NorthWestern Energy And Beacon Power Showcase Innovative Flywheel Project At Mill Creek

Butte, Mt – NorthWestern Energy and Beacon Power Corporation, a provider of energy storage products and services that support the operation of the electricity grid, recently showcased a project to install and test an advanced flywheel-based energy storage technology at the Dave Gates Generating Station (DGGS) at Mill Creek, near Anaconda.

Beacon Power is installing a 1-megawatt (MW) Smart Energy Matrix flywheel energy-storage system that will be operated in conjunction with the DGGS. The 1-MW system consists of ten, 25-kWh flywheels along with two containers housing power electronics and environmental control systems. Construction of this project should be complete by the end of 2011.

"We're pleased to collaborate with NorthWestern Energy on this innovative and forward-looking project," said Bill Capp, Beacon Power President and CEO. "Studies have shown that fast-responding energy storage technology like our flywheels can augment conventional fossil-fueled regulation resources by improving their performance. We look forward to demonstrating this project and its operation with the DGGS."

NorthWestern Energy, as does any electricity grid operator, must balance the electrical loads and resources, including intermittent resources such as wind, on its system on a moment-to-moment basis.

"NorthWestern Energy is pleased to work with Beacon Power to gain additional understanding of and operational experience with flywheel technology," said Bob Rowe, President and CEO of NorthWestern Energy. "We are excited to learn more about this technology, and how it integrates with the operation of the Dave Gates Generating Station.

"I also find it interesting that flywheel technology has evolved from what was used for hoists in the Butte mines almost a century ago to this innovative energy-storage concept."

The proposed flywheel system will respond to grid operator control signals to absorb excess electricity from the electric system and inject it back when needed, providing 1 MW of fast-responding regulation. Beacon and NorthWestern Energy will work closely together to develop the flywheel system's control signal algorithms to integrate it with the performance of the adjacent DGGS and to evaluate the impact and potential benefits of the flywheel resource.

SOURCE: NorthWestern Energy & Beacon Power Corporation