Calistoga Resiliency Center
{{Short description|Hydrogen and battery power plant in Calistoga, California}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox power station
| name = Calistoga Resiliency Center
| coordinates = {{Coord|38|34|36|N|122|34|14|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| country = United States
| location = Calistoga, California
| status = Under Construction
| owner = Energy Vault
| ps_site_area = 0.71 acres{{cite web | url=https://ceqanet.opr.ca.gov/2023060492 | title=Calistoga Resiliency Center | date=June 19, 2023 }}
| ps_units_operational = 6 Fuel Cell units
4 BESS units
| ps_electrical_capacity = 8.5 MW
| ps_storage_capacity = 293 MWh
}}
The Calistoga Resiliency Center is a long-duration energy storage and power generation facility located in Calistoga, California, United States.{{Cite web |title=Calistoga Resiliency Center (Microgrid) |url=https://www.ci.calistoga.ca.us/city-hall/departments-services/public-works/calistoga-resiliency-center |access-date=January 23, 2025 |website=City of Calistoga}} The facility utilizes a hybrid technology configuration which couples a lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) with a hydrogen fuel cell power plant to produce a combined 8.5 MW of peak power and 293 MWh of total stored energy.{{Cite web |title=California regulators approve PG&E, Energy Vault green hydrogen and battery microgrid |url=https://www.utilitydive.com/news/california-pacific-gas-and-electric-energy-vault-green-hydrogen-battery-microgrid/648995/ |access-date=2025-01-23 |website=Utility Dive |language=en-US}} When operating under average power demand, the facility is capable of providing up to 48 hours of continuous power to the City of Calistoga. The project utilizes electrolytic green hydrogen compliant with the State of California's Renewable Portfolio Standard.{{Cite web |last=Tran |first=Vicky |date=2024-08-20 |title=Construction Begins on Long-Duration Energy Storage and Green Hydrogen Microgrid Project in California |url=https://gh2forclimate.org/construction-begins-on-long-duration-energy-storage-and-green-hydrogen-microgrid-project-in-california/ |access-date=2025-01-23 |website=GHC |language=en-US}} Once fully operational, the project is expected to be the largest green hydrogen long-duration energy storage project in the United States.{{Cite web |date=February 28, 2024 |title=Energy Vault starts building green hydrogen storage project |url=https://www.pv-magazine.com/2024/02/28/energy-vault-starts-building-green-hydrogen-storage-project/ |access-date=January 23, 2025 |website=PV Magazine}}
The facility is designed to operate primarily as a microgrid, providing backup power to the City of Calistoga during local electrical grid power outage resulting from Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events organized by regional electrical utility, PG&E.{{Cite web |date=April 27, 2023 |title=Draft Resolution E-5261 |url=https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M504/K799/504799896.PDF |access-date=January 23, 2025 |website=California Public Utilities Commission}}{{Cite web |date=April 27, 2023 |title=Results of Commission Meeting April 27, 2023 -- Agenda 3526 - REVISED |url=https://ia.cpuc.ca.gov/agendadocs/3526_results.pdf |access-date=January 23, 2025 |website=California Public Utilities Commission}} The facility produces no point-source criteria air pollutants or greenhouse gas emissions, a significant factor in the utility's motivation to develop the project.{{Cite web |date=December 30, 2022 |title=Advice 6808-E |url=https://www.pge.com/tariffs/assets/pdf/adviceletter/ELEC_6808-E.pdf |access-date=January 31, 2025 |website=pge.com}}
The Calistoga Resiliency Center is owned and operated by United States energy storage and technology company, Energy Vault. The facility is contracted to supply power to PG&E via a 10.5-year power tolling agreement. The system's ability to provide 48 hours of continuous electrical power results in its characterization as a long-duration energy storage (LDES) project by most industry sources.{{Cite web |date=February 22, 2024 |title=California city future home of country's largest green hydrogen storage system |url=https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2024/02/california-city-future-home-of-countrys-largest-green-hydrogen-storage-system/ |access-date=January 30, 2025 |website=Solar Power World}} The United States Department of Energy defines LDES as any energy storage system capable of providing 10 or more hours of electrical power.{{Cite web |title=Long-Duration Energy Storage |url=https://www.energy.gov/oced/long-duration-energy-storage |access-date=January 30, 2025 |website=United States Department of Energy, Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations}}
Construction
Construction on the project began in February, 2024, with major equipment installation and microgrid construction completed in September, 2024. Final completion of the Calistoga Resiliency Center system was ongoing as of February 3rd, 2025.
