Georgia Power completes 49.5-MW Moody Battery Facility near Valdosta
Key Takeaways
- •The 49.5-MW Moody Battery Facility was completed near Valdosta and connected to the existing Moody Solar project.
- •Georgia Power said the project was finished ahead of schedule and is intended to improve grid resiliency.
- •The Moody Battery project was approved alongside three other battery storage projects totaling 715 MW in Bibb, Cherokee and Floyd counties.
- •The Georgia Public Service Commission also approved nine additional battery storage facilities at eight sites, adding more than 3 GW of planned storage.
- •Two solar-plus-storage projects totaling 350 MW were approved for Laurens and Dougherty counties.
Georgia Power celebrated the completion of the 49.5-MW Moody Battery Facility near Valdosta, Georgia, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday. The battery plant was retrofitted to the existing Moody Solar project, adding storage to an already operating renewable site and extending the value of the solar generation beyond the hours when the sun is producing.
“The successful completion of the Moody Battery Energy Storage System, ahead of schedule, is great news for our customers and for reliable energy in our state,” said Rick Anderson, senior vice president and senior production officer for Georgia Power. “This project not only enhances grid resiliency but highlights our commitment to adding cost-effective resources to our diverse generation mix through programs reviewed and approved with the Georgia PSC. We appreciate the hard work of Crowder Engineering, and the other companies involved in this project, as well as the community that has supported this new energy source in Lowndes County.”
In the solar-plus-storage project, batteries store renewable energy produced during periods of low electricity demand and discharge it when demand is higher. That pairing is increasingly central to utility planning because it allows existing generation assets to be used more flexibly while supporting system operations during periods when demand changes quickly. The Moody Battery project was approved along with three other battery energy storage system projects across the state. Those projects total 715 MW and will be built in Bibb, Cherokee and Floyd counties.
The Georgia Public Service Commission also approved construction of nine additional battery energy storage facilities at eight sites across the state, adding more than 3 GW of planned storage. New battery facilities include locations at Plants Bowen, Hammond, McIntosh, Wansley and Yates, as well as stand-alone sites in Hall and McDuffie counties. Two solar-plus-storage projects with a combined capacity of 350 MW were also approved for Laurens and Dougherty counties.
News item from Georgia Power