Energy Storage 101

A crucial element of Virginia's grid

Energy storage facilities are being proposed in Virginia to strengthen our energy grid, but energy storage is nothing new to our electric grid. Since 1985, Virginia has been home to the world's largest battery in the Bath County Pumped Storage Station, capable of storing and then delivering 3,000 MW of energy. No matter the storage technology, batteries store energy when energy is plentiful on the grid, and deploy energy when it is needed to power homes and businesses. Today, the dominant technology in the space is the same lithium ion batteries that power our phones and devices, but new technologies are on the horizon.

Energy Security

Batteries will help ensure our grid’s security by adding a level of redundancy. For the last 40 years, Virginia has been home to the world’s largest battery which has functioned to keep the lights on when the grid is most strained.

Learn More →

Grid Function

Battery Systems help to reduce peaks and valleys in the demand and supply of electricity to levelize costs and maximize stability.

Learn More →

Small Footprint

Battery systems are relatively small and modular, allowing for the siting of the systems on smaller pieces of property nearby transmission infrastructure.

Learn More →

Extending and Enhancing Intermittent Renewables

Renewables are intermittent by their nature–batteries help to extend the power from solar or wind projects when the sun sets or when the wind stops blowing.

Learn More →