The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) has awarded Alliant Energy with a grant of up to approximately $30 million for a proposed 200 MWh energy storage system, the Columbia Energy Storage Project in Columbia County.
The facility will be built south of Portage, Wisconsin in the town of Pacific, near the current Columbia Energy Center. While Alliant Energy expects to submit project plans to the Wisconsin Public Service Commission in the first half of 2024, pending approval, project construction are anticipated in 2025 with completion in 2026.
The project will utilize Energy Dome’s design to deliver 10 hours of energy storage capacity by compressing CO2 gas into a liquid, which is converted back to a gas by the system to power a turbine to create electricity when required. The zero-emissions, closed loop battery system is capable to power about 20,000 Wisconsin homes.
Alliant Energy leads the project with WEC Energy Group, Madison Gas and Electric, Shell Global Solutions US, Electric Power Research Institute, UW-Madison and Madison College as the partners.
The unique design and capabilities of this energy storage system supports the company’s Clean Energy Vision goals and delivers value to customers. “Guided by our purpose-driven strategy, we continue to invest in cost-effective, sustainable energy solutions for the customers and communities we proudly serve,” said John Larsen, board chair and CEO of Alliant Energy. “As we diversify our energy mix, the added capacity and unique capabilities of energy storage solutions will strengthen our generation portfolio, increase grid resilience, improve reliability and help us continue to meet customer needs.”
