FirstEnergy Generation Corp., a subsidiary of Akron, Ohio-based FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) has purchased the rights to
develop a compressed-air electric generating plant on a 92-acre site in Norton, Ohio,
from CAES Development Company, LLC.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The transaction includes rights to a 600-acre
underground cavern, formerly operated as a limestone mine, that is said to be ideal for energy
storage technology.
“The compressed-air technology envisioned at this site would essentially operate
like a large battery, storing energy at night for use during the day when it is needed,” said
Anthony J. Alexander, president and CEO of FirstEnergy. “Because
many renewable energy sources–such as wind–are intermittent, they don’t always
produce power when electricity demand is high. The energy storage aspects of this
project would provide a way to harness renewable energy to be used when customers
need it, making this project a key component to our region’s overall renewable energy
strategy.”
Similar to pumped-hydro storage–where water is pumped up to a reservoir then
released through a turbine to produce electricity during peak periods–compressed-air
technology involves compressing air in an underground cavern or other chamber during
the evening–when electricity demand is lower–and releasing it during the day, when
the need for electricity is greater.
“A compressed-air energy storage project of this size has the potential to be a
major step in advancing electricity storage and balancing load demand,” said Arshad
Mansoor, vice president of Power Delivery and Utilization at the Electric Power
Research Institute (EPRI). “This could be a key component in integrating large-scale intermittent
renewables onto the nation’s grid system.”
The company is evaluating its options related to the project, but has not yet
committed to development scope or timing. However, an initial phase could involve
installing two to four units capable of generating a minimum of 268 megawatts (MW) of
electricity, the company said.
With 9.6 million cubic meters of storage, the Norton Energy Storage Project theoretically can be expanded to up to 2,700 MW of capacity.
Currently, there are two commercial-scale compressed air electric generating
facilities: a 110 MW plant in McIntosh, Ala., operated by PowerSouth Cooperative that
began service in 1991; and a 290 MW facility in Bremen, Germany, that has been in
operation since 1978. While there are other compressed-air projects under development,
none is expected to be comparable in size and scope to the Norton facility.
In April, FirstEnergy announced plans to repower units 4 and 5 at its R.E. Burger
Plant in Shadyside, Ohio, to generate electricity principally with biomass.
FirstEnergy currently has more than 800 MW of renewable capacity, including pumped-
storage hydro and wind power.
FirstEnergy is a diversified energy company headquartered in Akron, Ohio. Its
subsidiaries and affiliates are involved in the generation, transmission and distribution of
electricity, as well as energy management and other energy-related services. Its seven
electric utility operating companies comprise the nation’s fifth largest investor-owned
electric system, based on 4.5 million customers served, within a 36,100-square-mile area
of Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey; and its generation subsidiaries control more than
14,000 megawatts of capacity.
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