What is the benefit of having battery storage on the grid?

Large scale battery storage systems like the Rodeo Ranch facility benefit the local electric grid by providing resiliency and flexibility from a non-emitting capacity resource. Moving toward advanced energy generation resources in the region will require balancing resources like the Rodeo Ranch facility that can quickly adapt to evolving grid conditions over time.

How did you choose the project location for Rodeo Ranch?

The Plus Power team considered a variety of siting criteria, including but not limited to land use designations, environmental resources, archaeological and cultural resources, topography, and proximity to critical utility infrastructure. The Rodeo Ranch facility location met the optimal criteria across all categories.

What prompted Plus Power to propose Rodeo Ranch?

The Rodeo Ranch facility is ideally situated to provide energy, capacity, and grid services in a region with significant regional electricity production and transmission congestion.

How long will the batteries last? What will happen to them after that? 

The Rodeo Ranch facility will have a lifespan of at least 20 years. The original battery systems installed at the site are anticipated to operate for at least 15 years. As the original system naturally degrades, Rodeo Ranch will be augmented with supplemental battery storage units in the future. At the end of the project’s operating life, the facility will remove the battery system and restore the land to pre-existing conditions. Because the battery components contain valuable minerals, the system will be shipped away for recycling and salvage value.

Are there environmental, cultural, or archaeological features that could be disturbed on the Rodeo Ranch project site? 

Plus Power is developing the Rodeo Ranch facility on property that has no known cultural or archaeological features within its footprint.

What considerations are being taken to ensure the safety of the project? 

Safety is paramount to Plus Power and the Rodeo Ranch facility. Several measures are being taken to ensure reliable and safe operation of the system. From a technology perspective, the Rodeo Ranch facility will utilize best-in-class lithium-ion cells based on battery chemistries similar to those used in cell phones, computers, and electric vehicles, although the battery and system will be held to the National Fire Protection Association 855 national standard and other related grid infrastructure codes and standards. In addition, the system will utilize a variety of thermal management systems as well as remote monitoring strategies in order to maintain system stability. The local fire departments will be fully engaged in design discussions through the process of creating a dedicated Emergency Response Plan for the project, and the Plus Power team will ensure there is continued collaboration and training with first responders in order to guarantee proper techniques are used in the unlikely event of an emergency.

Will Rodeo Ranch be able to withstand a natural disaster? 

The Rodeo Ranch facility will be designed per ASTM standards to ensure foundations and infrastructure are designed in accordance with local requirements. A detention basin will be utilized on site to manage stormwater and drainage.

Will the Rodeo Ranch facility impact my views? 

The Rodeo Ranch facility is ideally situated in an area away from residential areas. As such, the impact on local views is very limited.