NYSERDA has announced Ulster-based energy storage project to replace the earlier planned gas-powered plant

• NYSERDA has contracted with GlidePath’s unit for construction of a 20MW storage facility. The project will be deployed in Town of Ulster instead of the fossil-fuel plant proposed earlier.

The facility is scheduled to be commissioned at the beginning of 2021. It is being developed as part of the state’s goal of reaching 3GW storage capacity in a ten-year’s period, as well as its aspiration for decarbonization of power production. 

Initially, the project was planned to include a peaking plant powered by natural gas. However, this did not meet support in the community. So, the design was modified to feature a storage battery. The incentive of 8.8m USD has been approved for the altered project. 

Currently, the venture is entering the phase of study and design. This stage is scheduled to last up to a year, after which the construction will start. The facility will be equipped with a 4-hour batt, meant to store green power and release it during the peak demand. 

The incentive program by NYSERDA is a part of 405m USD invested in storage projects. The investment is meant to reduce the costs of storage projects development and help the industry expand. A year ago, NYPA committed to invest 250m USD in utility-scale storage projects to cope with the obstacles keeping the market from growth.