WEC Energy and Madison Gas and Electric, investor-owned utilities based in Wisconsin, recently acquired regulatory approval to buy 110 MW and 200 MW solar and battery energy storage system. Two subsidiaries of WEC Energy and Madison Gas and Electric received the go-ahead to purchase a solar-battery park, which is set to begin operations next year.
The park, dubbed the Paris Solar-Battery park, was developed by Invenergy and is located in Kenosha County. WEC Energy will own about 75% of the project while Madison Gas and Electric will own 10%. The remaining share will be owned by the Wisconsin Public Service. The decision to buy the park was approved despite the Citizens Utility Board in Wisconsin arguing that the $433 million deal may not be a cost-effective solution.
This acquisition will be Madison Gas and Electric’s first battery energy storage system purchase and will be used to serve its consumers. The company is yet to respond to inquiries about whether the park is a colocation with a shared grid connection or actual solar-plus-storage.
A statement from the purchase application submitted to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin does, however, indicate the role the energy storage system will play, noting that the integration of a battery energy storage system at the park will be positive, playing the role of an electrical suspension system for the grid and resolving any issues in solar production which may occur on cloudy days.
The statement adds that the system will also provide other grid services, which include voltage support, frequency response and output scheduling, which may involve shifting production in the afternoon to later, if need be, corresponding with demands.
WEC Energy’s objective is to achieve a 55% decrease in carbon dioxide emissions by 2025 and a 70% decrease by 2030. The energy company plans to invest $2 billion in wind, solar and battery storage projects in order to achieve its short- and long-term goals.
WEC Energy has filed a separate request for a similar project dubbed Darien, which will begin its operations in 2023. This project will cost about $445 million, under the same ownership structure between Madison Gas and Electric and WEC Energy. Currently, WEC Energy provides natural gas and electricity to more than four million consumers across four states, including Wisconsin. On the other hand, Madison Gas and Electric mainly serves the Madison metropolitan area in the state, providing green energy options, electricity and gas.
As more of these utility-scale projects get underway, the market for alternative chemistries, including those making use of redox flow technology from companies such as StorEn Technologies Inc., will grow as each type of energy storage system is ideal for different applications.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to StorEn Technologies Inc. are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/StorEn
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