Tucson Electric Power (TEP) is teaming up with Eon Climate & Renewables and NextEra Energy Resources on two energy storage systems to help identify ways to support the expansion of solar and other renewable technologies.
The projects are a 10MW lithium nickel-manganese-cobalt facility at a TEP substation near Interstate 10 and West Grant Road to be built by NextEra.
It is expected to be in operation later this year.
The second facility is a 10MW lithium titanate oxide storage plant and accompanying 2MW solar array at the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park southeast of Tucson.
It will be built by Eon and is expected to be complete in the first quarter of 2017.
Both projects, which will be used primarily to help maintain the required balance between energy demand and supply, were granted approval today by the Arizona Corporation Commission.
TEP issued a request for proposals in June 2015 to lease a 10MW energy storage system. It received bids from more than 20 qualified vendors, before choosing the two projects.
Tuscon Electric Power president and chief executive officer David Hutchens said: “We hope that innovative systems like these will help us achieve our long-term renewable energy goals without compromising the reliability or affordability of our service.”
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