Duke Energy Carolinas partners with Anderson County, S.C., on major battery storage project

– Project will improve grid reliability and provide Anderson Civic Center at least 30 hours of backup power during emergencies

– Battery storage joins solar, electric vehicles, microgrids as part of company’s plans to modernize energy infrastructure across Carolinas

GREENVILLE, S.C.: Duke Energy Carolinas is partnering with Anderson County, S.C., to build an energy storage project at the Anderson Civic Center that will be part of the company’s long-term strategy to integrate battery technology into the smart-thinking grid it is building in the Carolinas.

The battery project will also provide power to a facility that is critical during emergency situations, such as being the site of a hurricane evacuation shelter.

This project is part of the company’s ongoing plans to invest $500 million in battery storage projects across the Carolinas over the next 15 years.

“Through projects like this, we’re transforming the state’s energy infrastructure to support the two-way flow of electricity and significantly improve reliability for our customers,” said Michael Callahan, Duke Energy’s South Carolina president. “The added benefit of this project is that – in the case of a power outage – the storage system can be dedicated to the Anderson Civic Center so this critical emergency facility will be able to support residents and evacuees in time of crisis.”

The 5-megawatt lithium ion battery will be grid-tied and available for use by Duke Energy Carolinas grid operators. The battery storage system will benefit all Duke Energy Carolinas customers by helping grid operators more efficiently manage the grid, providing additional energy options and improving grid stability during periods of peak customer demand.

The battery storage project – the first of its kind for Duke Energy in the state – will be located on land adjacent to the Anderson Civic Center and will also serve as back-up power for the facility. The battery will be able to power the Civic Center in the event of an outage for at least 30 hours based on the facility’s normal usage.

“Anderson County depends greatly on reliable power at the Civic Center; especially, while it’s operating as an emergency shelter,” said Tommy Dunn, Anderson County Council chairman. “Power is critical at the Civic Center when our facility is being utilized as a command post for service providers and shelter to citizens who have been displaced. We are excited about the opportunity to partner with Duke Energy on this project that will benefit our community during times of disaster.”

The company recently submitted a request to the Public Service Commission of South Carolina to approve a provision of the lease agreement for the land from Anderson County. Once the final engineering study for connection to the power grid is complete later this year, the project will go through a competitive bidding process for construction and is expected to be in service in early 2021.

Duke Energy Carolinas serves about 591,000 customers in the Upstate region of South Carolina, including Anderson, Greenville, Spartanburg, Lancaster and York counties.

Duke Energy Carolinas

Duke Energy Carolinas, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns nuclear, coal, natural gas, renewables and hydroelectric generation. That diverse fuel mix provides approximately 20,200 megawatts of owned electric capacity to about 2.6 million customers in a 24,000-square-mile service area of North Carolina and South Carolina.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S. It employs 30,000 people and has an electric generating capacity of 51,000 megawatts through its regulated utilities, and 3,000 megawatts through its nonregulated Duke Energy Renewables unit.

Duke Energy is transforming its customers’ experience, modernizing the energy grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves. The Electric Utilities and Infrastructure unit’s regulated utilities serve approximately 7.7 million retail electric customers in six states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. The Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to more than 1.6 million customers in five states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The Duke Energy Renewables unit operates wind and solar generation facilities across the U.S., as well as energy storage and microgrid projects.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune’s 2019 “World’s Most Admired Companies” list, and Forbes’ 2019 “America’s Best Employers” list. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy’s illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Source: Duke Energy