Beacon Power Corp., a company that designs and develops products and services to support more stable and reliable electricity grid operation, has been awarded a subcontract to provide a flywheel energy storage system in support of a wind integration research and development (R&D) project sponsored by the California Energy Commission. Beacon will receive approximately $250,000 to offset R&D expenses and will contribute an additional $90,000 of engineering resources for the project.
In addition to the California Energy Commission, which is funding the project, other leading stakeholders include Southern California Edison and the California Independent System Operator (ISO). The flywheel system will be installed in Tehachapi, Calif. The primary goal of the project is to demonstrate that advanced control technology with energy storage can help expand the delivery of renewable wind energy by effectively increasing the capacity of constrained transmission facilities in the Tehachapi area.
As a key subcontractor on the project, Beacon Power will work with the prime contractor, Alternative Energy Systems Consulting, and be responsible for implementing the energy storage portion of a system that:
– utilizes flywheel technology to improve the dynamic control of wind generation resources,
– coordinates energy production and delivery from wind generation in the Tehachapi region, and
– demonstrates that such a system could expand the potential delivery of renewable energy and increase the capacity and use of transmission facilities in California.
SOURCE: Beacon Power Corp.
