DESRI and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) have executed a long-term PPA for the Dry Creek Energy Storage project. Dry Creek is a 160-MW/640-MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) located in Sacramento County.
“Our DESRI team is proud to bring this reliable, cost-effective clean energy storage project to the California energy system, an exciting new addition to our partnership with SMUD over many years,” said DESRI Chief Development Officer Hy Martin. “This project will play a critical role in helping SMUD to maintain and enhance grid reliability, optimize performance of their renewable energy assets and contribute to their decarbonization goals.”
SMUD and DESRI have worked on the project jointly over several years. Given the significant transmission infrastructure at the decommissioned Rancho Seco generating station, the BESS is optimally located to leverage the existing infrastructure and limit costly upgrades on the system. The energy storage system will be charged using renewable energy and other clean sources available on SMUD’s grid, supporting the integration of sustainable power and enhancing grid reliability.
“This battery storage project represents another significant milestone in SMUD’s Zero Carbon Plan as we work toward carbon-free electricity by 2030,” said SMUD Chief Zero Carbon Officer Lora Anguay. “By enhancing our existing renewable infrastructure at Rancho Seco with battery technology, we’re building a more flexible and reliable grid while enabling a more efficient integration of renewable energy.”
News item from SMUD
I have access to salvaged EV batteries. Where can I get information on their correct and safe installation and use for energy storage with my home power solar panel system? The high voltage, and the varying voltage out-put among different manufacturers, concerns me.
“By enhancing our existing renewable infrastructure at Rancho Seco with battery technology, we’re building a more flexible and reliable grid while enabling a more efficient integration of renewable energy.”
I would submit that SMUD with their ‘comfortable ‘ 4 hour energy storage project is behind the times, where one should be pushing the envelope into Utility Scale redox flow batteries with capabilities to take energy off major transmission lines and “bank” this energy, perhaps over days to allow use of solar PV and wind after the sun goes down or the wind stops blowing for 8, 12, 16,… 24 hours of dispatch into the grid when needed. Save say, three or more days of solar PV and or wind generation ‘overgeneration’ to dispatch at night instead of using spot market generation or Peaker Plants to service grid demands overnight. With proper designed and constructed Utility Scale energy storage along the grid, there is no need to curtail solar PV and wind generation, while still using fueled imported generation as spinning standby load capacity.