Energy Storage

Solar + storage project deployed for Arizona electric co-op

The project for Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Co-op (SSVEC), an AEPCO member co-op, includes a 40-MWh energy storage system and an existing 20-MW photovoltaic (PV) system that will integrate Athena, Stem’s AI-driven clean energy software, to continuously operate and monitor the storage system
Solar + storage project deployed for Arizona electric co-op
Photo Credit: Arizona G&T Cooperatives (AzGT)

Stem, a global provider of AI-driven clean energy solutions and services, and Arizona Electric Power Cooperative (AEPCO), a not-for-profit, member-owned electric generation and transmission (G&T) cooperative, in partnership with Prometheus Power (Prometheus), a national renewable energy developer, announced the successful deployment of a co-located storage and solar project to help deliver power to its distribution co-ops and public power members.

The project for Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Co-op (SSVEC), an AEPCO member co-op, includes a 40-MWh energy storage system and an existing 20-MW photovoltaic (PV) system that will integrate Athena, Stem’s AI-driven clean energy software, to continuously operate and monitor the storage system. The SSVEC project is the first of three similarly sized deployments that Stem will collaborate on with Prometheus to provide Stem’s services for AEPCO’s other managing co-ops. All three projects are expected to come online by the end of the year.

“More than 900 electric co-ops across 48 states make up the largest electric utility network in the U.S. The segment is forecasted to be one of the fastest growing segments of the front-of-the-meter (FTM) market through the end of this decade and is projected to represent over 20% of all future storage deployments,” said John Carrington, Chief Executive Officer of Stem. “Stem’s unique combination of AI-driven software, hardware, and services is enabling enhanced value and project returns at scale for co-ops and their members. We are excited to bring our proven capabilities and market experience to AEPCO and their members.”

“As part of our Reliable Energy Plan, AEPCO is focused on strategic investments in renewable energy assets and battery energy storage systems (BESS) to help fundamentally improve, diversify, and strengthen the AEPCO portfolio,” said Patrick Ledger, AEPCO executive vice president and CEO. “With Stem’s proven solar and storage solutions and expertise, we can ensure economies of scale on larger projects so our member co-ops can benefit from the flexibility and reliability of new clean energy resources that will substantially reduce costs and provide more reliable clean energy for the communities we serve.”

“As the largest co-op in Arizona, SSVEC has worked diligently to diversify our energy portfolio from having over 80% coal-generated energy in 2016 to just 25% in 2023 with an estimated 18% generated from renewable sources. These efforts help ensure greater energy independence, reliability, and price stability for SSVEC members, with an overriding benefit of a cleaner environment,” said Jason Bowling, Chief Executive Officer of SSVEC. “Working with AEPCO and Stem to ensure the successful deployment and optimization of our renewable energy assets will help SSVEC continue to honor our commitments of delivering affordable, reliable energy to our 53,000 members.”

“We are honored to have played a pivotal role in the construction of this monumental facility for SSVEC,” said Rohit Garg, Prometheus manager. “With our developer expertise, we are confident that this project will set a new standard for co-ops implementing utility-scale renewable energy assets, driving forward the adoption of sustainable practices in the energy sector. We are looking forward to working with Stem on deploying future projects for AEPCO.”

These follow Stem’s recent co-op projects, including a 23 MW solar plus 60 MWh storage project for Mohave Electric Cooperative (MEC), an AEPCO distribution co-op, and a 313 MWh standalone energy storage project with Ameresco for a major co-op customer. Stem has booked more than $1 billion of contracts associated with the growing municipal and co-op utility market segment.

Originally published in Renewable Energy World.

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