PUC Approves Battery Storage Plan at Sherco

ST. PAUL (WJON News) - The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has given the green light to a proposed energy storage pilot program in Becker.

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Officials with Xcel Energy plan a demonstration-scale iron-air battery system, developed by Massachusetts-based Form Energy on 5 acres of land near the Sherco II Power Plant.

Bria Shea is the regional vice president for regulatory policy at Xcel Energy–Minnesota.

Multi-day battery storage has the potential to help us better harness the renewable energy we generate while ensuring the grid remains reliable for our customers. We look forward to bringing this system online at our Sherco site and learning more about the role it can play in our larger effort to reach 100% carbon-free electricity.

Currently, battery storage is limited to less than a day of power storage. The iron-air batteries are expected to provide backup power for over 100 hours.

Minnesota Public Utilities Commissioner Valerie Means commented on the plans.

As we move towards decarbonization, the development of long-duration energy storage is essential. The Commission expects to see more of these projects that hopefully get us to an integrated storage plan that ensures we have the right amount of storage to manage the grid.

Construction is expected to start in the second quarter of 2024 and employ 15 to 20 construction jobs with a nine-million-dollar impact on the Central Minnesota economy.

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