Vistra Energy expands Oakland energy storage project to 36.25 MW/145 MWh

Vistra Energy has increased the size of its battery energy storage project located at the site of its Oakland Power Plant. The battery will now have a capacity of 36.25 megawatts/145 megawatt-hours instead of the previously announced capacity of 20 MW/80 MWh.

The project has received necessary approvals from East Bay Community Energy (EBCE), a Community Choice Energy provider, and from Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). EBCE approved an amended contract to receive the larger resource adequacy capacity from the project, while PG&E approved a new Local Area Reliability Service Agreement to ensure grid reliability as part of the Oakland Clean Energy Initiative. PG&E is awaiting approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

The battery system will be a partial replacement for the aging 165-MW jet fuel-fired plant, which is currently on a Reliability Must-Run contract with the California Independent System Operator (CAISO). Vistra plans to eventually retire the existing units at Oakland Power Plant and develop additional energy storage projects on the site in the future.

Vistra anticipates the battery storage project will enter commercial operations by January 2022.