Stanton Battery Energy Storage
{{Short description|Battery storage power station in Stanton, California}}
{{Infobox power station
| name = Stanton Battery Energy Storage (SBES)
| coordinates = {{Coord|33|48|24.3864|N|117|59|15.4968|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| country = United States
| location = Stanton, California
| status = In operation
| construction_began = February, 2023
| commissioned = July, 2023
| owner = W Power, LLC
| operator = Wellhead Electric Company, Inc.
| ps_storage_capacity = 68.8 MW / 275.2 MWh
}}
Stanton Battery Energy Storage (SBES) is a 68.8 MW / 275.2 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) located in Stanton, California.{{Cite web |last=Chung |first=Sonia |date=2023-12-18 |title=Stanton Opens 68.8-Megawatt Battery Storage Site |url=https://www.ocbj.com/technology/stanton-opens-68-8-megawatt-battery-storage-site/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250506010131/https://www.ocbj.com/technology/stanton-opens-68-8-megawatt-battery-storage-site/ |archive-date=May 6, 2025 |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=Orange County Business Journal |language=en-US}} The facility uses lithium-ion battery cells manufactured by Samsung and was, at the time of its completion, the 15th-largest standalone battery operating within the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) market.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-07 |title=New battery facility in Stanton supports California's transition to renewable energy |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2023/12/07/new-battery-facility-in-stanton-supports-californias-transition-to-renewable-energy/ |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=Orange County Register |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Ascend's SmartBidderâ„¢ Helps Bring Wellhead Energy's 68.8 MW Stanton Battery Energy Storage Project Online in CAISO |url=https://www.ascendanalytics.com/blog/ascend-analytics-smart-bidder-tm-helps-bring-wellhead-energys-68-8-mw-stanton-battery-energy-storage-project-online-in-caiso |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=www.ascendanalytics.com |language=en-US}}
The facility is operated by Wellhead Electric Company, a California-based Independent Power Producer (IPP).{{Cite web |date=2023-11-09 |title=Energy Vault, Wellhead, W Power Begin Commercial Operation for Stanton BESS |url=https://www.turbomachinerymag.com/view/energy-vault-wellhead-w-power-begin-commercial-operation-for-stanton-bess |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=Turbo Machinery Magazine |language=en}} Wellhead also operates the physically adjacent Stanton Energy Reliability Center (SERC), a 98 MW natural gas-fired simple cycle power plant with accompanying 10 MW BESS.{{Cite web |last=Commission |first=California Energy |date=May 5, 2025 |title=Stanton Energy Reliability Center |url=https://www.energy.ca.gov/powerplant/simple-cycle/stanton-energy-reliability-center |access-date= |website=www.energy.ca.gov |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Stanton Energy Reliability Center, LLC |url=https://www.wellhead.com/stanton-energy-reliability-center-llc |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=Wellhead - MVP |language=en}} Stanton Battery Energy Storage was developed in part to allow for the phase-out of the natural gas portion of the existing SERC facility, which currently operates infrequently only as a peaker plant.{{Cite web |last=Kobayashi-Solomon |first=Erik |title=Energy Vault's Business Is Building Momentum |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkobayashisolomon/2024/02/29/energy-vaults-business-is-building-momentum/ |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=Forbes |language=en}}
Development
Construction on Stanton Battery Energy Storage began in February, 2023 and lasted 5 months. The facility reached its commercial operation date (COD) in July, 2023. Energy Storage technology company Energy Vault provided the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) services and Energy Management System software for the project.{{Cite web |last=Murray |first=Cameron |date=2022-09-12 |title=Energy Vault to start deploying 275MWh BESS in California; adds to existing pipeline |url=https://www.energy-storage.news/energy-vault-to-start-deploying-275mwh-bess-in-california-adds-to-existing-pipeline/ |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=Energy-Storage.News |language=en-US}}
A $60 million investment tax credit (ITC) transfer for the project was completed by W Power, LLC, and Wellhead in November 2023. As a result, SBES was among the first projects to benefit from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 having expanded the ITC to include standalone energy storage.{{Cite web |last=Murray |first=Cameron |date=2023-11-21 |title=US$60 million tax credit transfer completed for W Power, Wellhead & Energy Vault's 275MWh California BESS |url=https://www.energy-storage.news/us60-million-tax-credit-transfer-completed-for-w-power-wellhead-energy-vaults-275mwh-california-bess/ |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=Energy-Storage.News |language=en-US}}
An official ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for the facility on December 6, 2023.