New BESS projects flourish across U.S. | Projects Weekly
This week on a post-Memorial Day edition of Projects Weekly, battery storage has taken center stage in the North American solar world once again. In southern California, MN8 Energy LLC has energized a new 100 MW BESS project just north of San Diego. Southeastern Texas has also become a battery hotspot, with OCI Energy and CPS Energy working on a storage project near San Antonio, and Spearmint Energy securing project financing for BESS just three hours away in Texas City, near Galveston. Additionally, Google and Enlight Renewable Energy have signed a PPA deal for the firm’s data centers in Oklahoma. Italian energy and sustainability company Enel Group is strengthening its presence in the U.S., acquiring a suite of solar projects across three southern states. And in upstate New York, PowerBank has added 60 MWh of battery storage with a portfolio of three new projects. Keep reading for all the details!
Enel Group acquires 287 MW solar portfolio across the Southeast
In an effort to expand its presence in the U.S., Italian energy and sustainability technology firm Enel Group has acquired a solar portfolio stretching across three states making up the U.S.’s southeastern seaboard.
Made up of a group of seven different solar plants in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, the acquisition is worth about $140 million, Enel representatives say. The deal aims to jumpstart the company’s U.S. business by involving the firm with assets already in operation.
Bright spot: Between the seven plants, the acquisition package sports an annual energy output of about 0.4 TWh per year, Enel says. Following the acquisition’s closure, the company estimates a positive net effect of about $20 million per year for its consolidated EBITDA numbers.
This acquisition marks Enel Group’s first foray into each of the three states, but the firm already has U.S.-based operations in other regions, like its hydroelectric plant in North Bend, Washington. In the realm of solar, the company already has the 556 MWdc GulfStar solar plant in Wharton County, Texas, near Houston.
The three-state solar deal is still subject to regulatory approval processes, but is expected to officially close by the end of 2026.
MN8 Energy energizes 100 MW battery project in southern California
MN8 Energy LLC has completed construction on and energized its Pome standalone battery energy storage system (BESS) project, located in Poway, about 20 miles north of San Diego.
The 100 MW / 400 MWh battery system is fully contracted to California-based Sonoma Clean Power (SCP) under a 10-year agreement. SCP will use the new facility to store and later dispatch energy to the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) market. The project is located on just under four acres of land in San Diego County’s industrial area, and adds “critical flexibility and resilience” to California’s straining grid.
“As renewable energy grows to even greater scale in California, so does the need for flexibility and resilience,” says Jon Yoder, president and CEO of MN8 Energy. “MN8 is proud to bring the Pome storage project online to serve Sonoma Clean Power and its customers, providing fast‑responding capacity that can support California’s grid within seconds.”
Bright spot: With the addition of the Pome project, MN8 now has an operating storage portfolio of about 1.5 GWh when it comes to grid-scale capacity. Over its first decade of operation, the project is expected to generate about $20 million in revenue, and about $28 million in new property tax contributions.
“Battery storage like Pome is how we turn California’s abundance of renewable energy into reliable, affordable power,” says Geof Syphers, CEO of Sonoma Clean Power. “This project strengthens the grid and moves us closer to the 24/7 clean energy future we’ve been building toward since day one.”
PowerBank adds 60 MWh of battery storage in upstate New York
Torontonian energy infrastructure development firm PowerBank Corp. has added 60 MWh worth of battery storage capacity, across three projects in upstate New York.
Executing three battery lease agreements known as the Round Hill Rd project, the Montana Rd project and Genesee Rd project, the company expects to be eligible for energy storage incentives. As part of the the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Retail Storage Incentive Program, companies are eligible for state-level benefits and compensation.
Each of the new projects has the capacity to hold up to 5 MWac, discharging up to four hours per project. In total, the projects can support up to 60 MWh of combined storage, helping PowerBank fill a role in one of the fastest growing segments of the energy industry.
Bright spot: The projects will contribute to the global spiking of battery storage, PowerBank says, with recent reports saying 108 GW of new capacity was deployed globally last year. In the U.S. alone, 2025’s battery installation numbers were up 52% from 2024, largely due to the rise in renewable energy sources, and a need for higher electricity capacity thanks to AI data centers.
