PGE announces major clean energy storage project in Portland
BY ISABELLA O MALLEY
Published 7:15 AM MDT, April 28, 2023 AT AP NEWS
Portland General Electric, the utility serving Portland, Oregon, announced Friday it is putting in the second-largest battery storage installation in the United States, at 400 MW of power. The significance of such projects is they diminish the need for power plants that burn fossil fuels that warm the planet.
The only larger standalone project in the country is Vistra Moss Landing in California, currently at 400 MW, but it will soon add an additional 350.
The Portland project will generate enough electricity for around 260,000 homes, roughly the size of the city, for four hours at full power.
“Although we are a small utility, I like to think we punch above our weight,” said Brett Greene, PGE’s senior director, calling it an important step towards reducing carbon emissions 80% by 2030.
Batteries are playing a critical role in the clean energy transition because they supply electricity during times of low sunlight and wind, and can also prevent blackouts when demand for electricity surges, such as heat waves. The battery power during peak periods also helps avoid the need to buy “extremely expensive” energy from other utility providers, Greene explained.
“Batteries are like a huge refrigerator for electrons,” said Shirley Meng, a professor at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering.