Harlingen officials’ consideration of installing a battery system to store electricity might have been inspired by last year’s freeze that left some homes without power for several days. That was an unusual event that surely everyone hopes would never happen again, but the idea still has merit in an area like the Rio Grande Valley that always faces the risk that a major tropical storm could knock out power at any time — as has occurred in the past.
Resident opposition to a proposed single, large facility on the west side of town might be an indication that better options might exist and are worth considering.
Officials last week tabled a final vote to approve a contract with SMT Energy to fill three 20-foot shipping containers with lithium-ion batteries placed at a four-acre site at Tucker Road and Lincoln Avenue to provide a backup energy source in the event of power outages or grid interruptions. The officials hope SMT representatives can meet with residents and address their concerns.
We hope those representatives, like the residents, engage with each other with open minds.
The 2021 freeze, which exposed inadequacies in the statewide energy distribution infrastructure, was — we hope — a once-in-a-lifetime event, and state officials have promised to better prepare the system for future cold weather. However, hot weather also has raised concerns. Rising temperatures raises the use power to run air-conditioners.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages the energy grid already has issued warnings in the past that if demand gets too high it could impose regional brownouts that cut power from some areas in order to supply others. Battery backup systems any questions remain in this case to proceed with her execution. They agree that before putting Lucio to death, all steps need to be taken to ensure that her death is warranted.
Evaluations of the grid after the calamitous freeze found that the network of wires that move electricity throughout the state isn’t expanding fast enough to handle the state’s growing population, and demand for energy. Some wind power projects have been halted because the current grid can’t handle the extra electricity.
Battery backup could help keep the lights on in such instances of heavy use, and it’s an idea other Valley cities might consider. Our steady conversion to renewable energy sources, perhaps even wind or solar generators at individual buildings or neighborhoods, makes storage systems even more attractive.
However, most power outages in this area are caused not by problems in generation, but transmission, where a storm rips out power lines. Placing all batteries at one site leaves them at risk of being rendered useless because the lines have fallen in that one area. Spreading storage units throughout the city — perhaps at each existing substation and transfer site — could help ensure that the backup system can keep the lights on in one part of town even if it’s lost at another.
There are many reasons to consider municipal battery backup systems. Like all major projects, such consideration should be thorough to help ensure it’s worth doing, and that it’s done right.
