150 MW facility to provide reserve power for
Alabamians
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., March 3,
2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Alabama Power will develop the
state's first utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) on
the former Plant Gorgas site in Walker
County, which reliably powered Alabama for more than a century.
The new Gorgas Battery Facility will store up to 150 MW of
electricity generated by other Alabama Power resources. 150 MW is
equivalent to the capacity needed to power about 9,000 homes.
"This facility will help Alabama Power understand how we can
best use battery systems on our electric grid so that customers
have power when they need it," said Jeff
Peoples, Alabama Power Chairman, President and CEO. "The
project honors Plant Gorgas' legacy, which has played a significant
role in powering the state of Alabama since 1917."
The 7-acre facility will be designed as a standalone system
that will connect to and charge directly from the electric grid –
the interconnected system of high voltage wires and equipment that
moves large amounts of electricity across the state.
Construction will begin in 2025, with estimated completion by
2027. The lithium ion phosphate batteries that will make up the
system will have a 2-hour duration, with the ability to recharge in
a little over 2 hours.
"Batteries can charge when energy costs are lower and discharge
when energy costs are higher, helping keep costs down. They can
also supply energy to our system quickly in response to changing
conditions," said Brandon Dillard,
senior vice president of Generation. "We are excited to learn how
battery storage technology best fits into our system to reliably
serve our customers."
Batteries also have the potential to help integrate additional
clean energy resources into the company's generation mix, providing
complementary technology for variable, weather-dependent resources,
like solar.
"As we work to make our system stronger and smarter, innovative
technologies such as battery storage could help ensure a steady
energy supply," Dillard added.
The decision to reuse the retired Plant Gorgas site illustrates
Alabama Power's focus on sustainable solutions that reinforce its
community commitment.
"Plant Gorgas and Walker County
hold a special place in our company's history," said Jill Stork, vice president of Western Division.
"The reuse of this site reaffirms our support of the communities we
have long served, ensuring sustainable solutions that honor our
past while looking to the future."
About Alabama Power
Alabama Power, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO),
provides reliable, affordable electricity to 1.5 million customers
across the state. Learn more at www.alabamapower.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:
Certain information contained in this release is forward-looking
information based on current expectations and plans that involve
risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information includes,
among other things, statements concerning the expected completion
date for the Gorgas Battery Facility. Alabama Power cautions that
there are certain factors that can cause actual results to differ
materially from the forward-looking information that has been
provided. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on this
forward-looking information, which is not a guarantee of future
performance and is subject to a number of uncertainties and other
factors, many of which are outside the control of Alabama Power;
accordingly, there can be no assurance that such suggested results
will be realized. The following factors, in addition to those
discussed in each of Alabama Power's Annual Report on Form 10-K for
the year ended December 31, 2024, and
subsequent securities filings, could cause actual results to differ
materially from management expectations as suggested by such
forward-looking information: the ability to control costs and avoid
cost and schedule overruns during the development, construction and
operation of facilities, to construct facilities in accordance with
the requirements of permits and licenses, to satisfy any
environmental performance standards and the requirements of any tax
credits and other incentives, and to integrate facilities into the
Southern Company system upon completion of construction and
catastrophic events such as fires, earthquakes, explosions, floods,
tornadoes, hurricanes and other storms, droughts, pandemic health
events, political unrest, wars, or other similar occurrences.
Alabama Power expressly disclaims any obligation to update any
forward-looking information.
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SOURCE Alabama Power
