An entity linked to Tesla reportedly will develop a 100 MW lithium-ion battery energy storage facility south of Houston. Gambit Energy Storage could have the grid-connected facility in service by June.
The project was first proposed by Plus Power. Bloomberg, which reported the news, said that Plus confirmed it sold the project to an undisclosed party.
The project would include lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4 or “LFP”) batteries, similar to those used in portable electronic devices such as laptops, mobile phones, electric bikes, and cars. The project site is near a 138 kV substation in Angleton, Texas, and would offer black start capability to help the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid recover after a blackout.
The site was chosen in part because the Angleton area forms an especially volatile node on the ERCOT grid. The proposed battery would provide energy balancing services.
The ERCOT grid was battered in mid-February by a winter storm that led to widespread power outages that lasted for days across much of Texas.
In a tweet during the state’s power crisis, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said, “ERCOT is not earning that R.”
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