Green Mountain Power Among Top Utilities in the Country for Energy Storage
Stored Energy Helps Cut Costs For All Customers and Increases Local Renewable Power
COLCHESTER, Vt. – In partnership with customers, Green Mountain Power’s (GMP) pioneering stored energy programs win national recognition as the company again earns a spot on the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) Top 10. This is the third year in a row that GMP has landed on this prestigious list for most battery storage connected to the grid. With continued cost pressures from the bulk grid, batteries are key because it is a proactive way GMP can help drive down costs for customers, while also increasing resiliency with more frequent and severe storms.
“GMP is a great partner with the City of Rutland and we’ve been proud to host one of their innovative solar and storage facilities. Stafford Hill is making great use of a former landfill while generating power and the battery storage is making the grid stronger,” said Rutland’s Mayor David Allaire.
“Energy storage is a game-changer for our customers, and it is great to see team Vermont once again working together on solutions and leading the way in the country on a new energy future, as we know the status quo is not sustainable,” said GMP President and CEO Mary Powell. “Using batteries to store renewable energy generated right here in Vermont not only helps to reduce carbon emissions by bringing more clean power to the grid, but storage also is saving our customers money – more than $600,000 saved over the last year alone. Energy storage is a critical part of how GMP plans to deliver clean, cost effective, and reliable power to Vermonters,” Powell said.
GMP’s rates are second-lowest in New England, while its power supply is 90% carbon free and 60% renewable.
GMP landed at number 9 nationally on the utility energy storage list, with 17.5 megawatt-hours (MWh) installed in 2018 – the equivalent of being able to take about 6,000 homes off the grid during peak energy hours. The big factors in 2018 were GMP partnering with customers to add about 1,000 residential batteries and the company’s new solar and storage facility in Panton, Vermont came on line. It is already outperforming targets for generation, storage and offsetting costs. Three new GMP solar and storage facilities in Essex, Ferrisburgh and Milton are set to be on line in the coming weeks.
The 12th Annual Utility Market Survey collected figures from over 500 utilities across the country. “The utilities in the Top 10 are truly spearheading the progress we’ve seen in the electric sector this past year,” said Julia Hamm, SEPA’s President and CEO. “It goes beyond just energy storage – they are implementing replicable business models and paving the way to a clean and modern energy future, something that won’t be possible without utilities’ leadership and cooperation.”
The full Top 10 listings are available online at Smart Electric Power Alliance
About The Smart Electric Power Alliance
The Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) is dedicated to helping electric power stakeholders address the most pressing issues they encounter as they pursue the transition to a clean and modern electric future and a carbon-free energy system by 2050. We are a trusted partner providing education, research, standards, and collaboration to help utilities, electric customers, and other industry players across four pathways: Transportation Electrification, Grid Integration, Regulatory Innovation and Utility Business Models. Through educational activities, working groups, peer-to-peer engagements and advisory services, SEPA convenes interested parties to facilitate information exchange and knowledge transfer to offer the highest value for our members and partner organizations. For more information, visit Smart Electric Power Alliance.
About Green Mountain Power
Green Mountain Power (GMP) serves approximately 265,000 residential and business customers in Vermont and is partnering with them to improve lives and transform communities. GMP is focused on a new way of doing business to meet the needs of customers with integrated energy services that help people use less energy and save money, while continuing to generate clean, cost-effective and reliable power in Vermont. GMP earned a spot on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in the World list three years in a row (2017, 2018, 2019). GMP is the first utility in the world to get a B Corp certification, meeting rigorous social, environmental, accountability and transparency standards and committing to use business as a force for good. J.D. Power’s 2018 rankings put GMP among top utilities for customer satisfaction.
Kristin Kelly, Green Mountain Power
(802) 318-0872
[email protected]