Energy Storage Solutions commercial tranche 2 opens two years ahead of schedule due to demand

Hartford, CT The co-program administrators, the Connecticut Green Bank, Eversource, and UI, have opened the second commercial & industrial (C&I) capacity tranche for Energy Storage Solutions (ESS), a program approved by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) and launched in 2022 to provide upfront and performance-based incentives for the installation of battery storage. The 100-megawatt (MW) tranche – twice the capacity of the first tranche – will open two years ahead of schedule due to overwhelming demand for energy storage in Connecticut’s C&I sector.

To date, ESS has approved 46.4 MW of C&I energy storage with a total energy capacity of 139.4 megawatt hours (MWh). Once installed, interconnected, and operational, these battery systems will not only provide resilience for host customers, but will also pay on-going incentives for a period of 10 years as the batteries send energy to the grid on high demand days, resulting in lower electric rates for all Eversource and UI ratepayers.

The opening of C&I tranche 2 comes as the residential portion of ESS crosses the important milestone of 1 MW of approved capacity.

“Working with our utility colleagues as co-administrators of Energy Storage Solutions, we look forward to the interconnection and dispatch of these systems around our state,” said Sergio Carrillo, Managing Director of Incentive Programs for the Connecticut Green Bank. “We are seeing more and more small businesses and critical community facilities installing battery storage through the program.”

The 27 projects comprising C&I tranche 1 were submitted by six developers representing 20 towns and a variety of host customers including water treatment plants, manufacturing facilities, public schools, and health clubs.

“While the residential sector has progressed at a slower pace than C&I, we are confident that recent program changes approved by PURA and new investment as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act, will spur interest and investment in the residential energy storage sector in 2023,” said Bryan Garcia, President and CEO of the Connecticut Green Bank. “In these times of high electric rates and climate instability, we expect to see solar PV deployment, in combination with battery storage, to both reduce energy burden and increase energy security for Connecticut families, especially those in vulnerable communities.”

“We’re excited to play a role in the state’s efforts to further promote the adoption of battery storage in Connecticut through this partnership and we look forward to working with PURA and the Connecticut Green Bank to make the program successful,” said Eversource Vice President of Energy Efficiency and Electric Mobility Tilak Subrahmanian. “Advancing clean energy is a priority for us and the additional capacity available through the Energy Storage Solutions program allows us to accommodate a greater number of battery storage installations for customers across the state.”

“Energy storage has a critical role to play in our effort to build a modern, reliable, and resilient grid, and we’re pleased to work with our customer and developer communities to unlock these substantial benefits,” said United Illuminating President and CEO Frank Reynolds. “We look forward to working with PURA, the Connecticut Green Bank, our commercial and industrial partners, small businesses, and critical care facilities to advance this program and help Connecticut build a stronger, cleaner, more resilient energy future.”