Dominion Energy Virginia has received approval from the State Corporation Commission (SCC) to move forward with four battery storage pilot projects to start adding additional energy storage technology needed to support the company’s commitment to achieve net-zero carbon and methane emissions by 2050, increase in renewables and to improve grid reliability.

The projects, totaling 16 MW, are the largest of their kind in Virginia. The company will utilize lithium-ion batteries to better understand how this emerging technology can be integrated into various applications to benefit their customers.

These projects are enabled by the Grid Transformation & Security Act of 2018, which allows Dominion Energy to invest in up to 30 MW of battery storage pilot projects. As the company continues to increase its solar fleet – currently the fourth-largest of any utility holding company in the nation – and build out its offshore wind development off the coast of Virginia Beach, the company is looking for new and innovative ways to store the renewable energy it produces to maintain reliable service to customers.

“Dominion Energy will pilot this 16 MW of battery storage to better understand how best to deploy batteries across our system to integrate renewables and provide grid reliability by filling gaps due to the inherent intermittency of solar and wind power,” says Mark D. Mitchell, vice president of generation construction at Dominion Energy.

“These pilot projects will also help us learn how to incorporate this emerging technology into our overall strategy to achieve net-zero carbon dioxide and methane emissions,” he adds.

The four Virginia-based projects will cost approximately $33 million to construct and will provide key information on distinct use cases for batteries on the energy grid.

The pilots will be evaluated over a five-year period once operational, currently expected to be in the first quarter of 2021.