Xcel Energy Tests Battery for Storing Wind Energy
As one of the USA's leading wind power providers, Xcel Energy wants to harness renewable energy to the greatest extent possible. With that focus, the utility has launched a ground-breaking project to test cutting-edge technology for storing wind energy in batteries. Integrating variable wind and solar power production with the needs of the grid is an ongoing challenge for the utility industry. However, with a means of storing the electricity produced by those resources, that issue could go away. Xcel Energy is testing a 1 megawatt battery-storage technology, to demonstrate its ability to effectively store wind energy and move it to the grid when needed. The project marks the first use of direct wind energy storage technology in the USA.By Sandy K. Simon, Director of Utility Innovations and Smart Grid Strategy for Xcel Energy, USA
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