Con Edison Announces Service of Largest Battery System in New York City

BoroPark24 Staff

The company's president said that Con Edison is ready to place the largest battery system in New York City into service just in time for the summer heat season.

The system, at a substation in the Fox Hills area in northeastern Staten Island, can hold 7.5 megawatts and discharge that electricity to customers for four hours. Con Edison will charge the battery system at night when the power demand is not highest, and electricity is less expensive. The system will hold enough electricity to charge 1.5 million cell phones.

The new battery system will take the stress off Con Edison's electric delivery system in the area when the power demand is at its highest during the summer's late afternoon and evening hours.

Battery storage complements renewable power from wind turbines and solar panels. The batteries are used to store generated power that is not needed immediately and then discharge energy when power demands exceed the production of the intermittent renewable generators.

"We are deploying batteries to help maintain the industry-leading reliable electric service that our region needs and our customers deserve," said Matthew Ketschke, Con Edison's president, in a press release. "The advent of large-scale energy storage technology also greatly increases our opportunities to integrate clean, renewable power into the mix and transition to a low-carbon future."

photos credit: ConEd