74 Power Global and Con Edison have signed a seven-year dispatch rights agreement for the development of a 100-MW energy storage project, the East River Energy Storage System in Astoria, Queens.

174 Power Global will build and own the battery system. The facility will be located on land owned by the New York Power Authority (NYPA) and leased under a long-term contract to 174 Power Global. The new energy storage system represents a redevelopment of the Charles Poletti Power Plant property, repowering New York City’s grid with a clean energy resource.

“New York is an important market for 174 Power Global due to the state’s commitment to clean energy,” said 174 Power Global President and CEO Henry Yun, PhD. “We are proud to have been selected by Con Edison for this project, and we look forward to working together to help bring clean power, as well as other regional electricity and economic benefits, to the Astoria community and more broadly to the state.”

“Utility-scale battery storage will play a vital role in New York’s clean energy future, especially in New York City where it will help to maximize the benefit of the wind power being developed offshore,” said Tim Cawley, the president of Con Edison. “This project with 174 Power Global will help displace some fossil fuel-fired generation when the demand for power is highest.”

The East River Energy Storage System is designed to balance peak electricity demands and provide grid reliability by delivering reactive power, voltage support and frequency stability to the New York region, further escalating its transition to a sustainable energy future. Utility scale battery projects in New York City are necessary to include more renewable power generation currently in development.

“The New York Power Authority is committed to moving clean energy technologies forward and supporting initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to a healthier environment,” said Gil C. Quinones, NYPA president and CEO. “Additional energy storage development, especially in long duration storage, is key for the continued growth of renewable energy, such as hydro, wind and solar, to help us meet our peak energy demands and bring greater flexibility and resiliency to the New York State electric grid. We are pleased to have had a role in this project. This adaptive reuse of this land will help realize yet another clean energy project that moves us another step forward in meeting our aggressive climate leadership goals.”

The energy storage system is expected to achieve commercial operation on January 1, 2023. The project will be permitted and constructed following applicable codes requirements in the State of New York.

The NYPA in White Plains recently unveiled a 250-kWh lithium-ion energy storage project funded in part by NYSERDA as a demonstration project for further energy storage deployment.

News item from Con Edison