The digital transformation sweeping across various industries has led to an exponential increase in data generation and storage requirements. Data centers, which house the servers and storage systems necessary for data processing and management, are the backbone of this digital revolution. Consequently, their energy needs have surged, necessitating innovative solutions to ensure uninterrupted power supply.
This acquisition is a strategic step to address the increasing energy demands of data centers, which are pivotal in the digital economy. The Oklahoma BESS project promises to enhance GridStor's capabilities in providing reliable and sustainable energy solutions.
GridStor’s acquisition and plan to construct battery storage in Oklahoma comes during a critical time for the region. The Southwest Power Pool (SPP) has indicated an urgent need for new power resources to go online by 2030 to support electric system reliability and meet rising demand from data centers and other large industrial customers.
“Battery storage is a scalable and near-term solution to provide reliability to the SPP system and its large customers,” said Chris Taylor, CEO of GridStor. “Batteries provide energy to stabilize the power system and meet hours of greatest demand every day in multiple regions across the U.S. This acquisition demonstrates GridStor’s commitment to rapidly adding battery energy storage to the SPP grid to support the growing needs of its residents and businesses.”
GridStor’s project will be built in Eastern Oklahoma, where multiple data centers are already operating and more are in development, creating new demands on regional power infrastructure. Once operating, the project will increase the resilience of the Oklahoma electric grid, helping ensure reliable power supply daily through participation in the electricity market managed by SPP.
“As a developer of utility scale energy storage projects nationwide, BMES is pleased to support GridStor in their endeavor to support emerging grid needs with utility scale battery storage,” said Witt Duncan, CCO of Black Mountain Energy Storage. “Together with GridStor, we’re building reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy solutions today for a promising tomorrow.”
The successful close of the project marks GridStor’s second acquisition over the past year.
