BURRILLVILLE – Agilitas Energy is starting pre-construction work on a project to provide backup power for customers with the Pascoag Utility District, and will be building the largest battery energy storage system in Rhode Island for the Burrillville-based company.
Agiltas, a company that is constructing more than 40 such energy systems in Massachusetts and New York, will build 3 MW/9MWh lithiumion system in Pascoag.
The project will provide PUD’s roughly 4,800 electric customers a backup for times of peak consumer energy use, supplementing the current connection operated by National Grid.
The new battery storage system on Davis Drive will also provide ancillary services to ISO-New England, according to a release from Agilitas.
“The battery storage system will allow us to modernize our infrastructure and avoid the more costly re-construction of existing transmission lines. The battery energy storage systems help fulfill our goal to control costs while we assure reliable power,” said PUD General Manager Mike Kirkwood.
It will be the first Battery Energy Storage System to be constructed by Agilitas Energy in Rhode Island, and it is planned to enter commercial operation by the second quarter in 2022.
“We are excited to work in partnership with the Pascoag Utility District by constructing one of the largest
standalone battery energy storage systems in Rhode Island,” said Barrett Bilotta, president of Agilitas. “The operation of this system will obviate the need for adding costly transmission infrastructure and create a win-win for all parties including the Pascoag’s customers.”
Last year, then Gov. Gina Raimondo signed an executive order committing Rhode Island to meet 100 percent of its electricity demand with renewables and non-fossil fuel resources by 2030, and energy storage systems will play a significant role in, according to the company. By storing electricity generated by renewable energy sources for use at another time, energy storage can help Rhode Island reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and meet its climate goals, Agilitas noted in a release. The business pointed out that it also enables flexibility between consumption load and supply, mitigating the high energy costs during times of peak demand.
“Eventually, the wide application of energy storage will result in the end-consumers’ power usage cost-savings,” Agilitas noted in a release. “The cost of electricity supply will decrease because electricity can be stored at a lower cost when the demand is low and discharged when the demand is high. The cost to deliver the electricity may also be reduced if the energy storage facility that dispatches the power is closer to your home or business than the generation plant.”
The Agilitas team has developed and/or built more than 450 megawatts of solar PV systems collectively since 2014 and is currently developing and constructing 300 megawatts of solar and energy storage projects throughout the northeast.
More information can be found at: www.agilitasenergy.com.
