On August 15, 2022, Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee along with the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (OER), Agilitas Energy, and Pascoag Utility District (PUD), a quasi-municipal utility, announced the opening of the state’s first utility scale battery system. The 3 MW battery storage system will reduce the burden on the electric grid and enhance reliability during peak electricity demand. Through the utility-scale energy storage system, PUD will be able to meet the community’s growing energy demand, eliminating the need for transmission infrastructure upgrades and saving customers up to $12 million dollars. OER provided technical assistance and a $250,000 grant from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Program for the battery storage development. In addition, PUD secured a low interest rate $1.4 million dollar loan from the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank through the OER Efficient Buildings Fund. Agilitas Energy installed and currently manages the battery energy storage system located in Pascoag, Rhode Island. “The Office of Energy Resources is proud to be a partner in this battery storage development, by providing technical assistance and a grant from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Program,” said Interim State Energy Commissioner Christopher Kearns. “The Pascoag Utility District was an ideal candidate for the installation of a grid scale energy storage system. This development will make it possible to store more of the clean energy that is coming online each year, as our state presses forward with our Act on Climate goals.” More information about the utility-scale energy storage system can be found here and a video documenting the process can be found here.