Ameresco, a Massachusetts-based renewable energy provider, received contracts from Avenue Capital’s Middle River Power (MRP) to design and construct four battery energy storage system (BESS) projects in California totaling 379 MWh. The four BESS projects will be co-located at gas power plants owned by MRP.
The projects will get started in the summer of 2023, which are expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2024. Ten natural gas-fired power facilities are now run by MRP around the US. Eight of these are situated in California. The company has already completed two development projects in the state: a solar plus storage facility and a stand-alone storage project paired with a geothermal plant. Furthermore, it is currently working on an additional 12 projects.
In June 2023, the Canadian independent electricity system operator (IESO) selected renewable energy company Ameresco and its partner Atura Power to build a 250MW/1,000 megawatt-hour battery energy storage system (BESS) in Ontario province. Ameresco and Atura Power, an Ontario Power Generation affiliate, would build the project as a joint venture (JV) under the name Napanee BESS. The BESS project would be built next to Atura Power’s Napanee generating station and Ontario Power Generation’s Lennox generating station in the town of Greater Napanee.
REGlobal’s Views: Middle River Power is focusing on making its gas-fired power stations more efficient. Using energy storage systems will ensure efficient operations, cut carbon emissions and expand the resource capacity of the grid to better manage demand and supply. The BESS projects will also facilitate California’s renewable energy ambitions.
