Convergent Energy and Power (Convergent), a leading provider of energy storage solutions in North America, today (March 10) announced that a battery energy storage system it designed, constructed, and operates provided backup power to nearly 400 Potomac Edison customers during a winter storm event. The 1.75 MW / 8.4 MWh battery storage system in Little Orleans, Maryland, was built to support Potomac Edison customers served by a line in a rural part of Allegany and Washington counties. On February 16, during a period of high winds, the energy storage system provided 11 hours of backup power to reduce the duration of an outage until utility crews were able to make repairs and restore service.
"This is precisely why Convergent exists to solve problems," said Don Jenkins, Chief Operating Officer of Convergent. "There was a critical, unplanned need and our system was able to provide power when the broader grid was unavailable. This is a textbook application of Convergent's value proposition and speaks to the pressing need for more energy storage in communities that are vulnerable to power outages. We are proud to support the Little Orleans community and applaud Potomac Edison for modernizing its energy infrastructure for the benefit of its customers."
Jim Myers, FirstEnergy's President for West Virginia and Maryland added, "While power outages can be disruptive, it was reassuring to know that Convergent's battery energy storage system was readily available for our customers during their time of need."
The system was developed in response to Maryland's Energy Storage Pilot Program, which was established in 2019 to examine new technologies that could have a transformative impact on electric distribution systems.
Convergent's system with Potomac Edison is known as a non-wires alternative, or NWA, which removes or defers the need to construct or upgrade components of a distribution and/or transmission system. Energy storage (typically battery storage) is a type of NWA that offers utilities a way to increase capacity on the electric distribution system by charging the batteries when electricity demand is low and discharging when demand is higher. In 2015, Convergent was the first company to develop an NWA for utility infrastructure in the United States.
About Convergent Energy and Power
Convergent Energy and Power (Convergent) is a leading provider of energy storage solutions in North America. Convergent has over a decade of experience financing and managing all aspects of the energy storage development cycle to help customers reduce electricity costs and increase reliability. The company's commercial, industrial, and utility-scale assets can yield seven-figure savings while advancing the clean energy transition. Convergent's proprietary asset management platform, PEAK IQ® leverages machine learning and deep market knowledge to optimize asset performance and maximize value. Convergent has over $1bn invested in or committed to assets in operation or under development across North America. For more information, visit convergentep.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
Contacts
Convergent
Kate Siskel
SVP, Marketing and Communications
Convergent Energy and Power
ksiskel [at] convergentep.com
917-508-0274
