Eolian Energy has begun construction on the Flint Grid Project, a 200MW/5.3-hour/1.06GW-hour (GWh) grid-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) in Jersey Township, Licking County, Ohio, US.
Located near the New Albany data centre and industrial loads, the Flint Grid Project is the first grid-scale BESS permitted by the Ohio Power Siting Board.
It is also the first large-scale system of its kind to qualify for the Pennsylvania, Jersey and Maryland (PJM) capacity market and the largest battery storage project to clear the 2027/28 Residual Capacity Auction.
Commercial operation at the Flint Grid Project is expected to commence ahead of the 2027–28 PJM capacity year.
The project accounts for more than half of all new battery storage capacity cleared in that PJM capacity year.
The project will be the largest BESS built in the PJM Interconnection region and the largest such facility in Ohio to date, said the company.
Eolian founder and CEO Aaron Zubaty said: “There is growing consternation about how the US can rapidly scale infrastructure to support America's growing electricity demand but not nearly enough conversation about how to use existing technology to unlock the wasted capacity that already exists on the grid.
“Flint Grid demonstrates how companies like Eolian have been investing in solutions to unlock the grid and reduce price pressures on consumers using proven and scalable technology.
“This project requires hundreds of millions of dollars to construct, and we committed the necessary capital and resources years before today's demand forecasts became headline news.”
Eolian is working with grid operators, regulators and industry representatives on research and policy aimed at integrating battery energy storage into wholesale electricity markets.
Areas of focus include developing technical guidelines for bidding processes, creating market products for storage participation, assessing accreditation methods such as effective load carrying capability and exploring approaches for revenue generation across various market segments.
Eolian is also exploring energy storage options to boost transmission capacity in regions experiencing growing demand.
The Flint Grid Project aims to optimise the reliability of electricity supply throughout each day and year-round.
