Developer-operator GridStor has acquired a 200MW/800MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) project in development in Oklahoma, US, from Black Mountain Energy Storage (BMES).

The Southwest Power Pool (SPP), the Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) overseeing electric grid operations across 14 states, including Oklahoma, has highlighted the urgent need for new power resources by 2030 to maintain grid reliability and meet increasing demand from data centers and industrial customers.

The newly acquired BESS will be developed in two phases in Eastern Oklahoma, where multiple data centers are either operational or under development, placing growing demands on regional power infrastructure.

This project marks GridStor’s second major BESS acquisition within the past year. In 2024, the company acquired a 220MW/440MWh standalone BESS project in Galveston County, Texas, which commenced construction in October.

GridStor, backed by Goldman Sachs Asset Management, began commercial operations of its first project, the 60MW/160MWh Goleta BESS facility in California, in late 2023.

Chris Taylor, CEO of GridStor, commented on the acquisition: “Battery storage is a scalable and near-term solution to enhance SPP system reliability and support its largest customers.”

“Batteries provide energy to stabilize the grid and meet peak demand hours daily across multiple US regions. This acquisition reaffirms GridStor’s commitment to rapidly integrating battery energy storage into the SPP grid to meet the evolving needs of businesses and residents.”