Utility company Alliant Energy has received approval from the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) to advance its Columbia energy storage project, which will use carbon dioxide-based technology for long-duration energy storage.
The Columbia energy storage project will take energy from the grid and convert CO2 gas into a compressed liquid form for long-term storage. Then, when the stored energy is needed, the system converts the liquid CO2 back to a gas, which powers a turbine to create electricity.
Raja Sundararajan, Executive Vice-President of Strategy and Customer Solutions at Alliant Energy, welcomed the PSC’s approval.
“The Columbia Energy Storage Project positions us to meet the growing energy needs of our customers and the communities we serve,” he said. “It’s also a key part of our balanced energy mix, our roadmap for delivering the reliable, cost-effective energy customers count on.”
At full capacity, the project will deliver enough electricity to power around 18,000 Wisconsin homes for 10 hours on a single charge.
The energy storage system will be built south of Portage, Wisconsin, in the town of Pacific and near Alliant Energy’s existing Columbia Energy Centre.
Construction is expected to begin in 2026 and be completed by the end of 2027.
The project is led by Alliant Energy, which has partnered with Wisconsin Public Service Corporation, a subsidiary of WEC Energy Group, and Madison Gas and Electric.