ElectriCities Moves to Invest in Utility-scale Battery Storage Projects to Bring Environmental Benefits and Lower Costs to 32 Cities and Towns in Eastern North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. (JAN. 19, 2021).  ElectriCities of North Carolina issued a request for proposals Thursday for utility-scale battery storage systems of up to 10 megawatts to help manage peak load for the 32 cities and towns in eastern North Carolina who are members of the N.C. Eastern Municipal Power Agency (NCEMPA). By storing the energy when electric demand is low and discharging when demand is high, the batteries could enable the cities to lower costs for customers while providing environmental benefits for all North Carolinians.

“We’re investing in cutting-edge battery technology to provide a host of benefits for electric customers in eastern North Carolina,” said ElectriCities CEO Roy Jones. “We are excited about the opportunity to bring increased reliability and security to the grid while reducing cost and better integrating renewable energy sources.”

While many NCEMPA member cities have employed customer incentive programs and technology to reduce load during times of peak demand, as proposed this project would be the first large-scale battery-storage project for the power agency. As more renewable resources are added to the grid, batteries help by storing energy produced when the sun shines or the wind blows and releasing it when the demand would otherwise be served by carbon-emitting sources such as coal.

All 32 cities would benefit proportionally from the batteries, regardless of where the batteries are physically located in eastern North Carolina.

The battery storage project would continue ElectriCities’ commitment to cleaner energy sources. The eastern power agency has reduced carbon emissions by more than 20 percent since 2005 while reducing wholesale power costs during that period by 10%. In the piedmont and western part of the state, the North Carolina Municipal Power Agency #1 (NCMPA1) provides its residents with power that is more than 95% carbon-free.

About ElectriCities of North Carolina

ElectriCities is the energy behind public power. For more than 50 years, ElectriCities has helped North Carolina public power communities provide safe, reliable, and affordable power to their customers. ElectriCities serves more than 1.2 million people in North Carolina public power communities, including 32 members of the N.C. Eastern Municipal Power Agency (NCEMPA) and 19 members of N.C. Municipal Power Agency #1 (NCMPA1).

The 32 members of NCEMPA are Apex, Ayden, Belhaven, Benson, Clayton, Edenton, Elizabeth City, Farmville, Fremont, Greenville Utilities Commission, Hamilton, Hertford, Hobgood, Hookerton, Kinston, La Grange, Laurinburg, Louisburg, Lumberton, New Bern, Pikeville, Red Springs, Robersonville, Rocky Mount, Scotland Neck, Selma, Smithfield, Southport, Tarboro, Wake Forest, Washington, and Wilson.