Equinor Brings 200 MWh Citrus Flatts Battery Storage Project Online in Texas

East Point Energy has completed construction and started operations at the Citrus Flatts battery storage project, a 100 MW/200 MWh facility in Harlingen, Texas, that becomes parent company Equinor’s largest operational energy-storage project in the United States.

The two-hour battery is operating on a fully merchant basis in the ERCOT power market. Equinor said Citrus Flatts and East Point’s smaller Sunset Ridge facility can collectively supply electricity equivalent to the needs of approximately 30,000 homes for up to two hours.

Citrus Flatts adds 200 MWh to the Texas grid

The Equinor project announcement confirms that Citrus Flatts has entered commercial production after completing construction in Cameron County near the U.S.-Mexico border.

The facility can discharge as much as 100 MW and store 200 MWh, giving it a nominal operating duration of two hours at maximum output. That allows the battery to absorb electricity during periods of lower prices or excess supply and return it to the grid when demand and wholesale prices rise.

Citrus Flatts enters a Texas market that has rapidly expanded its utility-scale storage fleet. Microgrid Media previously reported that Ørsted’s 250 MW/500 MWh Old 300 Storage project began commercial operation in Fort Bend County in August.

East Point is becoming an independent power producer

Citrus Flatts is East Point Energy’s second operational Texas project, following the 10 MW/20 MWh Sunset Ridge Energy Center in Frio County. Equinor acquired East Point in 2022 and authorized construction of the two projects in 2024.

The new project brings the number of Equinor battery facilities placed into commercial production over the past four years to five. The company characterized the development as part of East Point’s progression from project developer to independent power producer.

Unlike a battery operating under a fixed utility contract, Citrus Flatts will participate on a merchant basis. Its revenue will therefore depend on wholesale-market opportunities and grid services rather than a single long-term offtake agreement.

Equinor’s trading arm, Danske Commodities, will support market operations, asset management and portfolio optimization for Citrus Flatts and Sunset Ridge. Energy-Storage.news independently confirmed the commercial start and merchant structure.

Battery storage responds quickly to changing ERCOT conditions

Grid-scale batteries can respond within seconds as power supply, electricity demand and wholesale prices change. They commonly charge during periods of abundant generation and discharge during higher-demand intervals, including the evening transition when solar generation declines.

That flexibility is particularly relevant in ERCOT, where the generation mix includes substantial wind and rapidly growing solar capacity. Microgrid Media’s reporting on solar generation’s expanding role on the Texas grid provides additional context for the changing daily supply profile.

The battery does not generate electricity and its two-hour duration does not make it a substitute for every form of dispatchable generation. Its value instead comes from moving energy between periods, responding quickly to grid conditions and participating in markets that compensate flexible capacity.

The project also carries local commitments

East Point said Citrus Flatts will generate local tax revenue and that it worked with the Harlingen Fire Department on training and facility visits related to emergency-response planning.

The company’s completion release also disclosed a $175,000 contribution for improvements to the Harlingen Soccer Complex.

The Citrus Flatts battery storage project is now an operating asset rather than a proposed or construction-stage development. Its performance in ERCOT’s merchant market will determine how frequently it charges, discharges and provides other grid services.

This project highlights the ongoing transformation of energy storage, setting a precedent for future developments that prioritize efficiency, sustainability, and community engagement and ultimately shape the future of energy in Texas and beyond.