EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Commercial operations have started at the 100 MW/200 MWh Citrus Flatts battery energy storage facility in Harlingen, Texas. East Point Energy, a wholly owned Equinor company, will operate the project on a fully merchant basis in the ERCOT market, supported by Equinor’s collaboration with Danske Commodities.
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East Point Energy, a wholly owned Equinor company, has completed construction and started commercial operations at the Citrus Flatts battery energy storage facility in Harlingen, Texas. The project has a power capacity of 100 MW and an energy storage capacity of 200 MWh.
Citrus Flatts is East Point Energy’s second operational battery storage project. It follows the start of operations at the 10 MW/20 MWh Sunset Ridge facility in 2025. According to Equinor, Citrus Flatts also marks the fifth battery storage facility it has brought into commercial production over the past four years.
Citrus Flatts and Sunset Ridge operate within the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) power market. Combined, the two facilities can supply enough electricity to serve around 30,000 homes for up to two hours, according to Equinor.
Both projects will operate on a fully merchant basis, meaning their revenues will be linked to opportunities within the ERCOT electricity market rather than being supported by a disclosed long-term offtake agreement. Equinor said its collaboration with Danske Commodities will support operational capabilities, asset management and portfolio optimization for the projects.
Battery storage facilities can charge when electricity is available on the grid and discharge stored electricity when required. This provides flexibility for balancing electricity supply and demand and can support grid reliability as the share of variable renewable generation increases.
For East Point Energy, the projects also represent its progression from a battery storage developer to an independent power producer. Citrus Flatts expands the company’s operational presence in Texas, where increasing wind and solar generation creates demand for flexible resources within the ERCOT market.
East Point Energy CEO Andrew Foukal said the Citrus Flatts project is also expected to generate tax revenue for local priorities while providing additional grid capacity as electricity demand increases across Texas.
Outside Texas, Equinor is developing additional battery storage capacity in Virginia within the PJM power market. Construction is underway on four projects with a combined capacity of 80 MW/160 MWh. The portfolio is scheduled to reach commercial operation in early 2027.