Tehachapi Energy Storage Project, Tehachapi, CA

Only a few years ago, utilities were still kicking the tires on battery storage. Now, they want full control— from design to construction and everything in between.

By John Engel
Published on 7.15.2024 at Power Grid International

Only a few years ago, electric utilities were still kicking the tires on the potential applications of energy storage.

Lithium-ion batteries had already emerged as the market leader with rapidly declining costs and myriad use cases. But utilities, charged with maintaining safety and reliability at the least cost, were slow getting out of the gate, as they often are with new technology.

Today, however, the dynamic has dramatically shifted. Utilities no longer want to rely on third-parties for design, engineering, procurement, construction, and maintenance work: they aim to own as much of the project lifecycle as possible. The goal, they say, is to improve efficiency, establish standards, and develop internal expertise. When a battery system fails, utilities require an immediate response, as opposed to hours or days when relying on a manufacturer or supplier, which likely isn’t located in its service territory.

Christopher Hilling embodies that transformation. His position with Bellevue, Washington-based Puget Sound Energy — distributed energy resource engineer — was created two-and-a-half years ago to build out the initial framework for the utility’s energy storage roadmap.

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