PRPA, NextEra collaborate on battery project

FORT COLLINS — Wholesale public power provider Platte River Power Authority is working with Weld Energy Storage LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources LLC, to develop the electric utility’s first large-scale battery energy storage project.

An agreement was signed earlier this year for a project capable of storing and discharging up to 400 megawatt-hours of energy.

“We are pleased to partner with NextEra Energy Resources to develop our first large-scale battery energy storage project, Weld Energy Storage, which is one part of our solution to maintain reliability,” Jason Frisbie, general manager and CEO of the not-for-profit PRPA, said in a prepared statement. “NextEra Energy Resources developed the Roundhouse Wind Energy Center, the largest wind project on our system, and it has been incredibly successful since it began commercial operation in 2020. NextEra Energy Resources continues to be essential in helping us with our energy transition.”

Platte River is actively pursuing a 100% noncarbon energy mix while maintaining reliability, environmental responsibility and financial sustainability for its four owner communities: Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland. The new battery project will store up to 100 megawatts of power that can discharge more than four hours and seamlessly integrate with existing renewable energy generation.

The battery project will be next to the utility’s largest solar project, located in Severance, and connect through PRPA’s newest substation that ties directly onto its transmission system. The project will be owned and operated by Weld Energy Storage, which has entered into a long-term energy storage agreement with PRPA beginning in late 2026 when the project becomes operational.

“We are excited to continue working alongside Platte River, a leading utility in the state of Colorado,” Anthony Pedroni, vice president for development at NextEra, said in a news release. “We thank Platte River for entrusting us with the development of their first battery energy storage project, which will deliver important reliability benefits to Platte River’s customers and the state.”

The project is one of three components of PRPA’s solution to maintain reliability as it continues to replace coal-fired generation resources with wind and solar energy.

“We’re in the middle of deploying 5 megawatts of distribution-level energy storage projects in each owner community, building out a virtual power plant and seeking to permit state-of-the-art aeroderivative turbines,” Frisbie said. “Together, these resources are critical to maintaining the reliability and financial sustainability of our renewable-energy portfolio.”

Weld Energy Storage is in the permitting process and expects to begin construction early next year. NextEra Energy Resources’ subsidiaries currently operate two battery energy storage facilities in Colorado, with a third facility, Jackson Fuller Energy Storage, coming online this month.

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