Independent power producer Eolian has broken ground on Flint Grid, a 200MW/1.06GWh battery energy storage system in Jersey Township, Licking County, Ohio — the largest storage project yet constructed within the PJM Interconnection footprint. The 5.3-hour duration facility signals a meaningful step toward long-duration storage deployment in a market where thermal retirements are accelerating and reliability margins are tightening.
PJM, the nation’s largest wholesale electricity market, faces a shifting resource mix as coal and gas plants exit faster than new generation connects. The grid operator’s capacity auctions have cleared at rising prices, reflecting growing concern over resource adequacy. Flint Grid’s scale and duration directly address the need for firm, dispatchable capacity that can shift energy across peak periods and provide essential grid services such as frequency regulation and voltage support.
Eolian developed the project without a long-term utility offtake contract, instead relying on PJM’s capacity market revenues and energy arbitrage — a merchant approach that underscores improving economics for standalone storage. The project uses lithium-iron-phosphate chemistry and is slated for commercial operation in 2026. Its 1.06GWh rating surpasses the 900MWh threshold of the previous PJM record-holder, marking a new benchmark for single-site storage in the region.
The development also highlights Ohio’s emergence as a storage hub within PJM’s western territory, benefiting from robust transmission access, favorable siting conditions, and proximity to load centers in Columbus and the broader Midwest. Federal tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act, combined with PJM’s evolving capacity accreditation rules for storage, have improved the investment case for multi-hour assets that can qualify as capacity resources.
Read the full report at Energy Storage News.