Final delivery of the facility's 234-foot cryogenic hydrogen tank took place in August, 2024 and required escort by the California Highway Patrol as well as several temporary road closures due to its size.{{Cite web |last=Bowers |first=Wes |date=2024-08-07 |title=A 234-foot-long truck carrying hydrogen tank gets escort through Lodi |url=https://www.lodinews.com/news/article_5c09c9ba-5462-11ef-a900-8baf4cb8845f.html |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=Lodi News-Sentinel |language=}}{{Cite web |last=Eberling |first=Barry |date=2024-08-11 |title=Big hydrogen tank load creeps along Napa roads |url=https://archive.is/Nc4Fj#selection-3289.0-3298.0 |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=Napa Valley Register}}
Technical development
The Calistoga Resiliency Center is a hybrid energy storage system pairing four lithium-ion BESS enclosures with six hydrogen fuel cell units.{{Cite web |last=Ellis |first=Maliya |date=2024-10-02 |title=Napa Valley town hopes to avoid PG&E shutoffs with new energy facility |url=https://archive.is/0sauC |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=San Francisco Chronicle}} An 80,000 gallon onsite cryogenic hydrogen storage tank supplies the fuel cells.{{Cite web |last=Wilde |first=Danielle |date=2024-08-20 |title=Microgrid construction nears final stages |url=https://calistogatribune.com/microgrid-construction-nears-final-stages/ |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=Calistoga Tribune |language=en-US}} Hydrogen is delivered periodically via cryogenic tanker truck to replenish the onsite storage tank.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2023-06-19 |title=Calistoga Resiliency Center |url=https://ceqanet.opr.ca.gov/2023060492 |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=ceqanet.opr.ca.gov |publisher=California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)}} During operation, the system's batteries provide near-immediate power output, allowing a few minutes for the fuel cells to reach full power output and thereby relieve the batteries. It is the first such project to provide large-scale grid energy storage in this way, and has been described as a First of a Kind hybrid energy storage project for this reason.{{Cite web |last=Tisheva |first=Plamena |date=2024-02-23 |title=Energy Vault breaks ground on California hydrogen plus battery project |website= Renewables Now |url=https://renewablesnow.com/news/energy-vault-breaks-ground-on-california-hydrogen-plus-battery-project-849426/ |access-date=2025-01-31 |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=September 28, 2024 |title=Napa Valley town hopes to avoid PG&E power shutoffs with novel energy facility |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/climate/article/calistoga-energy-pge-shutoffs-19661569.php |website=San Francisco Chronicle |first=Maliya |last=Ellis}}
The primary use case of the facility is to operate as an islanding microgrid capable of acting as sole power source for the City of Calistoga during wider electrical grid outage. As such, the project is capable of black start and grid-forming operation, unlike most existing fuel cell power plants.{{Cite web |title=Calistoga Resiliency Center Frequently Asked Questions |url=https://www.ci.calistoga.ca.us/home/showpublisheddocument/40747/638593306957930000 |access-date=January 30, 2025 |website=City of Calistoga}} Initial testing and development of the system was conducted by Energy Vault in partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems (ARIES) program.{{Cite web |date=January 2025 |title=ARIES 2024 by NREL |url=https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy25osti/92617.pdf |access-date=January 30, 2025 |website=National Renewable Energy Laboratory ARIES}} PG&E verified all at-scale operational results conducted at NREL prior to project groundbreaking in Calistoga, California.
