From pv magazine’s ESS News
rsted and US utility Salt River Project (SRP) have announced a 300 MW/1.2 GWh BESS in Pinal County, Arizona is online. The 11 Mile Solar Center PV-plus-storage system is the largest in Arizona, with a four-hour duration BESS.
Fluence supplied the battery systems, according to a release issued by the developers.
The plant will largely supply technology giant Meta and its data center at Mesa. In 2023, Meta signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the 11 Mile project owners to secure power from the plant, at the time quantified only as a “majority” of the power generated by the site. Any excess energy will go into the SRP grid for businesses and homes.
At the time, Meta’s renewable energy executives said they were “proud to partner with SRP to bring new solar energy to the grid,” without commenting on the storage aspect of the project.
David Hardy, group executive vice president and CEO for Americas at Ørsted, said, “Arizona has one of the highest growth rates of electricity demand in the country. We’re helping meet the growing demand with domestic energy.”
The project represents a $1 billion investment and will generate $80 million in tax revenue for the local community. It created 1,000 construction jobs and will require ongoing operational roles.
For SRP, the BESS is key to its energy transition. Bobby Olsen, associate general manager at SRP, said, “The 11 Mile Solar System helps meet SRP’s decarbonization goals while providing energy to our customers.”
SRP said it now has 1.3 GW of battery and pumped hydro projects. The utility plans to retire 1.3 GW of coal-fired power resources while meeting increasing energy demands in the Phoenix area.
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