West Virginia Solar and Battery Project to Power Google Data Centers with Dispatchable Clean Energy

An upcoming renewable energy development in West Virginia will pair 86 megawatts of solar generation capacity with 380 megawatt-hours of battery storage, enabling Google's data centres to draw on dispatchable power outside of sunlit periods. Three companies — MN8 Energy, Eos Energy Enterprises, and Google — have joined forces on a venture at the Mammoth Solar facility in Kanawha County. A 10 MW/100 MWh zinc-based long-duration storage unit from Eos will operate alongside standard lithium-ion batteries within the setup. Commercial operations at the facility are projected to commence in 2028. Deployment of the lithium-ion storage unit is planned for 2029, with the longer-duration zinc battery set to come online a year later in 2030. The initiative aims to convert variable solar output into a reliable and consistent energy supply. Batteries can capture that solar-generated power and dispatch it on demand, rather than leaving the system dependent on generation only during daylight hours. The Eos system offers a 10-hour energy storage capacity, a longer duration than the brief-window solutions typically deployed to manage solar output across a narrower timeframe. Designed for extended-duration use, the system employs aqueous zinc technology — a chemistry distinct from the lithium-ion approach powering the project's shorter-duration battery units. Together, the trio of technologies functions as a single schedulable energy resource. Photovoltaic panels generate the electricity, lithium-ion batteries handle short-term fluctuations, and the zinc-based system extends energy storage deeper into the day. This initiative represents the inaugural rollout of Google's domestically produced Z3 technology. This development also marks the inaugural venture under the previously disclosed supply deal between MN8 and Eos. Situated on a former coal mine, the development will take on an added dimension in an area defined by decades of fossil-fuel extraction. The venture is projected to attract as much as $350 million in total capital investment, according to MN8. The development is anticipated to support around 200 positions during the building phase, while also generating an estimated $4 million in property tax revenue for the county and local schools over its first two decades. Generated electricity will flow into PJM, among the country's largest power transmission networks. Incorporating reliable on-demand clean power sources into the grid allows it to absorb rising electricity demand while additional renewable capacity is brought online. The design draws on multiple energy storage methods, each suited to a distinct phase of the power cycle rather than relying on a single battery technology throughout. The initiative represents a real-world commercial test for Eos, examining whether zinc-based long-duration storage technology can extend the viability of renewable energy across a broader share of daily demand cycles. The Mammoth Solar facility illustrates how photovoltaic generation can be paired with various battery storage technologies to form a unified energy resource capable of supplying electricity on demand.

West Virginia Solar and Battery Project to Power Google Data Centers with Dispatchable Clean Energy

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West Virginia Solar and Battery Project to Power Google Data Centers with Dispatchable Clean Energy

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