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Battery Project Will Stabilize Solar Power

Alliant Energy installs its first utility-scale battery storage system

Battery Project Will Stabilize Solar Power

Alliant Energy installs its first utility-scale battery storage system

Published 12-13-19

Submitted by Alliant Energy Corporation

A utility-scale battery in rural Wellman is helping Alliant Energy meet the needs of its customers, while also avoiding a rebuild of the local energy grid.

“Battery storage has the potential to be a more cost-effective way to modernize the grid to meet the demands of our customers, “says J.P. Brummond, Vice President of Business Planning. 

The 650-kilowatt, 2.7-megawatt-hour battery is in a rural area where numerous customers have installed their own solar panels and expanded the load on the system. A local battery provides an energy management option that benefits everyone and doesn’t restrict local solar production.

The battery works as a buffer to level out power fluctuations caused by changes in the sun’s intensity, and provides stabile electricity for our customers. Previously, these challenges were met by replacing the existing lines and equipment with new lines and poles. The battery is half as expensive as a local system rebuild. 

The battery will also be charged and discharged to reduce costs for all customers. When fully charged, it can store enough energy to power roughly 650 nearby homes for four hours. It was energized earlier this month. 

About Alliant Energy

Alliant Energy’s Iowa energy company, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, provides regulated service to 490,000 electric and 225,000 natural gas customers. The company’s mission is to deliver the energy solutions and exceptional service customers and communities count on – safely, efficiently and responsibly. Alliant Energy (NASDAQ: LNT) is a component of the Nasdaq CRD Sustainability Index, Bloomberg’s 2019 Gender-Equality Index, and the S&P 500. For more information, visit alliantenergy.com and follow us on LinkedInFacebookInstagram and Twitter.

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Alliant Energy Corporation

Alliant Energy Corporation

Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: LNT) provides regulated energy service to 965,000 electric and 415,000 natural gas customers across  Iowa  and  Wisconsin .  Alliant Energy's  mission is to deliver the energy solutions and exceptional service customers and communities count on – safely, efficiently and responsibly.  Interstate Power and Light Company  and  Wisconsin Power and Light Company  are  Alliant Energy's  two public energy companies.  Alliant Energy  is a component of the Nasdaq CRD Sustainability Index,  Bloomberg's  2019 Gender-Equality Index, and the  S&P  500. For more information, visit alliantenergy.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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