Battery energy storage is taking center stage on both sides of the Atlantic, as new projects in Portugal and New York State signal a major step forward for renewable energy integration and grid reliability. In Portugal, Hyperion Renewables, a company with nearly two decades of experience in utility-scale renewables, has broken ground on its first battery energy storage projects, partnering with Omexom Portugal and Saft. Meanwhile, in the United States, a public hearing in the Rochester suburb of Brighton has brought attention to a proposed 100-megawatt battery storage facility by Ithaca-based GCI Energy, a development that could power up to 100,000 homes.
Let’s start in Portugal, where the transformation is already underway. According to Energy Global, Hyperion Renewables, in collaboration with Omexom Portugal—an expert in power engineering—and Saft, a subsidiary of TotalEnergies known for advanced battery solutions, has begun construction on two pioneering battery storage systems. These projects, located in Estremoz and Évora, will feature 16 megawatts (MW) of injection power and 64 megawatt-hours (MWh) of storage capacity. What makes them especially innovative is their integration with existing solar photovoltaic (PV) plants, with capacities of 29 MWp and 52 MWp respectively.
The impact? Each day, the stored energy will be enough to supply more than 5,000 households, directly strengthening Portugal’s energy independence and supporting its ambitious decarbonization targets. The projects are among the first hybrid (solar plus storage) systems to be implemented in the Iberian Peninsula, marking a significant milestone for both Hyperion and the country as a whole. As Aytea Alvarez Amandi, CEO of Hyperion Renewables, explained to Energy Global, “These projects mark a strategic milestone in Hyperion’s entry into the battery storage market, consolidating our ability to integrate new technologies and deliver highly complex initiatives. Combining storage with solar generation strengthens the operational efficiency and resilience of our assets while creating sustainable value for the energy system and the communities we serve.”
The execution of these projects is a team effort. Omexom Portugal is responsible for design, supply, and Balance of Plant construction, while Saft will deliver the technological backbone: 21 Intensium® Shift+ containers, grid-forming power conversion systems, and advanced power management solutions. Notably, both projects are partially funded by the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), highlighting their public and institutional importance.
Beyond their contribution to energy transition, the projects are expected to generate 25 to 30 direct and indirect jobs during both construction and operation. This not only boosts the local economy but also helps retain valuable technological skills in Portugal’s interior regions. The focus on cutting-edge technologies, such as grid-forming converters and state-of-the-art energy management, further supports the modernization of Portugal’s energy sector.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic in Brighton, New York, the conversation about battery energy storage is heating up—literally and figuratively. On December 29, 2025, a public hearing resumed regarding a proposed 100 MW battery storage facility to be sited off Brighton Henrietta Town Line Road, near Lynch Woods Nature Park and the Lehigh Valley Trail. The facility, proposed by GCI Energy, would consist of 66 tractor-trailer-sized, fan-cooled containers, storing enough energy to supply about 100,000 homes, according to reporting from local sources.
Brighton town Supervisor Bill Moehle described the proposal as “a large one,” noting that the location is ideal from an infrastructure perspective due to the presence of two major transmission lines. GCI Energy, which also maintains offices in Rochester and North Carolina, has offered several incentives to the town: the use of the remaining wooded acreage, in-lieu-of-tax payments, and a one-time $250,000 cash payment. However, Moehle has made it clear that the town board expects more. “Nothing is final yet,” he said. “But we’ve told them it needs to be more than that, $250,000. And it will be. And we’ve told them that we want the fee title to the rest of the land. And that’s the beauty of incentive zoning. It allows you to really customize a project to meet specific needs in various ways.”
If approved, funds from GCI would be earmarked for park and trail projects in the West Brighton area, further tying the project’s benefits to the local community. The proposed site would be secured with fencing and barbed wire, and the facility would connect directly to the power grid. Batteries would be charged at night, when electricity demand is low, and the stored power would be sold back to the grid during peak daytime hours.
Battery storage facilities like the one proposed in Brighton are becoming increasingly common across the U.S., often linked to solar or wind farms. New York State has set an ambitious goal of 6 gigawatts of installed energy storage by 2030, aiming to boost grid reliability and facilitate renewable integration. However, the rapid expansion of this technology hasn’t come without concerns. Recent fires at battery storage facilities in Warwick, Orange County—including one just last week—have led to a temporary moratorium on new installations there and have prompted statewide fire code changes set to take effect in 2026.
Community concerns in Brighton have centered on two main issues: noise from the facility’s cooling fans and the risk of fire. GCI Energy has committed to providing training for local firefighters and ambulance workers, a move designed to address safety worries. According to Martin Plass, director of energy storage testing at the Rochester Institute of Technology, “These fires are extremely rare, but they do happen.” He explained that most battery fires are not caused by the batteries themselves, but by external factors such as water leaks or overheating fans that trigger sprinklers, leading to short circuits and arcing. Plass added, “The current technology is really lithium ion, with nearly all of the battery cells coming from China. The U.S. is trying to build up some manufacturing infrastructure for that. But essentially that’s where these cells are coming from. And they build so many, there’s a lot of experience by now with these cells to make them fairly safe.”
Plass also offered a practical perspective for those living near such facilities: “I would want to know, how loud is it? I would want to know, has that supplier done a large-scale fire test on these containers? And I would want to see that report on that, essentially, to make sure that if a container burns, it doesn’t spread. Otherwise I would not be concerned, really.”
Despite the challenges, the momentum behind battery storage projects in both Portugal and New York reflects a global shift toward smarter, more resilient energy systems. By integrating large-scale storage with renewable generation, these projects not only improve operational efficiency and grid stability, but also offer tangible benefits to local communities—from job creation to new funding for parks and trails.
As the world races to decarbonize and modernize its energy infrastructure, the careful balancing of innovation, safety, and community engagement will determine how smoothly this transition unfolds. Whether in the sunlit hills of Portugal or the wooded trails of upstate New York, battery energy storage is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the energy landscape of the next decade.
