July 15, 2020
Say Hello to the Biggest Battery in America (for Now)
That’s where LS Power, a private equity firm that develops grid infrastructure, hooked up the new most powerful battery in the country last month. The Gateway Energy Storage Project turned on an initial tranche of 62.5 megawatts/62.5 megawatt-hours near San Diego on June 9, according to the California Independent System Operator. That beats the previous record-holder for most powerful battery in the U.S., held by LS Power’s 40-megawatt Vista project, which opened in San Diego County with little fanfare in July 2018. Another battery has more storage capacity: the 30-megawatt/120-megawatt-hour Escondido system that AES (now Fluence) supplied to utility San Diego Gas & Electric.
