The Bluewater Renewable Energy Storage Project is designed to store renewable power when plentiful, for use when electricity is in high demand. Bluewater will help stabilize developing and existing electric infrastructure and assist with maximizing the use of all forms of renewable energy that are intermittent by nature.
With a generating capacity of 500 MWs over long 10-hour duration periods, this storage will provide vital “load balancing” to California’s electricity system grid by dispatching carbon-free energy quickly during peak usage and storing unused surplus renewable energy during low-demand high-generation periods. This load balancing helps prevent the type of power outages that occurred in 2020 and help relieve the stress that was experienced during fall 2022 heatwave. Bluewater also provides “black-start” capability allowing the project to generate electricity after an unexpected grid outage.
California established (2018 SB 100 and 2022 SB 1020) renewable energy commitments and set ambitious renewable energy targets of 90% by 2035, 95% by 2040 and 100% by 2045. As a result, renewable, GHG emissions-free generation and high-capacity long duration storage are needed more than ever, to optimize the contribution of plentiful but intermittent renewable sources like solar that are unavailable during peak evening periods and throughout the night.
At the same time, baseload generation is challenged with the urgency to retire the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant and to retire gas-generation facilities. Additional impacts to baseload generation from loss of hydroelectric power due to the severe and likely ongoing drought conditions, make long duration storage critical, to ensure surplus solar and wind energy can be stored for use 24 hours a day.