Orenda Power:
Increasing Resilience In Dense Urban Areas

The Project

In New York City, it is highly challenging to find the space to site utility-scale energy storage infrastructure like batteries. In addition to developing conventional battery energy storage systems, Orenda Power is working to help solve this problem by siting energy storage projects on elevated structures. Orenda sought to fund permitting activities to unlock this work.

The Challenge

Permitting pathways for this type of innovative project—utility-scale energy storage on elevated structures—did not exist. To support the creation of a permitting application, Orenda sought to engage third-party engineering services to increase the likelihood of project approval by Authorities Having Jurisdiction. It is critical to provide a robust permitting application to ensure that safety and functionality of these systems be proven to de-risk this use case for both regulators and financiers.

The Solution

A technical assistance grant from The Clean Fight is allowing Orenda to engage third-party consultants to develop a robust design and engineering framework to de-risk charting a new permitting process. Through workshopping their project with capital partners during the Energy Storage Challenge, Orenda has also learned that bankability reporting and system performance testing could play a key role in derisking projects and unlocking additional funding.

The Impact

By unlocking a permitting pathway for elevated structures, Orenda will pave the way for energy storage in densely populated areas that have previously been un-developed. As technical assistance funding is often hard to access, this grant underscores the need for scalable solutions that equip developers with the data needed to build lender confidence.