CHULA VISTA, CA – EnerSmart inaugurated its first battery energy storage project in Chula Vista, California, a six-megawatt system that can supply electricity to 3,000 homes every hour and return energy to the grid.
According to the company, the project was launched in August in coordination with Congressman Scott Peters and NADBank, which is dedicated to helping grid operators balance the intermittent supply of energy from renewable sources such as wind and solar.
This is the first project in a portfolio of nine storage facilities consisting of 50 blocks comprising three battery containers each, to be built at nine sites located within San Diego County, California.
In addition to Congressman Scott Peters, in attendance at the ceremony were John Beckham, deputy CEO of NADBank; Jason Anderson, president and CEO of Clean Tech San Diego; and James Beach, co-chairman of EnerSmart.
“In 2020, I supported the USMCA Implementation Act, which included a US$225 million capital infusion for NADBank,” said Congressman Peters.
He added tha those funds support water-related projects, as well as other sustainable projects in areas such as clean energy and energy efficiency.
“What makes today so momentous is the combined effort of NADBank and EnerSmart, a local company, to support a more reliable electric grid right here in our community,” stressed Scott Peters.
The facility consists of six energy storage containers, six inverters, two transformers and two distribution boxes. Electricity from the grid will be stored and delivered through an existing dedicated interconnection line owned by San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E).
The project will help integrate electricity generated from renewable and intermittent sources, such as solar and wind, which will support a more reliable electric grid by minimizing outages and reducing losses resulting from the mismatch between supply and demand.
“NADBank is pleased to collaborate with EnerSmart to provide half of the US$78.2 million financing needed to support the design, construction and operation of the portfolio of energy storage facilities that will have a combined capacity of 150 MWCA. These facilities will increase energy efficiency to maximize the use of renewable energy while helping to avoid carbon dioxide emissions,” said John Beckham, NADBank’s deputy managing director.
Beckham pointed out that energy storage is one of the most recent examples of NADBank’s evolution to better invest in the infrastructure needed by the dynamic and growing border region.
“As an innovator in battery storage, we are proud to help California achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 and 90% of electricity generation from renewable resources by 2035. Battery storage is critical to the state’s clean energy future and this new storage project in Chula Vista will help keep the lights on while creating a healthier environment for the community,” said James Beach, co-founder and managing partner of EnerSmart.
