MASSIVE BATTERY FARM IN WORKS FOR SJ COUNTY

A battery energy storage complex that could provide the energy needs of 300,000 homes concurrently is being proposed 22 miles to the southwest of Manteca.

The 400-megawatt storage facility would tie into PG&E’s Tesla substation near the Alameda-San Joaquin County line.

As such, one day it could store electricity needed to help power homes and businesses in Manteca, Ripon, and Lathrop as California moves toward a goal of 100 percent “clean” energy by 2045.

Such battery storage farms are needed in order to save excess electricity generated when the sun is out, and the wind is blowing for use when solar panels and/or wind turbines aren’t generating power.

The Korda Energy Storage project will consist of 500 free standing batteries that are each 20 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 9.5 feet tall.

It will be one of the largest, if not the largest, battery energy storage farm in California when it becomes operational.

The project before the San Joaquin County Planning Commission when they meet Thursday at 6 p.m. in Stockton will be four times larger than a similar facility getting ready to move forward in Ripon.

The Ripon project with a capacity of 100 megawatts is being pursued immediately west of the Flying J Truck Plaza.

It is planned for a 4.9-acre triangle parcel bordered on the north by Santos Avenue, on the east by Frontage Road along with Highway 99, and Flying J.

A PG&E substation is located in the southern part of the property.

The Tesla mega battery packs — or similar batteries — will be placed in 11 rows. Eight of those rows will go the width of the property with eight feet between rows. The longest row will approach 600 feet in length.

Three shorter rows of battery packs will be place east of the Ripon substation.

The county project being proposed is south of Tracy along Patterson Pass Road some 2,000 feet south of Midway Road.

The 40-acre Korda site with be about 9/10th of a mile east of Interstate 580.

It is part of a 106-acre agricultural parcel. A $30,000 fee will need to be paid for withdrawing the 40 acres out of a Williamson Act contract that sets property assessments at a lower rate to help assure the economic viability of farming.

The 400-megawatt storage facility has a 35-year life expectancy. It is expected to be operational by 2025.

One megawatt, on average, supplies the needs of 750 homes.

For an idea of what that means, it is enough power for 26,000 plus homes or the equivalent of 11.5 cities the size of Manteca.

Manteca has roughly 26,000 housing units and a population of 90,000.

PG&E as of the end of 2023 had contracts for battery energy storage systems totaling more than 3,330 MW of capacity being deployed throughout California through 2024.

https://www.mantecabulletin.com/news/local-news/massive-battery-farm-works-sj-county/