The project can store 250 MW of electricity, making it the largest battery energy storage system proposed in the Ottawa area so far. A 250 MW battery can supply enough power at one moment for more than 250,000 homes.. Workers check battery storage pods at a lithium-ion battery storage energy facility in Arizona last year. Ottawa is looking at regulatory changes around these types of facilities. (Ross D. Franklin/The Associated Press) UPDATED: City councillors unanimously approved the new rules for battery energy. . In 2025, the City of Ottawa established official plan and zoning provisions for battery energy storage uses in accordance with new Official Plan policy. BESS is an emerging technology using batteries and associated equipment to store excess energy from the electrical grid, which can then discharge. . The battery storage project alongside the six solar projects Council supported earlier this fall will reduce the city's reliance on expensive gas-fired electricity during peak demand and strengthen Ottawa's ability to meet its climate and energy commitments. “This is Ottawa's largest-ever battery. . Changes have been made to the city's Official Plan and zoning bylaws to create a building for storing electricity in off-peak hours from the grid. BESS are an emerging battery technology that can help make the electricity system more reliable by drawing and storing.
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