Buyers wanted for 6 GW of battery projects in northern Midwest USA

Seller ESA Solar Energy is expected to provide grid connection, permitting, and engineering assistance to buyers of its early-stage battery energy storage systems (BESS) across four U.S. states.
Detroit is among the big cities in the north MISO grid region which are expected to drive demand for energy storage. | Image: c0untrygirl/Pixabay

Florida-based developer ESA Solar Energy Inc. is inviting bids for 36 early-stage BESS projects across Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa.

Ascend Analytics, the data company which is handling the sale process, has said the sites have the “potential for” 6 GW of battery projects to be constructed, in a region which it expects to have high demand for such facilities from 2030 onwards.

The bids document on the Ascend website indicates 17 of the project sites are in Michigan, 11 are in Wisconsin, seven are in Minnesota, and the remainder is in Iowa.

A press release issued by Ascend to announce the start of the sale process, on Jan. 15, 2025, said bidders would benefit from project development service support from ESA Solar including grid interconnection, environmental permitting, and engineering.

The projects were referred to as ESA’s “north MISO” portfolio by Ascend, in reference to regional electricity grid company the Midcontinent Independent System Operator.

The bid document indicates diligence and grid injection studies are complete for the projects, which are ready for application to secure connections to the 2025 MISO cluster.

Rahm Orenstein, managing director of Ascend’s Energy Exchange sales platform, said, “ESA Solar’s track record as an early mover whose long history of proven development capabilities in the region reflects a deep understanding of the nuances of MISO’s energy transition, presents a compelling proposition for the market. Coupled with the strategically located projects in this portfolio, optimized based on Ascend’s valuation analysis, buyers looking to enter the north MISO BESS market will have a significant head-start through these assets.” 

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