Noble REMC houses battery storage at five of our substations as part of a Substation Battery Program, coordinated by our power supplier, Wabash Valley Power Alliance.

Those sites provide a combined 17 MW of capacity. And so far this summer, the batteries have been used 10 times, typically operating for about four hours per event. 

What does that mean for you? Savings and continued reliability.

These batteries are used during periods of high electricity demand, which often coincide with extreme heat in the summer and winter. During these peak periods, wholesale power prices can rise significantly. By discharging the batteries when demand is highest, less electricity must be purchased from the market when prices are at their highest. 

Simply put, when peaks are reduced, high peak prices can be avoided. 

In addition to helping control power supply costs, the batteries also support system reliability during the times the electric grid is under the greatest stress.