Californians to benefit from 400-MWh AES battery system

The AES Corporation said today that it has commenced operations of the Alamitos battery energy storage system (BESS), which it says is one of the world’s largest battery storage systems in operation at the moment.

The BESS, a stand-alone energy storage facility for local capacity, will provide up to 400 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy to Southern California Edison (SCE) customers, while also helping the State of California meet its sustainability goal of 100 percent carbon-free energy by 2045. SCE is purchasing the power via a 20-year PPA with AES.

Batteries can be deployed during times of peak demand to alleviate congestion on the grid, which ultimately lowers the cost of energy for consumers. The AES Alamitos BESS will also enable increased integration of renewable energy. The BESS technology at the Alamitos facility includes Advancion 5 batteries provided by Fluence, an AES and Siemens joint venture. When fully charged, the batteries supply power in milliseconds, according to the company.

“With the commissioning of the Alamitos BESS, the State of California moves closer to its goal of a more sustainable and reliable energy future. AES is proud to work together with Southern California Edison to accelerate the adoption of this greener, smarter energy technology,” said Mark Miller, AES Market Business Leader for California and AES Southland General Manager. 

“SCE sees a growing role for battery storage as California transitions to 100% clean renewable energy,” said William Walsh, SCE Vice President of Energy Procurement and Management. “Battery storage will help integrate wind and solar resources into our grid and improve reliability.”

AES recently announced the merger of sPower into its AES Clean Energy business. AES Clean Energy now manages projects that are operational, under construction and under development, including the operation of approximately 2.5 GW of renewable projects with nearly half located in California and a contracted 2.6 GW pipeline nationwide with almost 20 percent of those projects in California, it said.

“Energy storage is the linchpin of a modern, resilient and sustainable electric grid,” said John Zahurancik, Fluence’s Chief Operating Officer. “Working with innovative power sector leaders like SCE and AES, Fluence is proud to deliver our advanced technologies to supply critical local power capacity in a mature urban area where it is most needed to bring clean, reliable and affordable power to homes and businesses in Southern California.” 

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