor will provide resource adequacy services from the facility to Southern California Edison, while operating the facility in response to market signals from the California Independent System Operator.
“GridStor’s Goleta Energy Storage project will secure grid power for one of our most climate-vulnerable regions as California continues to deploy new, clean power infrastructure in pursuit of our climate and energy goals,” said Rohimah Moly, Deputy Director of Energy & Climate at the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. “This project demonstrates the City of Goleta’s leadership and the type of collaborative partnership between business and local government necessary to bring the state closer to our carbon neutrality goals.”
