Whelp, that was fast. No sooner does the notorious coal-fired Navajo Generating Station shut its doors, when a massive renewable energy project jumps in to take its place. We’re talking about the proposed Navajo Energy Storage Station in Arizona, and it’s not just any old renewable energy project. It’s a 10-hour, 2,200 megawatt system, which puts it in the long duration storage category, which is something the US Department of Energy has been lusting after quite lustily.
Long Duration Energy Storage In The Time Of Trump
To be clear, the so-dubbed NESS project is still in the proposal and permitting phase. If all goes according to plan, it will be online in 2030 — just in time to absorb new wind and solar development in the area.
If and when NESS does go online, it could pull the rug out from under future plans for gas-fired power plants. The developer, Daybreak Power, is anticipating that NESS will provide wind and solar power to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Phoenix for 10 hours, lasting from peak daytime hours and into the night.
That 10-hour energy storage capability is key. The Energy Department has a whole initiative dedicated to long duration storage, which it defines as a minimum of 10 hours and up.
If you’re guessing that’s a recipe for decarbonizing the electricity grid, run right out and buy yourself a cigar.
That’s right, regardless of the Commander-in-Chief’s pro-coal rhetoric, the Energy Department has been promoting the coal-killing combo of renewables and energy storage hand over fist all throughout his tenure (for that matter, the recently impeached President* seems to have lost interest in coal, but that’s a whole ‘nother can of worms).
The Energy Department’s ARPA-E office for cutting edge R&D explains:
“Long-duration energy storage systems address grid needs beyond those covered by daily cycling. Such systems could provide backup power for several days, improving grid resiliency, or allow for the integration of even larger amounts of intermittent renewable sources like wind and solar.”
ARPA-E notes that long duration systems also have a role in daily cycling, which is where a 10-hour system like the NESS project would fit in.
“Such systems could help shape the output from individual wind and solar installations, improving the reliability of these resources and thus greatly increasing their value to the grid,” ARPA-E explains.
So. There.
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