ENEL Adds Battery Storage As Texas Grapples With Extreme Demand Swings

Enel North America, a key energy utulity in the US and Canada, has more than tripled its operational utility-scale storage capacity this summer by bringing five new battery energy storage systems (BESS) online in Texas. The new batteries add over 369 MW / 555 MWh of dispatchable energy storage to the Texas power grid, helping increase grid stability and reliability in a state where elevated temperatures have resulted in record-breaking energy demand this summer. Power prices have also spiked disproportionately consequently.

With a total of 520 MW / 780 MWh of operational utility-scale battery storage capacity across the state, Enel can dispatch flexible capacity, providing services to support resiliency amid shifting grid conditions in ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas) . All of Enel’s utility-scale batteries participate in ERCOT’s Ancillary Services, dispatching electricity during grid emergencies to help prevent blackouts and maintain the grid’s frequency on a daily basis. As a participant in ERCOT’s Ancillary Services, Enel maintains high availability of its seven operating BESS assets, storing up to 325 MW of available electricity at all times that can be discharged to the grid within seconds if needed – enough electricity to power about 65,000 homes during peak demand, according to the grid operator.

“With extreme heat propelling Texas’ energy demand to record-breaking levels, the addition of these five new battery storage systems couldn’t have come at a better time,” said Paolo Romanacci, head of Enel North America’s renewable energy business, Enel Green Power North America. “Adding more resource diversity and energy flexibility through solutions like battery storage, demand response, and renewable generation is key to reinforcing the power grid and ensuring energy availability for Texans amid high demand periods.”

On September 6th, 2023, ERCOT declared an Energy Emergency Level 2 alert when reserves ran low. To help prevent rolling outages, Enel delivered around 524 MWh of electricity from its seven operational battery storage systems to the grid, while Enel’s renewable portfolio in Texas generated approximately 19.9 GWh of wind and solar electricity throughout the day. ERCOT and local utilities also called on approximately 145 MW of critical load relief from Enel’s demand response (DR) portfolio.

The five new BESS, all of which are located at or near renewable generation plants in Texas, include:

• two 59 MW / 89 MWh batteries at Enel’s Blue Jay Solar project near Iola and Roseland Solar project near Riesel;
• two 57 MW / 86 MWh batteries at the High Lonesome Wind and Roadrunner Solar projects near McCamey;
• and a 137 MW / 206 MWh battery at the Azure Sky Wind project near Throckmorton.

Battery systems can store electricity when supply is high and costs are low and dispatch that electricity during times of peak demand and high rates, helping to maintain affordable energy prices in the market and reducing the risk of grid emergencies.

ENEL has over 3.3 GW of installed wind and solar capacity in the state, with an additional 1.8 GW of solar and 823 MW / 1,234 MWh of utility-scale storage capacity under construction. Enel also manages around 200 MW of DR capacity on behalf of commercial and industrial (C&I) entities in the ERCOT market and launched a retail energy offering in Texas late last year, enabling C&I customers to purchase competitively priced renewable energy directly from its generation assets in the state. Additionally, Enel X Way, the Enel Group’s e-mobility business, has more than 12,400 electric vehicle chargers installed throughout the state.

The addition of storage indicates the way ahead for similarly placed utilities worldwide, that face the risk of extreme temperatures aligned to a rising share of renewable energy. It will be key to find ways to store the excess renewable energy when generated, to ensure availability during shortages as well as ensure renewable capacity additions do not slow down in fact.