Jupiter Power is proposing to build and operate the Prairie Flyer Energy Storage Facility, an 85-megawatt battery energy storage system in Vandalia, Ohio. The proposed facility aims to improve the reliability, stability and strength of the regional power grid.
Photo above: THE PROPOSED FACILITY SITS ON A 19- ACRE PARCEL NORTH OF ENGLE ROAD IN VANDALIA, OHIO
Project Location
The Prairie Flyer Energy Storage Facility will be located on 7.3 acres within a 19-acre property west of Engle Road and north of Northwoods Boulevard in Vandalia, Ohio. The facility will connect to the electrical grid via a generation-tie line to the existing Dayton Power & Light electric substation across Northwoods Boulevard.
Why battery storage?
- Customer demand Morning and evening hours are typically when the largest amount of energy is needed from the grid to serve customers. During these times, energy from batteries can meet the high demand and reduce strain on the local energy infrastructure.
- Maintain stability Supply and demand of energy fluctuate throughout the day and do not always line up. This can be a problem because homes and businesses always need reliable energy. Batteries help even out the fluctuation of energy on the grid, providing consistent and stable electricity, 24/7.
- Grid integration Many of the new power resources in the area are intermittent resources and the batteries will help to integrate these resources into the grid, transforming intermittent power generation into a stable supply for homes and businesses.
- Transmission deferral Battery energy storage systems can help reduce the need to build new transmission lines in an area. Rather than building new power lines, which are typically funded by ratepayers, battery energy storage can reduce the gap between transmission capacity and customer demand by injecting stored power right where and when it is needed.
- Emergency support Battery energy storage systems are an excellent way to store energy for use in times of need. Battery energy storage can help reduce the risk of outages and can respond within milliseconds to grid needs.
Photo above: battery modules inside a container at one of Jupiter Power’s projects in Texas.
Photo above: jupiter power storage site facility in west texas
Community Benefits
The Prairie Flyer Energy Storage Facility will benefit local residents and businesses by improving the power grid and supporting the local economy. Major benefits include:
- Improved reliability, efficiency, and resiliency of the regional power grid without an increase in electricity bills
- Increased efficient integration of existing and future energy resources across Ohio and throughout the region
- Creation of local construction jobs and the potential for a handful of permanent maintenance jobs
- Benefits of a private financial investment in the community with the potential for significant, predictable local government tax revenue. Energy storage is a passive use that provides industrial-level investments and benefits to the electric grid and the homes and businesses that rely upon it without producing emissions, odor, waste, or traffic
Project Schedule
Prairie Flyer Energy Storage LLC received a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need from the Ohio Power Siting Board on May 16, 2024. Tree clearing activities are expected to begin as early as March 16 and be completed by March 31, 2026. Additional phases of construction are expected to start as early as Summer 2026. The Project is expected to be fully operational in 2028.
Ohio Power Siting Board Application Process
All application documents are available on the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) website under Case Number: 23-0145-EL-BGN: Prairie Flyer Energy Storage. Further updates to project schedules will be posted on this website with information on how to get involved included below.
Questions or
Comments?
Jupiter Power hosted a Public Information Meeting on March 30, 2023 in the Community Room located at the Vandalia Branch of the Dayton Metro Library. The Ohio Power Siting Board will be accepting written and oral testimony during the Local Public Hearing on February 12, 2024, at 6:00 p.m., at Vandalia Branch of the Dayton Metro Library.
Comments and questions can be submitted via the portal on the project’s contact us page or by emailing the project team at prairieflyer@jupiterpower.io or calling (937) 993-0514. Public comments can also be provided in writing on the OPSB’s website at https://opsb.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/opsb/help-center/contact-us, by electronic mail to contactOPSB@puco.ohio.gov, or by mail to the OPSB 180 E. Broad St., Columbus, OH 43215. Written comments should reference Case No. 23-145-EL-BGN.
Comments and questions can be submitted via the portal on the project’s contact us page or by emailing the project team at prairieflyer@jupiterpower.io or calling (937) 993-0514. Public comments can also be provided in writing on the OPSB’s website at https://opsb.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/opsb/help-center/contact-us, by electronic mail to contactOPSB@puco.ohio.gov, or by mail to the OPSB 180 E. Broad St., Columbus, OH 43215. Written comments should reference Case No. 23-145-EL-BGN.
Photo above: construction personnel finalize commissioning at a Jupiter battery site.