Glendale Water & Power (GWP) has been named as one of a select group of utilities with the most storage to the grid in 2017, earning it a spot on the annual Top 10 utility industry lists compiled by the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA).

In survey results released yesterday, April 25, GWP ranked No. 5 on the Utility Energy Storage List for “Most New Storage Megawatts” with its two megawatt (MW) OR 22.9 watts-per-customer Battery Energy Storage Project installed at the newly renovated Grandview substation completed in 2017. The 2018 listings are the first time GWP has made SEPA’s Top 10.

Awards are given in four categories: Top 10 utilities for most new solar megawatts and most new watts per customer, and Top 10 utilities for most new storage megawatts and most watts per customer. The Top 10 winners in all categories were recognized at the organization’s flagship utility event, the SEPA Utility Conference, this year being held in Rancho Mirage. The 11th annual survey collected figures from over 400 utilities across the country on solar, energy storage and demand response connected to the grid in 2017 and since 2007 for solar.

“GWP is honored to have made it on the SEPA Energy Storage top 10 list for its Grandview Substation 2MW Battery Energy Storage Project,” stated Steve Zurn, general manager of GWP. “Embracing innovative technologies puts GWP in the forefront of municipal utilities that are seeking to improve electric reliability. We are currently looking into incorporating more Battery Energy Storage into our integrated plan and will strive to make it to the top of SEPA’s distinguished list.”

GWP’s 2 MW Battery Energy Storage system is one of the fastest responding storage systems for any municipal utility in Southern California. GWP will utilize and evaluate the BESS as it is integrated into the daily system and from there expand the operation to include additional and larger battery storage projects as a key component of its resource portfolio. The full scale BESS will support the integration of renewable resources by mitigating the intermittent energy supplied by renewable resources such as photovoltaic and wind.

“This year’s Top 10 lists reflect a pivotal moment in the U.S. energy transition, as utilities increasingly focus on solar and storage as distributed resources providing value to customers and the grid,” said Julia Hamm, president and CEO of SEPA. “Beyond its impressive numbers, GWP embodies a strong model for innovation and leadership that utilities cross the country will continue to build on as we move toward a clean, smart and resilient energy future.”

The full Top 10 listings are available online at www.sepatop10.org.