Recently, an application to build a large-scale battery energy storage system at an existing fossil fuel power plant in New York was approved.
The New York State Public Service Commission approved an application by power plant owner Astoria Generation to build a 135MW battery storage system at the Astoria Power Station, a 959MW oil and gas plant.
Astoria Power Generation Company is the power generator Eastern Generation, and the three power plants operated by Astoria Power Generation Company provide about 18% of New York City's electricity. The company plans to build a total of 350MW of battery energy storage in these three power plants, collectively known as the Luyster Creek Energy Storage Project .
The New York State Public Service Commission said the project would help reduce New York's reliance on fossil fuels, including reducing its reliance on oil- and natural gas-burning peak-shaving power plants that typically run only a small amount of time each year but generate electricity One of the most polluted resources online.
They are also expensive to maintain and subject to fluctuating fuel prices, and efforts are underway across New York to replace peakers with renewables and energy storage, particularly in the Long Island area, which has 2.3GW of peakers , while the total installed capacity of peaking power plants in New York State is about 6GW.
The committee said that the Astoria battery project, which is expected to be put into use in 2024, participates in wholesale electricity transactions, and generates revenue according to transactions, not through long-term off-take contracts.
Eastern Generation CEO Mark Sudbey said the three Luyster Creek Energy Storage Projects could be completed and commissioned in 2025, subject to appropriate financial incentives from the state government if market conditions permit.
New York grid operator NYISO recently said it was making changes to wholesale market rules to allow energy storage to participate more widely in the market and capture higher revenues.
New York State has set a goal of deploying 6 GW of energy storage by 2030, bringing the grid to 70 percent renewable energy.
Existing, decommissioned and planned decommissioned fossil fuel conventional unit plants offer an opportunity to develop battery energy storage, one of the main reasons is the availability of land resources and grid-connection agreements, and easier access to construction permits. Several such projects have already been built in California, and several are planned in Australia.
The New York state government itself is also looking to replace peaker plants with cleaner battery storage.
In New York, utility-scale energy storage deployment is accelerating. Recently, current Governor Kathy Hochul announced the approval of 159MW of battery storage to be configured for solar power.
By the end of 2021, New York has deployed or contracted 1,230MW of energy storage, with 12GW of new projects planned, the New York Department of Public Service said.
