Ørsted adds 500 MWh of Tesla BESS to ERCOT grid

A large battery storage project has come online in Needville, Texas, part of the ERCOT grid that serves most of the state. Ørsted's Old 300 Storage facility can hold 500 megawatt-hours of power using Tesla battery packs (called Megapacks), built in Lathrop, California. It sits alongside an existing 430-megawatt solar farm, Old 300 Solar, which has been powering roughly 80,000 homes and businesses since 2024. The battery system runs separately from the solar farm and is designed to release stored power when demand on the grid is high, such as during heat waves or cold snaps.

For homeowners in Texas, this kind of project is part of a broader effort to keep the grid steady during periods of strain, when supply and demand run close together. Battery storage like this doesn't power your house directly, but it adds a buffer that can reduce the risk of outages during peak stress on the system. The combined solar and storage project is also expected to generate about $110 million in property tax revenue over time, money that goes toward local infrastructure, schools, and emergency services in the area.

There's no direct rebate or program tied to this project for individual homeowners. It's a utility-scale addition to the grid, not a residential energy upgrade. But for anyone in the ERCOT service area, more battery storage on the grid generally means more reliable power supply as electricity demand keeps growing.