Concurrent plans to develop 200 megawatts of battery storage in Kansas to improve Southwest Power Pool’s grid reliability

Photos Courtesy of Concurrent LLC

HALSTEAD, KS – October 16th, 2023 – Concurrent LLC (“Concurrent”), an independent power producer and energy storage developer based in Boston, MA, today announced the submission of a transmission-level battery energy storage system (BESS) interconnection application to Independent System Operator (ISO) Southwest Power Pool (SPP) in Halstead, Kansas. The project, named Tallgrass Prairie Energy Center, has a planned capacity of 200-megawatts(MW) and up to 800-megawatt-hours(MWh), enough energy to power approximately 200,000 homes for up to 4 hours.

Ethan Reimer, Halstead’s City Manager, said “The City of Halstead is excited to enter into a lease-purchase option agreement with Concurrent for land in the Halstead Industrial Park. This agreement allows for both the city and the developer to thoroughly investigate and determine whether the proposed future Tallgrass Prairie Energy Center is best suited to be located in our industrial park, while providing an immediate economic benefit to our city. We look forward to continuing to work with Concurrent and Harvey County Economic Development (EDC) on this project. The future potential of this project, should it move forward, presents exciting opportunities for all.”

The Lithium-Ion battery facility, which would electrically interconnect into Evergy’s transmission system, will help to relieve excessive demand on the electrical grid by storing renewable energy being generated at times where energy demand is low and allowing it to be delivered when demand is high. This enables the system to function as a critical backup resource to other types of generation that help to keep electricity costs down and prevent power outages for an electricity grid that is increasingly characterized by its intermittent generation and rising demand. The project, estimated to be commercially operational by early 2027, is expected to create as many as 50 new jobs and would be a significant source of ad valorem tax revenue for the surrounding area.

“The demand for new renewable power, including wind and solar generation, is accelerating across the globe. Battery storage is a critical component in turning intermittent renewable power generation into affordable, clean energy that works to enhance SPP’s grid reliability. The prospect of bringing this project into service demonstrates our commitment to advancing the development of key energy infrastructure across the country,” said Jesse Allen, Partner & Chief Development Officer at Concurrent.

Concurrent is a bourgeoning renewable energy developer, owner, and operator in the United States. With offices in Boston, MA and San Antonio, TX, the company is actively developing over 1 GW of utility-scale energy storage power projects in multiple states across the US. Concurrent’s experienced development team transforms underutilized land tracts into reliable power projects that help stabilize our electricity grids, create new revenue streams for landowners, and support local economies. We provide end-to-end support for battery storage investors and developers, from early-stage development through commercial operation. For more information on Concurrent LLC, contact us or follow us on LinkedIn.

Carrie Allen
Concurrent
media@concurrentllc.com

Ethan Reimer, City Manager
City of Halstead
ereimer@halsteadks.com

Beth Shelton, Executive Director
Harvey County EDC
beth@harveycoedc.org

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