Lightshift Runs 285 MWh of PJM and ISO-NE Batteries on FlexGen’s EMS
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Marin Holt
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- Portfolio under HybridOS: 285 MWh across 16 projects
- Online today: 25 MW / 85 MWh (6 projects)
- Under construction: 55 MW / 200 MWh (10 projects)
- Danville, VA augmentation: 14% capacity increase, about 1.5 MW
FlexGen Power Systems will run Lightshift Energy’s batteries across two grid regions under an expanded software agreement the two companies announced on September 16, 2026. FlexGen’s HybridOS energy management system now covers a 16-project portfolio in PJM and ISO-NE that totals roughly 285 MWh. Six of those projects already operate in Massachusetts, Virginia and Vermont, providing 25 MW and 85 MWh for peak shaving and grid support. The remaining 10 sites, 55 MW and 200 MWh between them, are still under construction. Average duration across the portfolio runs about 3.4 hours. That points at shorter-duration grid services, not overnight shifting.
An Old Site Got Bigger Without a New Interconnection
The clearest example of the strategy sits in Danville, Virginia, where Lightshift first built in October 2022 at 10 MW. Instead of starting a new project, the two companies rebuilt that site in place. They added a new battery management system, put FlexGen’s EMS on top of it, and set additional enclosures on the existing pad. Capacity rose 14%, about 1.5 MW, and the site’s working life was extended. A second project at the same location, Danville II, is under construction at 11 MW.
That increment is a rounding error against the portfolio headline. The interconnection it did not need is the part worth watching.
Why It Matters
Lightshift’s model rests on staying small. It builds at existing distribution substations, typically at 20 MW or less. The company told Energy-Storage.News in April 2026 that projects at that scale reach commercial operation in 12 to 24 months. Transmission-scale assets spend 5 to 10 years in PJM’s interconnection queue. Squeezing more out of a site that is already energized is that same bet, placed a second time. On this grid, waiting is the expensive part.
What the Announcement Leaves Out
HybridOS interfaces with more than 80 battery and PCS configurations, which Lightshift says keeps it clear of vendor lock-in. Neither company disclosed what the contract is worth, and neither gave a schedule for the 10 projects under construction. “It’s no longer just about building more battery projects,” said Jason Abiecunas, executive vice president of business development at FlexGen. “Meeting our energy needs will require getting more from the assets we already have.” The partnership dates to 2024. Missing from the announcement is the thing that would settle it. Neither company has published a year of dispatch data showing the older sites earn more under the new software.
Critical Perspective
Six of the 16 sites are running today, and together they hold 85 MWh. FlexGen’s own recent work with SMT Energy in ERCOT put 320 MWh on a single Houston site, more than this entire portfolio carries across three states. Danville is the test of the thesis: a site built in 2022 needed a new battery management system and new enclosures to give up another 14%. If a 14% gain on an existing pad costs that much hardware, what does the same upgrade cost on the ten sites that are not built yet?
