Duke Energy has activated a 50-megawatt (MW), four-hour battery energy storage system (BESS) at its former Allen coal plant on Lake Wylie, serving customers in North Carolina and South Carolina. The $100 million project was completed under budget and ahead of schedule, with final testing expected this month.

A second, 167-MW BESS is planned to begin construction in May on the site of the plant’s former emissions control system. Both systems qualify for federal investment tax credits, covering up to 40% of project costs.

Utility-scale batteries store excess electricity generated during low-demand periods for use during peak demand, such as early winter mornings before solar generation is available. Duke Energy’s 2025 Carolinas Resource Plan projects 6,550 MW of battery storage by 2035, sufficient to power more than five million homes during periods of high electricity use.

Additional projects are planned at other retired coal plant sites in Gaston County, including a 115-MW BESS at the Riverbend site expected to come online in late 2027. These developments are part of a broader energy strategy that includes solar, storage, nuclear, and natural gas to meet growing electricity demand in the region.

Source: duke-energy.com