BREAKING GROUND
Largest lithium-ion battery storage project in the state
MALTA, N.Y. » Key Capture Energy broke ground Wednesday on a 20 megawatt battery storage project.
Dan Fitzgerald and Jeff Bishop founded the company in 2016.
“We set out to independently develop utility scale, battery-storage projects that would meet the needs of the electric grid and surrounding states,” said Fitzgerald at the site Wednesday morning. “Little did we know that the energy landscape in New York would evolve so quickly.”
Fitzgerald referenced Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s commitment for the state to reach 1,500 megawatts of energy by 2025 and NYSERDA and the Department of Public Service issued energy roadmap identifying near-term recommendations for how energy storage can deliver value to New York electricity consumers and cost-effectively address the needs and demands of the grid. In early 2018 during Cuomo’s State of the State he mentioned a goal of nearly $2 billion in gross benefits, avoiding more than one million metric tons of Co2 emissions and energy storage industry hiring approximately 30,000 people, all by 2035.
“We’re providing proof of all these assumptions,” said Fitzgerald. “Storage
projects do bring jobs.”
The 20 megawatt project, called KCE NY 1 facility, is the largest lithium-ion battery project in New York State.
“We are glad to initiate construction of our KCE NY 1 project,” said Fitzgerald, in a prepared statement. “We are fully committed to supporting the Governor’s vision for an aggressive Clean Energy Standard, as well as to bringing local jobs and energy storage solutions to New York State, starting right here in Saratoga County. We thank the Town of Stillwater, Saratoga County, Luther Forest Technology Campus, the Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership, the Mechanicville-Stillwater Industrial Development Agency, NYISO, and NYSEG for their support and collaboration to help move this important project forward.”
The project, located at the Luther Forest Technology Campus in Saratoga County, will create 25 construction jobs and nine fulltime positions. The facility seeks to provide clean energy to enhance power grid performance and reliability, addressing the needs of advanced technology companies and promoting further economic and job grown within the county.
Key Capture Energy worked with Saratoga County Prosperity Partnership to secure incentives to enable the project to move forward. Marty Vanags, president of the partnership, offered an acknowledgement Wednesday.
“We congratulate Key Capture Energy as it launches construction of this next-generation facility, which represents a significant investment in the economic, energy, and environmental future of Saratoga County,” said Vanags. “We are delighted to have assisted the company in advancing this important clean-energy project, and especially pleased to be leading the first development on the Luther Forest Technology Campus since GlobalFoundries.”
Fitzgerald said the project could be operational by the end of January 2019.