Overview
- Ørsted’s Old 300 Storage reached commercial operation Thursday, Aug. 6, and is fully integrated into the ERCOT grid as a 250 MW/500 MWh battery energy storage system.
- The BESS is collocated with the 430 MW Old 300 Solar farm but is operated independently so it can charge from and dispatch to the wider ERCOT grid when needed.
- Ørsted procured Tesla Megapacks built at Tesla’s Lathrop, California megafactory, using factory-integrated units that reduce on-site assembly and speed deployment.
- Ørsted says the combined solar and storage site will generate about $110 million in property tax revenue for local services and the company and Tesla provided training to the Needville Fire Department on Megapack safety protocols.
- The new battery raises Ørsted’s U.S. onshore operating portfolio to roughly 6 GW and adds fast-response services—two-hour energy, frequency and voltage support—that help ease tight supply margins in Texas.