BURRILLVILLE – Gov. Daniel J. McKee along with the Pascoag Utility District and the R.I. Office of Energy Resources celebrated the opening of Rhode Island’s first utility-scale battery storage facility Monday.
The storage system is expected to provide increased reliability for the 5,000 Pascoag Utility District customers during peak electricity demand days.
Rhode Island's Market Has Changed. Developers, Builders, Investors and Sellers Must Change With It.
By Emilio DiSpirito IV License Partner | Engel & Völkers Oceanside Leader | The DiSpirito…
Learn More
“I am proud to announce that Rhode Island continues its leadership on clean energy innovation by installing the state’s first utility-scale battery storage system,” McKee said in a statement. “This battery technology, which allows for the storage of energy and deploys it when it is most needed, is a vital link in our state’s transition to a 100% clean electricity grid by 2033. Pascoag is setting a great example for others to follow.”
The substation work was funded by a $1.4 million loan from the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank and approved by the R.I. Office of Energy Resources through the state’s Efficient Building Fund program. The Pascoag Utility District was able to avoid paying up to $12 million in grid infrastructure upgrades by installing the battery system.
“The collaboration of our partners on this project was amazing,” said Mike Kirkwood, general manager of Pascoag Utility District, in a statement. “We could not have done this without the leadership of the governor, and the help from the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources, the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank and Agilitas Energy. This project allowed us to save up to $12 million … for our customers by avoiding a costly rebuilding of transmission infrastructure.”
Agilitas Energy installed and currently operates the 3-megawatt battery facility from a leased industrial site in the Pascoag village of Burrillville. The battery energy storage system went into commercial operation on July 7 and has already begun to help the Pascoag Utility District lower its peak load during times of highest usage.
