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PSC hearing on case 9866: four battery storage applicants present; commission will next assess cost‑effectiveness for ESCC awards
Summary
At the Maryland Public Service Commission hearing on PSC case 9866, four applicants presented battery storage projects; the commission emphasized the two‑phase review (financial ESCC awards now; later construction and siting reviews), and will consider cost‑effectiveness and rate‑payer impacts before any awards.
The Maryland Public Service Commission heard four project presentations and extensive public comment at a public hearing on PSC case 9866, which addresses round‑1 awards of Energy Storage Capacity Credits (ESCCs) under the Next Generation Energy Act.
The PSC explained the two‑phase process: a financial phase focused on cost‑effectiveness and ratepayer impact where the commission now must decide whether to award ESCCs, followed by a separate construction‑phase review for any project selected for an award that will revisit siting, safety, environmental and emergency‑response matters and will include additional public hearings. No capacity‑credit awards or construction approvals were decided at this hearing.
Applicants that presented were Tenaska (Oystercatcher, 500 MW), RWE (4th 0.25, 300 MW / 4‑hour), Flatiron Energy (Chalk Point, quoted 670.2 MW with phased tranches), and REV (Jade Meadow 3, 40 MW / 4‑hour). Testimony from applicants emphasized reliability benefits, interconnection status, safety standards (NFPA, UL), community engagement plans, and claimed local economic benefits. Public comment included both organized community opposition—focused on the Oystercatcher site’s steep slopes, proximity to Deer Creek and local schools, firefighting capacity, and potential road and infrastructure burdens—and proponents who argued storage is needed to stabilize prices and grid reliability.
A fire‑safety professional who testified for proponents said modern BESS incidents are rare and that layered safety standards and training have reduced failure rates. Opponents stressed that awarding a capacity credit to a project is not a construction approval and urged the commission to consider site appropriateness before making procurement choices that put a contested site on the procurement winners list.
The PSC record for case 9866 will include the written filings and these hearing remarks; the commission will next analyze cost‑effectiveness and ratepayer impacts as part of the round‑1 evaluation.
