Tucson Electric Power (TEP) plans to build the 200 MW Roadrunner Reserve II, the company’s second large BESS, in southeast Tucson.
The system, which will store 800 MWh, is scheduled to come online in 2026, a year after the similarly sized Roadrunner Reserve is expected to begin operations at the same site.
The side-by-side systems are expected to become the largest energy storage systems in TEP’s portfolio.
“Our new Roadrunner Reserve II system will help us make the most of intermittent resources, especially during the summer when usage is highest and customers count on us most,” says Susan Gray, President and CEO of TEP.
“We need additional energy storage as part of a diversified energy portfolio to support security of supply.”
The projects will be located adjacent to a TEP substation in the southeast. Construction of the Roadrunner Reserve is underway, while construction of the Roadrunner Reserve II is scheduled to begin later this year.
TEP currently has 50 MW of storage capacity, including a 30 MW BESS at the Wilmot Energy Center.
The company will own and operate both systems, which will be designed and built by Scottsdale-based DEPCOM Power. Both systems will use lithium iron phosphate battery units.
TEP and its parent company UNS Energy are subsidiaries of Fortis.
