UPDATE: Oct. 17, 2019: The New York Public Service Commission today approved construction of the Ravenswood energy storage project. The project is expected to be partially operational by March 2021, the PSC said.

Dive Brief:

The New York Public Service Commission (PSC) Thursday announced a hearing for a battery-based energy storage facility with a capacity up to 316 MW for a maximum of eight hours at the Ravenswood Generating Station in Long Island City, Queens.

The project would be done in three phases: up to 129 MW, up to 98 MW and up to 89 MW. When completed, the facility will have more than 15 times the capacity of the state's largest energy storage facility to date — Key Capture Energy's recently completed 20 MW system.

The completion of the phases will replace 16 units of existing gas peaker generation on the state’s electric system. The units have no or low capacity utilization currently and the project will "enhance the state’s ability" to meet peak demand through clean resources, according to Ravenswood Development's February petition with the PSC seeking a lightened regulatory regime.

Dive Insight:

New York makes strides on its goal to deploy 3,000 MW of energy storage by 2030. In addition to the Ravenswood hearing, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced on Thursday the completion of Key Capture Energy's 20 MW / 16.5 MWh system storage product.

Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a Market Acceleration Bridge Incentive Program in April to ensure the deployment of energy storage. The program has a bulk storage project component, including $150 million for systems over 5 MW providing wholesale market energy or distribution services, and a retail storage component, providing $149 million for customer or distribution utility-sited projects below 5 MW that may be paired with solar generation.

The Key Capture Energy system was the first project to be completed using the bulk storage incentive program —​ NYSERDA awarded the project $1.3 million.

The Ravenswood project will seek the bulk storage incentive. The standalone battery project will operate entirely within the New York Independent System Operator’s wholesale market. It's ultimate energy capacity is currently unknown.

The developer wants to fall "under a lightened regulatory regime consistent with other wholesale market participants" throughout the construction. That will involve demolishing gas units as well as demolishing existing structures such as fuel lines, according to Ravenswood Development's petition.

The first and largest part of the Ravenswood project is slated for commercial operation in March 2021.