Texas-based utility company El Paso Electric (EPE) is implementing a long-term energy supply plan, which includes expanding solar power facilities and deploying grid-scale battery energy storage systems.
In 2017, due to the continuous growth of customers and loads and the need to replace aging generating units, EPE determined that it will need to deploy solar power facilities with an installed capacity of approximately 50MW by 2022, and 320MW solar power facilities by 2023 to continue to meet consumer power needs. After reviewing the bids, the company signed three long-term power purchase agreements with multiple energy developers and plans to build a new natural gas power plant.
In its power purchase agreement, it will purchase electricity from a 100MW solar power facility deployed in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. a 100MW solar power facility and a 50MW battery energy storage system deployed in Otero County, New Mexico. A separate 50MW battery energy storage system will also be deployed in Canutillo, Texas.
The increase in these energy sources will nearly triple EPE's renewable energy portfolio.
