Co-located with an operational 355 MWdc battery energy storage system (BESS), the combined plant is built with 911 MWdc of capacity.
GulfStar's two-phase BESS reached initial commercial operation in late 2024. Enel is the third-largest battery storage operator in the United States, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights. As power grids across the country face challenges due to rising power demand and extreme weather, battery storage is a rapidly growing tool for reliability. Enel's fleet of 14 battery energy systems can store and dispatch energy in real time in response to changing grid conditions.
The GulfStar solar and BESS facilities are expected to generate over 200 million US dollars in combined local tax payments and income for landowners over their lifetimes. More than 1,200 workers were involved in GulfStar's construction.
Vegetation at GulfStar Solar will be managed through sheep grazing, a sustainable dual-use solar practice that Enel expanded through the largest solar grazing agreement signed in the United States.
Enel North America, part of the Enel Group, is a proven renewables leader delivering clean, flexible and sustainable energy solutions. The company develops, owns and operates renewable power plants and demand response solutions, with over 11 gigawatts (GW) of installed wind and solar capacity, over 1 GW of energy storage and nearly 5 GW of demand response in the US and Canada. Enel is a top-five industry leader for clean power, demand response and utility-scale battery storage capacity in the United States.
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