Eolian has begun construction on Flint Grid, a 200 MW, 5.3-hour battery energy storage system in Jersey Township, Licking County, Ohio, marking the start of what the company calls the largest battery energy storage project ever built within the PJM grid footprint.

At 1.06 GWh of total capacity, the project is positioned to serve one of the most electricity-intensive regions in the United States as demand from data centers and industrial operations continues to surge near Columbus.

A First for Ohio and PJM

The Flint Grid project carries several distinctions that underscore its significance to grid operators and energy developers alike.

It is the first large-scale battery energy storage system to qualify for the PJM capacity market and the largest battery storage system to clear the 2027/28 Residual Capacity Auction.

Eolian says the project alone represents more than 50 percent of all new battery storage capacity secured in that capacity year.

Beyond its market participation records, Flint Grid is also the first grid-scale battery energy storage system to receive a permit from the Ohio Power Siting Board.

That regulatory milestone is expected to establish a precedent that could accelerate the permitting of future storage projects across the state. The project is slated to reach commercial operation ahead of the 2027–2028 PJM capacity year.

Serving the New Albany Data Center Corridor

The site's location in Licking County is no coincidence. The project sits adjacent to the New Albany area, which has become one of the country's most active zones for data center and industrial development.

The broader Columbus metropolitan region has attracted significant hyperscale investment in recent years, and the electricity demands generated by those facilities have put pressure on existing transmission infrastructure.

Eolian describes the Flint Grid project as a direct response to that pressure, arguing that strategically located battery storage can do more than simply add generation capacity.

The company contends that storage assets positioned in constrained areas of the grid can actually increase the effective transmission capacity available at those locations by smoothing demand spikes and reducing the conditions that trigger congestion.

Years of Investment Before Demand Became Headline News

Aaron Zubaty, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Eolian, emphasized that the company committed capital to the Flint Grid project years before electricity demand forecasts from data centers became a mainstream policy concern.

The project requires hundreds of millions of dollars to construct, and Zubaty framed that investment as evidence that long-duration storage developers were anticipating grid constraints well ahead of the current national conversation.

"There's growing consternation about how the US can rapidly scale infrastructure to support America's growing electricity demand, but not nearly enough conversation about how to use existing technology to unlock the wasted capacity that already exists on the grid," Zubaty said.

He added that policymakers weighing changes to competitive electricity markets should be careful not to undermine long-term investments already underway that are designed to make better use of existing transmission infrastructure.

Zubaty characterized projects like Flint Grid as a bridge to longer-term supply expansion, arguing that flexible storage resources can deliver near-term grid relief while new generation capacity and transmission lines are developed over longer timelines.

How the Technology Functions

Battery energy storage systems like Flint Grid are designed to respond to grid conditions in milliseconds, providing rapid stabilization during high-stress events and filling gaps between supply and demand across every hour of the day.

The 5.3-hour duration rating means the system can discharge at its full 200 MW output for more than five hours before requiring recharge, a capability that distinguishes it from shorter-duration systems that are better suited to frequency regulation than to sustained capacity delivery.

Eolian describes this flexible capacity as complementary to traditional grid infrastructure, capable of backing up the grid during high-risk events while also optimizing the continuous matching of power supply and demand.

Market Integration and Policy Work

Alongside the construction announcement, Eolian highlighted its ongoing work with grid operators, regulators, and industry stakeholders on research and policy questions surrounding battery storage integration into wholesale electricity markets.

The company said it is engaged in topics including technical frameworks for optimal bidding protocols, new market products designed for energy storage participation, effective load-carrying capability accreditation methodology, and revenue optimization strategies across multiple wholesale market segments.

The company is also advocating for broader recognition that strategically located battery storage projects can increase transmission capacity in constrained locations where load demands are rising, a position that could have significant implications for how regulators value and compensate storage assets within organized markets like PJM.

About Eolian

Eolian operates a growing portfolio of battery energy storage projects and develops and invests in clean energy and co-located large load projects across the United States.

The company's founding management has worked together for over 20 years, building assets that have contributed to the development of nearly 30 GW of operating or under-construction energy storage, solar, and wind-generating capacity nationwide.

Eolian is owned by its employees and by funds managed by Global Infrastructure Partners, a BlackRock company and leading global infrastructure investor.