As protests against data centers spread, community pushback on related technologies is also growing. In Virginia, the latest challenge is over Battery Energy Storage Systems, or BESS.
These systems – which capture energy from the electric grid, convert it to chemical energy that is stored in batteries, and release it when demand is high – are seen by many in the energy industry as integral to Virginia’s push to expand energy capacity and demand. Something the legislature supported this past session.
Senate Bill 448, which passed this session, calls on Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy to grow short- and long-term energy storage by 21,300 MW by 2045.
Growth of that magnitude would have a significant impact on Virginia’s energy strain, based on reports of how BESS has worked in Texas and California.
Meeting Peak Demands, Leveling Prices
The Lone Star State has 244 battery storage projects that collectively have 17,230 MW of capacity, according to Cleanview, which tracks energy projects across the nation. Their deploying that stored energy has effectively leveled energy demand – and pricing.
“[W]hile electricity demand within ERCOT has broken or approached record levels on multiple days this year,” NGI reports. “’[I]f you look at the real-time prices,’ says Pinebrook Energy Advisors Managing Partner Andy Huenefeld, ‘you barely notice a blip. And a big reason … is we’re seeing such strong battery discharge during those hours in the evening, where historically you’ve had to lean really heavily on natural gas, and that’s led to some pretty significant price spikes.’”
A similar story can be told in California, Leticia Gonzales – managing director, North America Natural Gas Pricing for NGI – told the Virginia Free Press in an interview.
“Over the years there was a ramp up in wind and solar generation” in California she said. While that lowered demand for natural gas on an everyday basis, it hasn’t helped with the spikes in demand. Solar and wind power are intermittent energy producers, meaning at night and on cloudy or windless days they don’t generate as much energy.
“Batteries have changed this,” she said, nothing that BESS facilities only release power from these resources when needed, typically in the evening when demand begins to spike. “Less natural gas is needed in California as battery storage comes online.”
That said, natural gas and BESS markets are “complementary to one another,” she noted. “Renewables have helped keep prices down in Texas. When you don’t need as much gas in the middle of the day, you can build your storage which is critical for the peak winter demand season.”
Ramping Up
Virginia is just getting into the BESS market. Cleanview reports five BESS projects are currently online with the capacity to hold 231 MW. But much more is planned.
Cleanview reports 96 projects capable of storing up to 11,545 MW are currently in development. At that capacity, electric operators would have considerably more flexibility to manage energy flow throughout the day.
According to a 2025 report produced by Brattle, PJM – the regional transmission organization that coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity in all or parts of 13 states including Virginia, plus the District of Columbia – requires 16 GW of storage by 2032 and 23 GW by 2040 to maintain reliability.
Polly Shaw, chief external relations officer for Plus Power, told VFP via email that “Battery energy storage is the fastest asset that can be built to help mitigate electric price spikes and enhance power reliability.” (Plus Power is promoting the Scarlet Energy Storage project in Virginia.)
Shaw further added that the CEO of the Texas ERCOT grid, Pablo Vegas, has said, “We are benefitting hugely from the batteries—they are bringing something to the table that is so different and unique than any other resources, probably one of the most complex and innovative things that has happened to the electric grid since the invention of the electric grid.”
Pushing Back
While the legislative stars have aligned, and projects are in the pipeline, citizen groups are lining up to resist some of these projects.
In James City County and in Chesapeake, WHRO has reported on two projects that have stalled because of community pushback.
Safety is frequently cited as a concern. Chief among concerns are fire.
In January 2025, a fire at the largest BESS plant in the world – Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility in California – led to the evacuation of 1,500 people. This site had previously been one of concern, with incidents also occurring in 2021 and 2022.
However, BESS facilities have gotten safer. The publication Electrical Trader reports that “Between 2018 and 2023, BESS failure rates dropped by 97% due to improved standards like NFPA 855,” which guides the installation of stationary energy storage systems.
