GridStor’s 90 MW battery storage project now poised for development
PORTLAND, Ore. January 12, 2023 - GridStor, a developer and operator of utility-scale battery energy storage systems, announced today that it intends to advance the conversion of an inactive industrial site in the City of Santa Fe Springs, California. The announcement follows a City Council zone use vote that took place on Thursday night, where the Council upheld the Planning Commission’s prior determination that battery storage facilities are of a similar use to substations in terms of safety and purpose, thereby allowing permitting applications in appropriate locations for battery storage projects. GridStor is a project applicant for such a permit.
GridStor’s plans would repurpose the former petroleum refinery-turned chemicals manufacturing facility that has been sitting vacant since 1992 into a clean energy site that provides reliability to the region’s power system. Once extensive remediation work is completed, the vacant industrial site, which neighbors a railroad and other industrial facilities, will be ready to be repurposed into an emission-free energy storage facility.
The project has received the support of the property owner Productol, Inc., IBEW Local 11, NECA LA, the Santa Fe Springs Chamber of Commerce, Waterstone Environmental, multiple community leaders, and civically engaged residents.
“We’re excited to renew idle parcels of industrially zoned property within the city, bringing Santa Fe Springs to the forefront of California’s energy transition while providing tax revenues and other benefits to the local community,” said Ryan Schalk, GridStor Director of Development. “We commend the City Council in upholding the determination that battery storage facilities are similar to electric utility substations and are just as safe and vital. Our projects, like substations, provide much-needed power reliability within growing population centers like Sante Fe Springs. We are looking forward to working with the City of Santa Fe Springs for years to come.”
Upon further project-specific city review and approval, construction of the new battery storage site could commence as soon as summer 2024, with a planned completion on or after the end of 2025. The new facility would provide power equivalent to the supply for 72,000 residential customers during hours of peak energy demand each day. The battery storage facility would strengthen the reliability of the area’s electric infrastructure by deploying energy at times when the power grid is most stressed, helping to keep the lights on for residents and businesses across the region.
GridStor’s proposed use of the property comes with additional benefits to the city, including an estimated $2.7 million in sales tax revenue and over $1 million in additional property tax revenue to the City of Santa Fe Springs over the life of the facility. These funds will go into the city’s tax base and can be used to support local services for residents, including investments in public safety, infrastructure, and schools.
Safety for the site and the local community are top priorities. GridStor representatives have met with the Santa Fe Springs Fire Department several times to discuss the project, and the company plans to work closely with city officials to offer training and coordinated safety checks on an ongoing basis.
The Santa Fe Springs project follows the inauguration of the new Goleta Energy Storage battery facility, which GridStor built in partnership with the City of Goleta in Santa Barbara County and began operating in December 2023.
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About GridStor
GridStor is accelerating America’s transition to a carbon-free economy by building and operating batteries on the power grid, storing electricity to deliver when and where it’s most needed. GridStor develops, acquires, and operates utility-scale, standalone battery storage projects primarily across North America. Visit us at www.gridstor.com and on LinkedIn.
