Cherokee Industrial Resilient Power
Cherokee Industrial Resilient Power, By the Numbers
Where
Located in Tulsa County, Oklahoma
How Big
Estimated 25-acre developed footprint
Technology
Third-generation NFPA and UL compliant Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery enclosures
Power
250 MW / 1,000 MWh battery storage capacity
Investment
$200M+ Estimated total capital investment
Community Impact
$900k Estimated annual property tax revenue
Jobs
Up to 50 construction jobs and up to 4 permanent jobs
Schools
Owasso Schools estimated to receive $11m+ over 20 years
What Is a Battery Energy Storage System?
A battery energy storage system, or BESS, works like a large-scale version of the battery in your phone.
It stores electricity when it's available and sends it back out to the grid when it's needed. Think of it as a savings account for electricity: power gets deposited during low-demand hours and withdrawn when demand is high.
How Does It Work?
The system charges by drawing electricity from the grid, then discharges that stored energy back out when called on, typically during hours of peak demand or when the grid needs extra support.
Cherokee Industrial Resilient Power is designed with 250 MW of power capacity and 1,000 MWh of energy capacity, meaning it can discharge at full power for about 4 hours at a time.
Why Battery Storage Matters
Grid Resiliency: Battery storage helps keep the lights on during periods of high demand or unexpected outages by providing backup power exactly when it's needed.
Energy Affordability: By storing electricity when it's cheap and releasing it when demand is high, battery storage helps hold down costs for everyone on the grid.
Supporting a Modern Grid: As electricity demand grows and becomes less predictable, battery storage gives grid operators a flexible tool to balance supply and demand in real time.
Is Battery Storage Safe?
Battery energy storage is an established and increasingly common technology across the U.S.
Cherokee Industrial Resilient Power will be designed, permitted, and operated to meet all applicable national and local fire and life-safety codes, including code-required spacing, detection, and suppression systems.
