Companies Race to Develop Utility-Scale Power Storage. By Phil Taylor, Greenwire, September 28, 2009. "Using federal loan guarantees and $4 billion in 'smart grid' stimulus cash, [companies] are working on utility-scale storage units that they hope will help balance intermittent renewable sources like wind and solar and let electric grid operators match power supplies with demand. Among the leaders is a Massachusetts company that plans to use hundreds of 'flywheels' to store 20 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 200 homes for a day. Beacon Power Corp. is working with a $43 million federal loan guarantee for its $69 million storage project in Stephentown, N.Y., which is scheduled to break ground by year's end. The plant would store cheap 'off peak' electricity in 2,500-pound flywheels that turn faster than the speed of sound. When the electricity prices rise -- or when winds die -- energy can be withdrawn from the wheels and sold to the grid at a premium rate."
2009-10-09
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