Distributed Energy Resources, Energy Storage, Utilities, Sourcing Renewables  -  January 25, 2022

Battery Storage to Power SMUD’s Path to 2030 Net Zero

Six lithium ion battery storage units, part of a pilot project aimed at demonstrating how utilities can use batteries to store energy generated by solar panels and wind farms, are part of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s (SMUD) goal to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2030. 

SMUD CEO and General Manager Paul Lau said the storage battery technology is “a huge jump forward” in SMUD’s quest to reach its 2030 goal. SMUD was the first California utility to obtain at least 20% of its energy from renewable sources.

“It’s audacious to say we’re going to be carbon neutral by 2030 but if anybody can do it, it’s SMUD,” said Mayor Darrell Steinberg at the press conference, according to the Mayor's Office of Civic Engagement.

The Hedge Solar Farm batteries will produce 4 MW of energy and offer 8 MW hours of storage, enough to power 800 homes for two hours with renewable energy. The batteries can absorb solar energy during the day and release it to the grid during peak demand times.

It’s the largest such battery installation in the greater Sacramento area and the first of its kind for a publicly owned utility in California, SMUD said.

Electrify America partnered with SMUD to support the project financially. The batteries were produced by Mitsubishi.

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