A $42 million grant from the California Energy Commission will help construct a long-duration battery storage facility at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton to provide backup power at the base and enhance the resiliency of the state's electric grid.
Expected to be operational in summer 2027, the facility will be installed at the base's Haybarn Energy Reliability Center.
It will initially provide 6 megawatts and 48 megawatt-hours of battery storage that emits no greenhouse gases. Eventually, the facility plans to expand to provide 50 megawatts and 400 megawatt-hours of electricity.
The project plans to use zinc-based liquid batteries produced by Eos Energy Enterprises that are considered safer than lithium-ion batteries that in some cases have led to fires and thermal runaway -- a condition in which batteries overheat, ignite and spread from one battery to another.
"These projects are more than just an investment, they're a shared commitment to a stronger, cleaner future," Meredith Berger, assistant secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment, said in a statement. "By integrating these advanced storage systems, the Marine Corps can more efficiently manage energy demand, ensure continuity of operations during grid outages and reduce dependency on traditional fuels."
The $42 million grant is the largest ever awarded by the energy commission's Long-Duration Energy Storage Program that invests in demonstrations of technologies that don't use lithium-ion and also promotes batteries that can send electricity to the grid for eight hours or more. Typical battery storage has an industry standard discharge of just two to four hours.
So far, the energy commission has dispersed $170 million to seven projects via its Long-Duration Energy Storage Program.
"Long-duration and multi-day energy storage technologies will help California achieve its clean energy goals by enhancing how we store power generated by renewable resources," said CEC Chair David Hochschild.
The Camp Pendleton facility will bolster the statewide power grid when it's not providing backup power to the base, while also replacing much of the fossil-fuel energy used now. The grant was awarded to International Electric Power, an independent power company based in Pittsburgh.
"This project is cutting edge and innovative," the company's CEO, Peter Dailey, said in a statement.
California policymakers have set a target to produce 100% of the state's electricity from carbon-free sources by 2045, if not sooner, and energy storage is considered a key piece to meet that goal.
Within the past five years, the state has grown its battery storage capacity by more than 15 times -- up from just 770 megawatts in 2019 to more than 13,300 megawatts today.
Storage systems typically take solar power generated during the day and discharge the electricity later, especially from 4 to 9 p.m. when the state's grid is under the most stress. Batteries can help reduce the risk of rotating power outages and replace natural gas "peaker plants" used during those critical hours when customers crank up their air conditioners.
The CEC estimates that more than 48,000 megawatts (or 48 gigawatts) of traditional battery storage and 4,000 megawatts (or 4 gigawatts) of long-duration energy storage will be needed to meet the state's 2045 goals.
In a statement, Gov. Gavin Newsom said California "has been on the front lines of the global battery revolution" and projects "like this one at Camp Pendleton are vital to building a reliable and resilient electric grid in the face of climate extremes."
Covering more than 125,000 acres in San Diego County, Camp Pendleton is the Marine Corps' largest West Coast expeditionary training facility.
The base is one of the U.S. Department of Defense's busiest installations, offering training facilities for active and reserve Marine, Army and Navy units as well as national, state and local agencies. It supports more than 70,000 military and civilian personnel and their families.
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