Eolian has started construction on Flint Grid, a 200 MW / 5.3-hour (1.06 GWh) grid-scale battery energy storage system in Jersey Township, Licking County, Ohio. The Flint Grid project is located adjacent to the New Albany data center and industrial load area near Columbus, positioning it as a new flexibility resource in a fast-growing load pocket.
Eolian describes Flint Grid as a 5+ hour-duration BESS. The company also says the project is the first large-scale battery energy storage system to qualify for the PJM capacity market and the largest battery storage system to clear PJM’s 2027/28 Residual Capacity Auction, representing more than 50% of all new battery storage capacity in that capacity year.
On the siting and permitting side, Eolian says Flint Grid is the first grid-scale BESS permitted by the Ohio Power Siting Board. The company also calls it the largest battery energy storage system built to date in Ohio and in the PJM footprint.
For data center operators and facility planners, the practical point is straightforward: a 200 MW, multi-hour storage asset sited next to a major load corridor can change how that area behaves during peak periods and grid stress events, even when it isn’t “new generation.” But the extent of that impact will depend on how the resource is dispatched and compensated across PJM market constructs.
Aaron Zubaty, founder and CEO of Eolian, said, “There’s growing consternation about how the US can rapidly scale infrastructure to support America’s growing electricity demand, but not nearly enough conversation about how to use existing technology to unlock the wasted capacity that already exists on the grid.”
Eolian said Flint Grid is expected to enter commercial operation in advance of the 2027–2028 PJM capacity year.
Eolian said it is collaborating with grid operators, regulators, and industry stakeholders on research and policy initiatives tied to energy storage participation in wholesale markets, including bidding protocols, new market products, ELCC accreditation methodology, and revenue optimization across multiple wholesale market segments.
Source: Eolian