The system is also notable for its capture and utilization of daily hydrogen boil-off, the small quantity of cryogenic liquid hydrogen which vaporizes to gas. Rather than allowing this hydrogen to vent to the atmosphere it is utilized to offset the parasitic load of the system in standby.
The system's BESS units are supplied by Energy Vault, while proton exchange membrane fuel cell units are supplied by United States hydrogen fuel cell manufacturer, Plug Power.{{Cite web |title=Energy Vault selects Plug Power to Supply 8 MW of Hydrogen Fuel Cells as part of hybrid microgrid back-up system for PG&E and the city of Calistoga |url=https://www.ir.plugpower.com/press-releases/news-details/2023/Energy-Vault-selects-Plug-Power-to-Supply-8-MW-of-Hydrogen-Fuel-Cells-as-part-of-hybrid-microgrid-back-up-system-for-PGE-and-the-city-of-Calistoga/default.aspx |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=www.ir.plugpower.com |language=en-US}} The large onsite cryogenic hydrogen storage tank and supporting hydrogen equipment is provided by United States gas equipment manufacturer {{ill|Chart Industries|de}}.{{Cite web |date=February 24, 2023 |title=Chart Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2022 Earnings Call |url=https://s28.q4cdn.com/272789067/files/doc_financials/2022/q4/GTLS_Earnings_Presentation_Q4_2022-Final-2-24-23.pdf |access-date=April 9, 2025}}
History
The Calistoga Resiliency Center is one of several initiatives undertaken by PG&E and other utilities in response to directives from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to minimize risk of utility electrical infrastructure inadvertently causing wildfires, among other policy priorities.{{Cite web |title=Utility Wildfire Mitigation Plans |url=https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/industries-and-topics/wildfires/utility-wildfire-mitigation-plans |access-date=January 31, 2025 |website=California Public Utilities Commission}}{{Cite web |title=Wildfire Mitigation Plans |url=https://energysafety.ca.gov/what-we-do/electrical-infrastructure-safety/wildfire-mitigation-and-safety/wildfire-mitigation-plans/ |access-date=January 31, 2025 |website=Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety, California Natural Resources Agency}} These actions have come as anthropogenic climate change in California has driven hotter, drier conditions across the state that have resulted in a more frequent and destructive California wildfire season.{{Cite journal |last=Turco |first=Marco |display-authors=etal |date=June 12, 2023 |title=Anthropogenic climate change impacts exacerbate summer forest fires in California |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America|volume=120 |issue=25 |pages=e2213815120 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2213815120 |doi-access=free |pmid=37307438 |pmc=10288651 |bibcode=2023PNAS..12013815T }} Historically stretching from June to October of each year, in recent decades California wildfire season has grown longer and more intense.{{Cite web |last1=MacCarthy |first1=James |last2=Richter |first2=Jessica |date=January 14, 2025 |title=4 Graphics Explain Los Angeles' Rare and Devastating January Fires |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/los-angeles-fires-january-2025-explained#:~:text=In%20California%2C%20wildfire%20season%20typically,typically%20keep%20wildfire%20activity%20low. |access-date=January 31, 2025 |website=World Resources Institute}}{{Cite journal |last1=Li |first1=Shu |last2=Banerjee |first2=Tirtha |date=April 22, 2021 |title=Spatial and temporal pattern of wildfires in California from 2000 to 2019 |journal=Nature Scientific Reports|volume=11 |issue=1 |page=8779 |doi=10.1038/s41598-021-88131-9 |pmid=33888784 |pmc=8062671 |bibcode=2021NatSR..11.8779L }}
