Energy storage is not new, but it’s being pushed to the fore as renewable energy begins to deliver on it’s promise.
Here in Michigan, utilities Detroit Edison and Consumer’s Energy are investing 800 million dollars into a serious upgrade of the 30 year old Ludington Pumped Storage Facility on Lake Michigan – on of several dozen around the country based on hydroelectric energy storage.
The innovative electric “battery” built in 1973 on a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan south of Ludington is a key component for the public utilities as they move into alternative sources of energy, such as wind farms.
Replacement of the plant’s six massive turbines will increase the plant capacity by 16 percent — from the current 1,872 megawatts to 2,172 megawatts, after the replacements are installed by 2019. The construction project is estimated to create 100 jobs during the six years, utility officials said in a public announcement at the Ludington-Scottville Chamber of Commerce offices Monday afternoon.
When electric demand is low and the electric rates are cheaper, such as during the overnight hours, lake water is pumped 372 feet up to the reservoir. When electric demand is high and rates increase during the day, the water is released back down to Lake Michigan to produce electricity that has been “stored” in the reservoir like a giant battery.
