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    Alliant Energy Completes Battery Storage Microgrid in Small Wisconsin Village

    Aug. 28, 2023
    The Boaz microgrid, announced two years ago, can be islanded (disconnected from the main grid) and can provide adequate electrical power for up to eight hours in the event of an outage
    Image credit Alliant Energy
    Boaz Microgrid 64edf284b560c

    A small step for Wisconsin, a giant leap for energy resiliency.

    In what many are calling a first for the state, construction of a community-scale microgrid has been completed in the village of Boaz. Utility provider Alliant Energy developed the $3 million project comprised of battery storage system in Richland County.

    The Boaz microgrid, announced two years ago, can be islanded (disconnected from the main grid) and can provide adequate electrical power for up to eight hours in the event of an outage. The community has less than 200 residents and one main distribution line.

    Although Alliant Energy developed the microgrid, the energy firm let a local resident speak for the need in the community.

    “We've been impacted by severe storms and power outages, affecting everything from the lights in our homes to our public works and utility services,” said Jean Nicks, Boaz village president, quoted by Alliant in its announcement. “This new microgrid system supports our community and means we won’t have to worry constantly about outages that previously disabled equipment like our pumps for hours or days on end. In addition to the added peace of mind, this microgrid will deliver great savings for our village.”

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    The battery storage includes a 400 kW/3200 kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery and initially will be energized by the main Alliant grid. In the future, solar power capacity could be added. The company called this Boaz project a "reliability" microgrid. 

    “The completion of this microgrid battery system is a major step forward as we leverage new technology to improve energy reliability and grid resilience,” said Mike Bremel, director of Engineering and Customer Solutions at Alliant Energy, in a statement. “This infrastructure upgrade allows us to expand our operational experience and apply new insights to future development opportunities.”

    In 2020, Alliant constructed a remote microgrid at a Wisconsin state park in the Black Hawk recreation area. Alliant Energy also  is working on several pilot projects centered around battery energy storage in Iowa and Wisconsin.

    Boaz, founded in the 19th century, has rarely seen its population vary outside a range of 100 to 180 people, It is known for the "Boaz Mastodon" skeleton which was discovered by four young farm boys in 1897 and now is on feature at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Geology Museum.

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    About the Author

    Rod Walton, Managing Editor | Managing Editor

    For Microgrid Knowledge editorial inquiries, please contact Managing Editor Rod Walton at [email protected].

    I’ve spent the last 15 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist. I was an energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World before moving to business-to-business media at PennWell Publishing, which later became Clarion Events, where I covered the electric power industry. I joined Endeavor Business Media in November 2021 to help launch EnergyTech, one of the company’s newest media brands. I joined Microgrid Knowledge in July 2023. 

    I earned my Bachelors degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma. My career stops include the Moore American, Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise, Wagoner Tribune and Tulsa World, all in Oklahoma . I have been married to Laura for the past 33-plus years and we have four children and one adorable granddaughter. We want the energy transition to make their lives better in the future. 

    Microgrid Knowledge and EnergyTech are focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids. The C&I sectors together account for close to 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.

    Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.

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    Photos courtesy Oregon Clean Power Cooperative
    Deborah Westlight, operations manager with the Oregon Clean Power Cooperative, raises her arms in celebration of the solar panel portion of the project.
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    Nebraska State Capitol in downtown Lincoln.
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    Gundersen Health System
    Source: Gundersen Health System

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