GlidePath Begins Construction of 50 MW Byrd Ranch Storage Project

GlidePath Power Solutions LLC, announced it has completed design, equipment procurement, financing and begun construction of the 50 MW Byrd Ranch Storage Project in Sweeny, TX.

Byrd Ranch is expected to be completed this summer so that it can provide critical grid support to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) during periods of expected grid stress and volatility.

The Byrd Ranch Storage Project is ideally located approximately 60 miles south of the city of Houston, enhancing local grid resilience in the greater Houston region.

Byrd Ranch will employ the very latest in battery storage technology, safety and control systems and will be owned and managed by GlidePath following completion of construction.

Byrd Ranch will optimize power delivery and reliability through AI-driven algorithms that are being developed specifically to meet the unique requirements and opportunities prevailing in the ERCOT market.

Byrd Ranch will have the ability to participate in multiple services markets and revenue streams and provide instant support to ERCOT as it manages greater volatility through weather-related shifts in electric generation and demand. 

The experience gained by GlidePath from Byrd Ranch operations will inform the planned deployment of GlidePath’s algorithmic tools across its rapidly growing U.S. storage portfolio.

The project has a footprint of 2.5 acres. Initial estimates found that Byrd Ranch could generate $500,000 per year in property taxes that would support local schools and services. By working collaboratively with its landowner partners as well as local, county, and state officials, GlidePath designed Byrd Ranch specifically to minimize sound and visual impacts to the community while identifying and protecting sensitive species and local habitat.

GlidePath also worked with multiple stakeholders to incorporate additional resiliency measures that will better protect the facility from extreme weather events including severe flooding such as that experienced with Hurricane Harvey. These added protection measures will help ensure that Byrd Ranch is able to operate and perform reliably when the community needs it most.

“We’re proud to break ground on our latest contribution to addressing the Texas power grid’s reliability challenges. Byrd Ranch is one of more than 70 innovative standalone storage and solar-plus-storage projects in GlidePath’s 12 GWh development inventory located across 20 U.S. states,” said Chris McKissack, CEO of GlidePath.