Utility Places Large Batteries in Milton

Effective batteries are the crucial "missing link" for all types of alternative grid-based energy. There must be some way to store power when the wind is blowing or the sun is shining, and provide power when there is calm, or at night. There has been a lot of interest in load leveling recently, as can be seen in this article. Some of the changes referred to in this article from MIT, from 2003, are just now coming to pass. And as the Wall Street Journal recently reported, the US is behind the Asian countries in developing battery technology, especially for cars. Note that the AEP batteries are from NGK, a Japanese company, that has a spark plug factory in West Virginia.

This article from the December 18 2008 Charleston Daily Mail explains AEP's practice of putting large batteries in certain locations to level loads. The batteries can be recharged at night, when there is excess capacity, and used when there is excess demand. They can also provide local sources of power when transmission lines are out.