What is the benefit of having battery storage on the grid?

Large scale battery storage systems like the Gambit facility benefit the local electrical grid by providing resiliency and flexibility from a non-emitting capacity resource. A dynamic market like Texas’s with exceptional solar resources will require balancing resources like the Gambit facility that can quickly adapt to evolving grid conditions over time.

How did you choose the project location for Gambit?

The Plus Power team considered a variety of siting criteria, including but not limited to land use designations, archaeological and cultural resources, topography, and proximity to critical utility infrastructure. The Gambit facility location met the optimal criteria across all categories.

What prompted Plus Power to propose Gambit?

The Gambit facility is ideally situated to provide energy, capacity, and grid services in a region with growing local energy demand and abundant but variable energy resources.

How long will the batteries last? What will happen to them after that? 

The Gambit facility will have a lifespan of at least 20 years. At the end of the project’s operating life, the facility will remove the battery system and restore the land to pre-existing conditions. Because the battery components contain valuable minerals, the system will be shipped away for recycling and salvage value.

Are there environmental, cultural, or archaeological features that could be disturbed on the Gambit project site? 

Plus Power developed the Gambit facility on property that has no known cultural or archaeological features within its footprint.

What considerations are being taken to ensure the safety of the project? 

Safety is paramount to Plus Power and the Gambit facility. Several measures were and are being taken to ensure reliable and safe operation of the system. From a technology perspective, the Gambit facility utilizes lithium-ion cells based on battery chemistries similar to those used in cell phones, computers, and electric vehicles, although the battery and system will be held to the National Fire Protection Association 855 national standard and other related grid infrastructure codes and standards. In addition, the system utilizes a variety of thermal management systems as well as remote monitoring strategies in order to maintain system stability. The Town of Angleton Fire and Rescue Department was fully engaged in design discussions as part of the Special Use Permit application, and the Plus Power team ensured there was significant collaboration and training with first responders in order to guarantee proper techniques are used in the unlikely event of an emergency.

Will Gambit be able to withstand a natural disaster? 

The Gambit facility was designed per ASTM standards to ensure foundations and infrastructure are designed in accordance with local requirements. A detention basin was utilized on site to manage stormwater and drainage.