October 6, 2026 - A reclaimed coal mine in western Maryland is slated to host a battery storage project selected in the state’s first round of energy storage awards.

REV Renewables’ Jade Meadow III project in Garrett County would combine solar generation with a 40-megawatt battery capable of storing 160 megawatt-hours of electricity. The development would give former coal-mine land a new role in supplying power during periods of high demand.

The Maryland Public Service Commission also selected Flatiron Energy’s 400-megawatt, 1,600-megawatt-hour Chalk Point Storage Project at NRG’s oil- and gas-fired generating site in Prince George’s County.

Announced October 1, the two awards total 440 megawatts. Both projects would receive fixed pricing over 15 years, with a combined estimated cost of 6.98 cents per month for the average Maryland residential customer.

The projects are intended to help address tightening electricity supplies within PJM Interconnection. The regional grid operator faces a projected 6.8-gigawatt capacity shortfall for 2028–2029, while capacity prices remain at the $325-per-megawatt-day ceiling.

Maryland’s Next Generation Energy Act, passed in 2025, requires at least two procurement rounds totaling 1.6 gigawatts of storage. Qualifying projects must deliver their full rated output for at least four hours.

The first round fell below Maryland’s 800-megawatt target. Commission Chair Kumar Barve said the next round could attract more proposals as over 40 additional storage projects advance through PJM’s interconnection process.

The commission did not select the 500-megawatt Oystercatcher project or a proposed 135-megawatt expansion at Chalk Point. Both may be considered in the second round, although the commission called for further community engagement on Oystercatcher’s Harford County site.

Second-round bidding must begin by January 1, 2027, with awards announced by October 1, 2027.