Energy Dome, Salt River Project add LDES project to Arizona grid
Utility-scale power capacity provider Energy Dome and the Salt River Project (SRP) nonprofit have inked an agreement to add a 19 MW, 10-hour CO2-based battery system to the Arizona grid.
Planned for colocation with SRP’s Coronado Generating Station (CGS) in St. Johns, the project will see its full development under a 20-year tolling agreement. During that time, Energy Dome will own and operate the facility and SRP will be in charge of dispatching battery output. Once completed, the battery will store enough energy to power 4,275 Arizona homes for 10 hours.
“Arizona’s sustained growth makes it one of the most compelling energy markets in the country,” says Claudio Spadacini, founder and CEO of Energy Dome. “At a time when AI growth and rising demand are reshaping America’s energy landscape, the CO2 Battery offers the scalable, dispatchable capacity needed to strengthen U.S. energy dominance.”
The project is also part of SRP’s collaboration with internet titan Google, officials say, as Google looks to accelerate deployment of non-lithium long-duration energy storage (LDES) technologies. SRP selected this project from a Request for Proposals lineup in 2024, and Google will now fund a portion of the project via a cost-sharing agreement.
Accelerating Energy Dome’s LDES investments
The new system will utilize Energy Dome’s CO2 Battery technology, using proprietary software for its energy storing capabilities. The project has allowed Energy Dome to up its investments in batteries and renewable energy, supporting its broader mission to make the American energy grid more reliable.
“As energy demand continues to grow, SRP is evaluating new energy storage technologies that could support SRP’s effort to diversify its battery energy storage portfolio as we work to meet the Valley’s growing energy needs with affordable, reliable and sustainable power,” says Chico Hunter, SRP’s manager of innovation and development. “This project will enable SRP to test the real-world performance of Energy Dome’s technology in the Arizona climate.”
Now, SRP is working to “at least double” the number of generation resources in its power system portfolio by 2035, the company says. As energy needs continue to increase around the U.S., especially in the southwest and west coast, energy storage is a top priority.
“At Google, we are committed to catalyzing next-generation energy technologies to bolster grid resilience and introduce vital new capacity to the system,” says Lucia Tian, director of advanced technologies at Google. “This second project and important milestone in our collaboration with SRP builds on our long-term partnership with Energy Dome, and will help deliver dependable, cost-effective, and sustainable energy for Arizona’s ratepayers.”
The new battery project at the Coronado Generating Station will come online in 2029.