PowerBank is currently in the process of initiating its screening analysis of the interconnection process, officials say. In anticipation of grid interconnection approval, the company is working to complete the permitting process for each project.
OCI, CPS Energy break ground on Alamo City BESS project
OCI Energy, CPS Energy, and project teams broke ground on their Alamo City Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project on May 19.
Located in southeastern Bexar County on the outskirts of San Antonio, the project will be one of the largest of its kind in the region once complete. The battery system is expressly designed to strengthen the San Antonio area of the Texan energy grid during peak times, the companies say.
“This project represents a significant step forward toward realizing a more resilient, reliable energy system that San Antonians can be truly proud of,” says OCI Energy president Sabah Bayatli, President. “This groundbreaking reflects years of thoughtful coordination, planning, and hard work – and once completed, it will help the electric system better manage peak demand events.”
Bright spot: The 120 MW / 480 MWh project will be capable of powering about 30,000 homes for up to four hours. The battery will be able to take some of the strain off of the statewide grid, delivering power efficiently and shifting from one electricity source to another.
Rudy D. Garza, president and CEO of CPS Energy, says that storage is a “critical component” of the two firms’ preparation for the future, both in short and long term. The project is expected to enter commercial operation in 2027, the two firms say.
“Projects like Alamo City BESS give us the flexibility to meet growing demand, integrate more diverse energy resources, and ensure our community has reliable power when it matters most,” he says.
Spearmint Energy secures project financing for Red Egret BESS project
Large-scale battery storage company Spearmint Energy has closed on $450 million in financing in support of its Red Egret project in Texas City, Texas, near Galveston.
The full financing package includes a construction facility, an Investment Tax Credit transfer, and preferred equity for the company. That construction facility comprises about $225 million, and is provided by a consortium of different banks, the company says, led by First Citizens Bank and Investec.
Bright spot: Construction on the project has already begun, and will be the fourth project that Minnesotan firm M.A. Mortenson Co. will build for Spearmint. Additionally, once completed in 2027, the project will push Spearmint’s portfolio over the 1.5 GWh mark across four different projects.
Spearmint founder, president, and CEO Andrew Waranch says the company currently operates 350 MW / 700 MWh on Texas’s ERCOT grid alone. Red Egret will be key for the firm, he says, as it works to relieve the state’s struggling grid with increased electrification and other large-load projects taking up much of its capacity.
“As aging grid infrastructure meets unprecedented growth in electricity demand, this financing supports Spearmint’s ability to increase energy resilience in ERCOT through battery energy storage systems,” he says. “Through our development of Red Egret, we are working to strengthen reliability and deliver safe, cost-effective power to homes and businesses in Texas City and throughout the Texas Gulf Coast.”
Enlight, Google sign PPA for Oklahoman data center operations
Israeli solar and wind project developer Enlight Renewable Energy has signed a power purchase agreement with Google for the tech giant’s Oklahoma data center technology.
Led by Clēnera, Enlight’s U.S. based subsidiary, the agreement revolves around the company’s upcoming Solstice project. Located in Oklahoma, the team expects to see the project’s completion in 2029, and the site will then provide Google with 200 MWac in solar energy. Enlight also plans on including an 800 MWh battery energy storage capacity expansion for Solstice, in a later construction phase.
Enlight CEO Adi Leviatan says the Solstice project and its attached PPA “marks a new chapter” for Enlight and Clēnera’s work in the U.S.
“By signing this agreement with Google, we are expanding our U.S. customer base beyond utilities to large load commercial customers, including the fast-growing data center sector,” he says. “These customers require high-quality, high-capacity projects that can be delivered with speed and certainty. Enlight and Clēnera have built the capabilities, pipeline and execution track record to meet this demand, and we believe this agreement is only the beginning of a significant growth opportunity for our U.S. business.”
Bright spot: Will Conkling, director of energy and power for Google, says his company is striving for sustainable growth for its AI data centers. The company adds that Solstice will supply all power for the company’s data center needs in the Sooner State, with no external power required.
“This new agreement with Clēnera will help bring more power generation online in Oklahoma, contributing to a more robust, affordable, and reliable energy system for all,” Conkling says.
