RELLIS Announces Public-Private Partnership with Enchanted Rock Ltd. for Microgrid Technology

HOUSTON, Oct. 4, 2017 /CNW/ -- The Texas A&M University System, one of the nation's largest systems of higher education, has entered a long-term agreement with Houston-based Enchanted Rock, Ltd. (ERock) to provide ERock's On Demand Electric Reliability service for the Texas A&M System RELLIS Campus in Bryan, TX. If RELLIS experiences a power outage, ERock's natural gas resiliency microgrid will provide full electrical reliability for the RELLIS Campus, ensuring critical service is available to the facility at all times.

"As we continue development of the RELLIS Campus to serve the educational, research and training needs of the State of Texas, the need for backup electrical power was an integral step," said Kevin McGinnis, A&M System Executive Director of Risk Management & Benefits Administration. "Through partnering with ERock in a public-private partnership, the A&M System was able to obtain this backup capacity with minimal capital outlay compared to financing its own generation system."

ERock's On Demand Electric Reliability service will allow the RELLIS Campus to pay a small fraction of the installation cost of a standard reliability system. ERock operates and maintains the system for the life of the agreement, allowing the RELLIS Campus to focus resources on other important initiatives.

Thomas McAndrew, Founder and CEO of ERock said, "We are proud to partner with The Texas A&M University System and help further its mission to educate, conduct research, commercialize technology and offer training and services for the people of Texas. The A&M System is very highly regarded, and we are delighted to develop this productive relationship between the A&M System and ERock."

The RELLIS Campus is on track to be a premier, high-tech research, technology development and education campus. The RELLIS Campus will boast several multimillion-dollar state and national research facilities, test beds and proving grounds that primarily focus on robotics, driverless and connected vehicles, advanced manufacturing, large-scale testing, as well as smart power grids and water systems. The RELLIS Campus will also include education facilities that will offer 2- and 4-year degree programs.

About the RELLIS Campus

Founded in 2016, the RELLIS Campus is one of The Texas A&M University System's private-public partnerships. Located in Bryan, TX, the RELLIS Campus serves as an ecosystem that fosters cutting-edge research, higher education and workforce training. The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) and the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), along with corporate and private partners, conduct valuable research for world-changing technologies, processes and products with state-of-the- art research laboratories, testing and proving grounds. The RELLIS Campus offers post-secondary degree education and training with programs through Blinn College, multiple universities within the Texas A&M System and the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX).
For more information, visit RELLIS.TAMUS.EDU

About Enchanted Rock

Founded in 2006, Enchanted Rock, Ltd. builds and operates cost effective resiliency microgrids that help companies manage the physical and financial risk associated with electricity. In 2010 ERock became the first in Texas to provide utility grade backup power as a service. The company is responsible for the design, project management, installation, and commissioning of 253 MW of distributed generation, including 160 MW of Distributed Power Generation projects and 93 MW of customer reliability systems. The company currently has 110 MWs of customer resiliency microgrids under construction. ERock is the only distributed energy company combining expertise in energy market integration, control technologies, and construction, translating into more reliable and less expensive back up power for customers. ERock serves a wide range of industries including grocery stores, senior living facilities, travel centers, cold storage facilities, car dealerships and critical manufacturing facilities. For more information on ERock's unique reliability service offering, please contact Corey Amthor at  [email protected].

SOURCE Enchanted Rock, Ltd.