Reid Gardner Battery Energy Storage System
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| Reid Gardner Battery Energy Storage System | |
|---|---|
 The Reid Gardner BESS near Moapa, Nevada in late 2023. | |
 | |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Moapa, Nevada |
| Coordinates | 36°39′31.37″N 114°38′3.534″W / 36.6587139°N 114.63431500°W |
| Status | In Operation |
| Construction began | August 23, 2023 |
| Commission date | December 23, 2023 |
| Construction cost | $257 million |
| Owner | NV Energy |
| Employees | 5 |
| Power generation | |
| Storage capacity | 220 MW / 440 MWh |
The Reid Gardner Battery Energy Storage System is a 220 MW / 440 MWh lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) located near Moapa, Nevada, United States.[1] Upon its initial commercial operation on December 23, 2023, it was the largest battery energy storage facility (by both power and energy) in Nevada.[2][3] The Gemini Solar + Storage project (380MW / 1,400MWh) would surpass the Reid Gardner BESS to become the largest battery project in Nevada on July 18, 2024.[4]
The Reid Gardner BESS provides grid energy storage to the Nevada electrical grid and is owned by the state's largest utility electricity provider, NV Energy.[5] It is the largest battery project owned by the utility.[6] A key use case for the facility is to charge using plentiful daytime power from nearby solar photovoltaic power stations and then discharge during the key evening hours of 5:00PM – 9:00PM when more grid energy is needed.[7] This lessens the need for NV Energy to purchase comparatively expensive power from regional real-time spot electricity markets, particularly the California Independent System Operator (CAISO).[8]
The project was completed at a total cost of $257 million and received approximately $100 million in federal tax credits via the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, passed by the Biden Administration.[7] The project qualified for approximately $25 million of these tax credits as a result of being located within a census tract impacted by the closure of a former coal plant, in this case the Reid Gardner Generating Station formerly located on the site.[9] According to NV Energy this federal support enabled it to directly lower costs for its ratepayers.[6] At the facility's ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 25, 2024, NV Energy President and CEO, Doug Cannon, stated that as a result of the project, "Throughout 2024, our customers are going to see their bills be between 15 and 20% lower by the end of the year.”[10]