Duke Energy announced a $30 million investment as part of the company’s Western Carolinas Modernization Plan.
The company will install two battery energy storage systems: a 9-megawatt lithium-ion battery system in the city of Asheville and a 4-megawatt lithium-ion battery system in Madison County.
The battery system at Asheville will be placed at a Duke Energy substation in the Rock Hill community – near Sweeten Creek Road. It will be used to help the electric system operate more efficiently.
In Madison County, the battery system will improve electric reliability for the town, along with providing services to the overall electric system. The company is also considering a solar facility in the town to work in conjunction with the battery system.
Duke Energy, in collaboration with local stakeholders, has been working to address the energy needs in the region.
“Duke Energy has experience with many battery storage projects around the nation,” said Robert Sipes, vice president of Western Carolinas Modernization for Duke Energy. “Western North Carolina is an ideal spot to use this technology to serve remote areas, or where extra resources are needed to help the existing energy infrastructure.”
Duke Energy’s Western Carolinas Modernization Plan aims to meet the region’s power demand by balancing public input, environmental impacts and the need to provide customers with safe, reliable and affordable energy.
Under this plan, Duke Energy has committed to deploy at least 5 megawatts of energy storage for the region. But the company is planning more.
Rajani Baburajan