In response to this increasing fire risk, California investor-owned utility, San Diego Gas & Electric, first received approval from the CPUC in 2012 to preemptively de-energize its electrical infrastructure as a fire-prevention measure.{{Cite web |date=April 19, 2012 |title=Decision granting petition to modify decision 09-09-030 and adopting fire safety requirements for San Diego Gas & Electric Company |url=https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/WORD_PDF/FINAL_DECISION/165063.PDF |access-date=January 31, 2025 |website=California Public Utilities Commission}} This policy would come to be known as a Public Safety Power Shutoff and was formally extended by the CPUC to fellow large investor-owned utilities, PG&E, and Southern California Edison in 2018.{{Cite web |date=July 12, 2018 |title=Resolution extending de-energization reasonableness, notification, mitigation and reporting requirements in decision 12-04-024 to all electric investor owned utilities. |url=https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/publisheddocs/published/g000/m218/k186/218186823.pdf |access-date=January 31, 2025 |website=California Public Utilities Commission}}
Despite these and other fire-mitigation efforts, PG&E has been convicted of criminal negligence on several occasions for failure to maintain its electrical distribution and transmission infrastructure determined to have caused destructive California wildfires.{{Cite web |last1=Penn |first1=Ivan |last2=Eavis |first2=Peter |last3=Glanz |first3=James |date=March 18, 2019 |title=How PG&E Ignored Fire Risks in Favor of Profits |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/03/18/business/pge-california-wildfires.html |access-date=January 31, 2025 |website=New York Times}} Though PG&E was not found to be at fault for the devastating 2017 Tubbs Fire which burned substantial portions of Calistoga, it nevertheless settled those victims' claims as part of a complex $13.5 billion bankruptcy in 2019 stemming from liabilities of that and other fires.{{Cite web |last=Morris |first=J.D. |date=October 7, 2020 |title=On anniversary of Tubbs Fire, PG&E settlement shapes Sonoma County debate on future |url=https://archive.is/wJ98C |access-date=January 31, 2025 |website=San Francisco Chronicle}}
On January 14th, 2021, the California Public Utilities Commission issued Decision 21-01-018 "adopting rates, tariffs, and rules facilitating the commercialization of microgrids",{{Cite web |date=January 21, 2021 |title=Decision 21-01-018 |url=https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M361/K442/361442167.PDF |access-date=January 31, 2025 |website=California Public Utilities Commission}} in accordance with California State Senate Bill 1339. The decision affected the three largest electrical investor-owned utilities in California: Pacific Gas & Electric Company, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric. Among the objectives of the decision was to establish electrical microgrids serving communities most vulnerable to PSPS events.
In its March 5th, 2021 Advice Letter 6105-E, PG&E described its imminent 2021 "Temporary Generation Program"{{Cite web |date=March 5, 2021 |title=Advice 6105-E |url=https://www.pge.com/tariffs/assets/pdf/adviceletter/ELEC_6105-E.pdf |access-date=January 31, 2025 |website=pge.com}} supplying backup diesel generators to its electrical substations most likely to be impacted by PSPS events. Calistoga was identified as one of few sites where PG&E had previously developed a microgrid due to the area's high number of PSPS events.
On September 9, 2021, the CPUC further emphasized the requirement that PG&E develop at least one permanent clean substation microgrid in addition to temporary deployments.{{Cite web |date=September 9, 2021 |title=Resolution E-5164 |url=https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M397/K356/397356641.PDF |access-date=January 31, 2025 |website=California Public Utilities Commission}}
On November 30th, 2021 PG&E issued its Clean Substation Microgrid ("CSM") Pilot Request for Offer (RFO).{{Cite web |date=July 29, 2022 |title=Advice 6667-E |url=https://www.pge.com/tariffs/assets/pdf/adviceletter/ELEC_6667-E.pdf |access-date=January 31, 2025 |website=pge.com}}
On December 30th, 2022 PG&E announced Energy Vault as the winning counterparty for the CSM tender. The CPUC approved PG&E's proposal on April 27th, 2023, citing in part the need to replace the temporary diesel generators onsite in Calistoga.
References
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