EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

New York-based Eolian Energy, a developer and long-term owner of energy storage and renewable energy infrastructure, has started construction of the Flint Grid battery energy storage system (BESS) in Jersey Township, Licking County, Ohio. The project has a capacity of 200 MW / 1.06 GWh with a storage duration of more than five hours and is intended to support rising electricity demand from data centres and industrial facilities near New Albany, one of Ohio's fastest-growing technology hubs.

The Flint Grid battery will be constructed near large-scale industrial and data center developments that are under the strain due to rising demand for electricity from the transmission lines. The system will, after commissioning, be able to react instantly to any changes in demand and supply of electricity through stabilizing the grid during times of high demand.

According to Eolian, Flint Grid is the first large-scale battery energy storage system approved by the Ohio Power Siting Board. The project also became the first large-scale battery storage system to qualify for the PJM capacity market and was the largest battery storage project to clear the 2027–2028 PJM Residual Capacity Auction, accounting for more than half of all newly cleared battery storage capacity in that auction year.

The project forms part of Eolian's long-term investment strategy focused on deploying battery storage in locations where transmission networks experience growing congestion. The company stated that strategically located battery storage assets can increase the effective utilisation of existing transmission infrastructure while supporting electricity market participation through capacity, energy and ancillary services.

Aaron Zubaty, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Eolian, said the project demonstrates how early investments in battery storage can help unlock existing grid capacity and support growing electricity demand using commercially available technologies. He also added that long-term investments in energy storage should be considered alongside future electricity market reforms to maintain investment certainty.

Battery energy storage systems provide services including frequency regulation, reserve capacity, energy shifting and emergency backup support. These capabilities enable greater integration of renewable generation while improving grid resilience and reducing congestion in areas experiencing rapid load growth.

Construction of the Flint Grid project is now underway, with commercial operation expected before the start of the 2027–2028 PJM capacity year. Once completed, it will become the largest battery energy storage system currently built within Ohio and one of the largest operating battery storage facilities across the PJM electricity market.