06-03-2025
Memphis utility to harness solar energy for power grid boost
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Light Gas & Water is looking to the sun to generate its own electricity and improve the power grid for customers.
The utility is issuing a Request for Poposals to have vendors help it install 100 megawatts of solar generation and 80 megawatts of battery storage.
That will allow MLGW to generate a portion of the energy it needs at a low cost. The batteries will store some of that energy for when demand is high.
The proposed date for the solar site to be operational is the third quarter of 2026.
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'Remember, we have about a 3,500-megawatt system, so we're talking about adding 100 megawatts of solar, so it will partially meet the need here,' said Doug McGowen, president and CEO of MLGW. 'What I can say is, it's not going to increase the cost for anybody. So we already had this forecasted and budgeted and it will be affordable energy that we will be able to bring into our portfolio.'
There is no location planned for the solar generators yet, but McGowen says at least one of the battery locations will be in one of MLGW's electric substations.
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