Renewable generation sources like wind and solar have gained significant ground in the past decade. But most experts agree that fully realizing the potential of these promising technologies will require an even greater breakthrough: economically viable, large-scale, long-term energy storage.
An experiment by Great River Energy just might make it happen.
The G&T based in Maple Grove, Minnesota, is installing an “aqueous air battery” prototype that will provide 1 MW of power for up to 150 hours, with the promise of future grid-scale deployment, at a fraction of current storage costs.
Greg Padden, GRE’s director of resource planning and markets, says the pilot project, expected to come on-line in 2023, reflects the G&T’s commitment to a “cost-competitive portfolio” for its 28 distribution co-ops across Minnesota and their 700,000 member-owners.
“We’re in a very wind-rich part of the country, and that, combined with technology advancements, has made wind power the lowest-cost option for our members,” he says. “That’s very much a driver for this project.”
Great River Energy will generate more than 25% of its power this year from renewable resources, primarily wind, he says, and has set a goal of 50% renewables by 2030.
U.S. Energy Information Administration numbers show wind and solar as the fastest expanding generation sources nationwide, and storage capacity is on a similar trajectory, set to grow from 523 MW in 2019 to 7.3 GW in 2025, according to Battery Energy Storage Overview, a report from NRECA’s Business & Technology Strategies group.
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