Alabama Power will develop a utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS), called the Gorgas battery facility, on the former Plant Gorgas site in Walker County. The new seven-acre facility will store up to 150 MW of electricity generated by other Alabama Power resources, equivalent to the capacity required to power about 9,000 homes.
The facility will be designed as a standalone system that will connect to and charge directly from the electric grid. The lithium-ion phosphate batteries preparing the system will have a two-hour duration, with the ability to recharge in over two hours. Batteries can also help integrate additional clean energy resources into the company’s generation mix, providing complementary technology for variable, weather-dependent resources, like solar.
The decision to reuse the retired site highlights Alabama Power’s focus on sustainable solutions, reinforcing its community commitment. Also, batteries can charge when energy costs are lower and discharge when energy costs are higher, helping keep costs down, and supplying energy to the grid quickly in response to changing conditions.
While construction will initiate in 2025, the project is estimated to be completed by 2027.