BHE Montana has broken ground on its 75 MW Glacier Battery System, located in Cut Bank, Mont.
“Today is an important milestone for BHE Montana as we continue to power growth in Montana and throughout the region,” says Nancy Murray, president of BHE Montana. “The Glacier Battery System will add an additional layer of stability to the energy grid of the West and increased support to our portfolio of renewable generation assets.”
BHE Montana was joined by Montana governor Greg Gianforte and members of the Great Falls Development Alliance for the groundbreaking ceremony.
The BESS is a stand-alone facility that will be used to support real-time scheduling of intermittent, renewable generation from BHE Montana’s wind and solar generation assets. The Glacier Battery System will be interconnected to the Montana-Alberta Tie Line and is expected to be in operation by next year.
BHE Montana operates the 189 MW Rim Rock wind farm near Kevin, Mont., as well as the 105 MW Glacier I and 103.5 MW Glacier II wind farms that span southeast Glacier County and southwest Toole County in northern Montana. In June, the company also announced plans to develop Glacier Solar Park, a new 100 MW solar generation project.
