Enel North America has announced the commencement of construction for the Ables Springs Solar + Storage Project in Texas. The project combines 186 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity with a 115-MW/169-MWh battery energy storage system. Located in Kaufman County, the project is expected to be operational by late 2024.
Stephen Pike, head of Enel North America's renewable energy business, Enel Green Power North America, emphasized the importance of the project in supporting grid stability, stating, “When ERCOT conditions tightened this winter, Enel's solar and storage plants provided crucial generation and quick-response batteries that helped keep the lights and heat on.”
Enel North America, the North American arm of Italian utility group Enel SpA, is the largest operator of utility-scale energy storage in Texas. The state is witnessing a growing adoption of batteries to ensure grid stability amid extreme weather events and increasing power demand. The Ables Springs project marks Enel's 17th renewables project in Texas, adding to its installed base of 3.8 GW of wind and solar capacity and over 1 GW of grid-scale storage in the state.
The project was developed by Enel in collaboration with Red River Renewable Energy LLC, a joint venture between SunChase Power LLC and Eolian LP.
