A 5.3-hour battery is going up next to Ohio's data centre cluster: 200 MW / 1.06 GWh, the biggest on the PJM grid
Eolian began building Flint Grid in Licking County, Ohio, next to the New Albany data centre and industrial area. ESS News: the largest battery in Ohio and on the PJM footprint. It cleared PJM's 2027/28 capacity auction.
New Albany, Ohio is where some of the largest tech companies keep their data centres. The batteries are now moving in next door.
ESS News reported on 7 August 2026 that Eolian had started building Flint Grid, a 200 MW / 1.06 GWh battery in Licking County, Ohio, next to the New Albany data centre and industrial area used by companies including AWS, Meta and Google. At 5.3 hours of duration, it is described as the largest battery in Ohio and on the PJM grid.
The project cleared PJM's 2027/28 capacity auction, so it is paid to be available when the grid needs it.
Analogy: it is a fuel depot built right beside a truck stop. The trucks do not own it, but they all benefit when the main line runs low.
Good: a long-duration battery sited where demand is growing fastest, with a capacity contract already won.
Bad: this serves the grid, not a single site. Nearby businesses get indirect help through system reliability, not a lower private tariff.
Ugly: one 200 MW battery is small next to the data centre growth PJM expects. It eases the strain. It does not end it.
Source: ESS News, 7 Aug 2026 - Eolian starts building 1 GWh battery project for PJM data centers in Ohio.