800 Boylston St.
Boston, Massachusetts 02199

News Release
Eversource Charging Forward with Cutting-Edge Battery Storage on
Martha’s Vineyard
Energy company works to deliver on state’s clean energy initiative
BOSTON (February 12, 2019) – Eversource is proposing an energy storage project on Martha’s
Vineyard that will help dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions created by five diesel-fired
generators when electricity use is at its highest. Hidden inside a Cape-style building that will reflect the
character of the island, the state-of-the-art battery storage system will improve electric service reliability
and meet the island’s growing demand for electricity.
“This battery storage system will help Martha’s Vineyard meet its energy goals and reduce its carbon
footprint,” said Eversource Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer Penni Conner. “By storing
energy when it’s needed most, we will be able to use it at any time. Our customers are looking for
environmentally-friendly solutions and through this important project, we’re working together for a better
tomorrow.”
The project will utilize a lithium-ion, 14.7-megawatt
battery system that will supply peak load in the event
of an emergency, like an outage or the failure of an
undersea cable. It will also help to offset high-demand
usage during summer months. It would be housed in a
6,000-square-foot building on existing Eversource
property in Oak Bluffs and is one of two battery
storage facilities approved in Eastern Massachusetts by
the Department of Public Utilities. The second
proposed site is in Provincetown. Both projects align
with the state’s passage of the Global Warming
Solutions Act in 2008 that established a greenhouse
gas reduction goal of 80 percent by 2050.
The island is served by four underwater cables from Falmouth. In the event of a cable failure or other
contingency, the diesel generators provide service. The battery storage will provide significantly less
reliance on those generators. It also reduces the need to repair or replace the undersea cables serving the
island.
In 2018, Eversource was the first utility in Massachusetts to secure approval for 50-megawatts of gridscale storage as part of its grid modernization proposal. These battery storage projects will be among the
largest utility projects in the country and will bring benefits in improving reliability, increasing the ability
to bring distributed energy resources, like solar, onto the distribution grid, and provide support during
peak load periods. The Martha’s Vineyard project will cost approximately $15 million dollars and is
expected to be complete by 2020.
Eversource (NYSE: ES) transmits and delivers electricity, natural gas and water to 1.7 million customers
throughout Massachusetts. This includes approximately 1.4 million electric customers in 140
communities, 300,000 gas customers in 51 communities, and 19,500 water customers in five communities.
Recognized as the top U.S. utility for its energy efficiency programs by the sustainability advocacy

 800 Boylston St.
Boston, Massachusetts 02199

organization Ceres, Eversource harnesses the commitment of about 8,000 employees across three states
to build a single, united company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy and water with
superior customer service. For more information, please visit our website (www.eversource.com) and
follow us on Twitter (@eversourceMA) and Facebook (facebook.com/EversourceMA). For more
information on our water services, visit www.aquarionwater.com.
CONTACT:
Reid Lamberty
617-424-2108
reid.lamberty@eversource.com

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