Dallas sees the launch of SMT Energy's initial autonomous battery power storage system within its boundaries
In a significant development for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), SMT Energy has energized SMT Dallas, a 10 MW / 15 MWh standalone battery energy storage system (BESS) in Dallas, Texas. This marks the first standalone BESS project brought online within the City of Dallas, contributing to the growth of urban energy storage infrastructure in the ERCOT market.
The construction of SMT Dallas was carried out by Irby Construction under a full-wrap Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract. Irby Construction, a Quanta Services company, is known for its specialization in transmission, substation, distribution, and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) construction across the U.S. The company's extensive experience in the electric power infrastructure industry, spanning over 75 years, was instrumental in the successful completion of the project.
SMT Dallas will begin operations in July as a fully merchant project. As a merchant project, it will optimize and dispatch stored energy based on real-time grid needs to improve grid reliability. This flexibility helps ERCOT address fluctuating demand and generation variability.
The project supports ERCOT’s increasing demand for fast, flexible storage assets that enhance grid reliability and stability in a major metropolitan area. SMT Energy, a U.S. based energy storage platform focused on the development, ownership, and operation of Battery Energy Storage Systems across competitive power markets, stated that the project reflects SMT’s commitment to developing fast, flexible storage assets to support ERCOT’s growing demand needs.
FlexGen Power Systems, LLC played a crucial role in the project with their integrated solutions and energy management system. FlexGen, a trusted provider for the most technically and commercially demanding developers, utilities, government agencies, and industrial companies in the world, has enabled over 10 GWh of energy storage systems and boasts 1.5M hours of runtime.
FlexGen's HybridOS energy management software provides AI-driven insights to enhance grid stability and economic returns. The software is compatible with any battery Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), offering advanced analytics for energy storage owners to deploy diverse power market strategies and integrate various generation forms.
The successful energization of SMT Dallas adds to SMT's growing merchant storage portfolio. Miguel Garcia of SMT Energy stated that the project reflects SMT’s commitment to developing fast, flexible storage assets to support ERCOT’s growing demand needs. The SMT Dallas project is located in Oncor Electric Delivery Company territory.
This project is a major milestone in the growth of urban energy storage infrastructure across ERCOT. It demonstrates that large-scale, standalone battery energy storage systems can be deployed and operated effectively in major metropolitan areas, enhancing grid flexibility and laying the groundwork for further urban energy storage projects to meet growing demand and reliability challenges.
[1] FlexGen Press Release: [Link to Press Release] [2] SMT Energy Press Release: [Link to Press Release] [3] ERCOT Market Updates: [Link to Market Updates]
