Vermont's largest battery project is under development by Lightshift
In a significant move towards renewable energy and energy storage, Lightshift Energy is set to develop the largest battery energy storage project in Vermont. The project, a 16-megawatt and 52-megawatt-hour system, will be installed at GlobalFoundries' semiconductor manufacturing facility.
According to Michael Herbert, Lightshift's managing partner and co-founder, the project reflects an increase in interest in energy storage systems. Herbert notes that utilities are often long on energy but short on capacity, a situation that is worsening due to load growth. This project aims to address this issue by storing electricity when demand and costs are low, and discharging when demand peaks, serving a peak shaving function.
The project's development process between Lightshift and GlobalFoundries took approximately 12 months. The detailed engineering studies conducted ensured the quality of the energy storage's electricity was on par with the grid's, including a power quality analysis, harmonic study, and power flow study.
The energy storage system, which is behind the meter, will connect directly to GlobalFoundries' distribution system. This connection allows Lightshift to skip the ISO high-voltage interconnection queue, expediting the project's timeline.
Fluence has been tasked with developing the 16-megawatt and 52-megawatt-hour battery storage system for GlobalFoundries. The increase in interest in energy storage is driven by load growth, transmission and interconnection constraints, and the maturity of the technology.
The average renewable energy project that came online in 2023 had languished for five years in the grid interconnection queue, with 80% of which being solar and storage projects. Pairing large loads like manufacturing facilities and data centers with utility-scale storage can be beneficial for both the load and the grid.
The system will cover up to 40% of the facility's load and is used for peak shaving. Storage can reduce stress on the transmission system during times of peak load. Construction on the project is set to begin this summer, with an expected operational date during the first quarter of 2026, dependent on equipment lead times.
GlobalFoundries selected Lightshift as its energy storage provider through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process. Pairing this energy storage system with GlobalFoundries' semiconductor manufacturing facility is a step towards a more sustainable and efficient energy future.
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