In a bright move for the planet, Wisconsin just launched a solar-powered battery system that's changing how the state stores and uses energy.
The system is part of the Paris Solar-Battery Park in Kenosha County, which is south of Milwaukee. As reported by Energy Storage News, the park includes a 200-megawatt solar farm that began operating in December 2024.
While that solar farm has been supplying clean energy during the day, the newly added 110-megawatt battery storage system (BESS) allows stored solar power to be used at night, during cloudy weather, or when energy demand spikes.
The batteries can power about 130,000 homes for up to four hours, while the solar farm generates enough electricity to supply around 55,000 homes annually, per Energy Storage News.
Energy experts hope the project will help make Wisconsin's power grid more stable and less reliant on dirty energy, and the system marks a major step forward for the state's transition to renewable power.
"Bringing Wisconsin's first large-scale battery storage project online is historic and continues our commitment to provide customers reliable and affordable energy," said the president of project partner We Energies, Mike Hooper.
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"Our 'all of the above' power generation approach means customers can count on the energy they need, no matter the weather or the time of day."
Recent data shows that 79% of the nation's power still comes from dirty energy sources that pump carbon and other pollutants into the air. Switching to solar avoids dirty energy, which helps combat rising global temperatures, improves air quality, and safeguards essential ecosystems.
Wisconsin's new BESS is a major step in making clean energy more reliable and accessible to state residents. By capturing and storing solar power during the day, it helps ensure renewable energy is available when people need it most — even after the sun goes down.
Battery storage also helps balance the grid and prevent blackouts during high demand, making renewable energy a more dependable part of the power system.
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Yes — a portable generator 👍 And residents are already seeing the benefits of this clean energy system on their electric bills.
We Energies highlights that the Paris Solar-Battery Park is eligible for federal tax credits, which provide savings to customers. However, the Trump administration recently rolled back clean energy incentives that could impact these savings in upcoming years.
Aside from these in-jeopardy credits, no-cost solar energy generated by solar farms has been proven to reduce electric bills by 5 to 20% on average.
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