Orange and Rockland Utilities, Convergent Energy and Power Bring new Battery Storage System Online to Support a More Cost-Effective, Reliable, Sustainable Electric Grid

Orange and Rockland Utilities (O&R) and Convergent Energy and Power (Convergent), a leading provider of energy storage solutions in North America, announced the completion of a 12MW / 57 MWh battery storage system in Warwick, N.Y. The system is the first non-wires alternative project of its kind in Orange County.

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“New technologies give us new options. Using those options, we can build a more resilient energy system while minimizing future costs to our customers. Working with third-party developers, we are incorporating world-class solutions to meet the local needs of our energy system and our communities.”

The system, designed, constructed, and operated by Convergent, will deliver more cost-effective, reliable, and sustainable electricity to 7,500 O&R customers in the Orange County communities of the Town of Warwick and the Village of Warwick, and parts of the villages of Florida and Greenwood Lake and the hamlet of Pine Island.

Energy storage (typically battery storage) offers utilities a way to increase capacity on the electric grid by charging the batteries when electricity demand is low and discharging them back onto the grid when high demand could impact supply. This program stems from O&R’s concerted effort to reduce costs for customers and incorporate new technologies to maintain efficient, resilient, reliable, and sustainable electric operations.

Through a competitive bidding process, O&R selected Convergent to cost-effectively increase capacity at its Wisner substation in Warwick, creating benefits for customers by supplementing electric supply on high-demand days and providing substation backup, thereby increasing service reliability. In addition, as wholesale and retail energy markets develop and mature, Convergent will be able to sell power from battery storage system into those markets to earn additional revenue, further reducing the cost of the system.

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Orange & Rockland President and CEO Robert Sanchez said, “This project represents a positive, innovative achievement in O&R’s continuous efforts to provide more sustainable, local power while minimizing its costs to our customers.”

Sanchez added, “The battery project opens the door to a more sustainable energy future for our customers.”

Convergent Chief Operating and Financial Officer Frank Genova said, “Convergent is powering the clean energy transition through AI-powered energy storage, which is critical to a more sustainable, cost-effective and reliable electric grid. O&R’s decision to add battery storage demonstrates their commitment to their customers, their preparedness and strategic planning, and their willingness to embrace contemporary solutions to meet increasing demands on our energy infrastructure.”

The 12MW solution is composed of three separate 4MW battery storage systems. Two of the systems are located on property owned by the Warwick Valley Central School District, and the third system is located within the Village of Warwick.

New energy products and services, such as this battery storage system for O&R, provide the region with environmental benefits, while also creating economic opportunity. The battery system supports New York State’s initiative to install 3,000 MW of energy storage by 2030. Under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) passed in 2018, New York State is mandated to achieve 70 % renewable energy by 2030 and 100 % zero-emission electricity by 2040.

O&R Director – Utility of the Future Andre Wellington said, “New technologies give us new options. Using those options, we can build a more resilient energy system while minimizing future costs to our customers. Working with third-party developers, we are incorporating world-class solutions to meet the local needs of our energy system and our communities.”

The project will connect to the O&R system through O&R’s overhead distribution lines. The project will allow O&R to delay building costly new infrastructure that is designed to accommodate energy use at its peak—an event that occurs only a few times during the year.

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