First US commercial-scale rail energy storage project approved
WASHINGTON, May 5, 2016 - Advanced Rail Energy Storage’s (ARES)
commercial-scale gravity-based rail energy storage project has been granted
a right-of-way lease by the Bureau
of Land Management (BLM) after an Environmental Assessment and Biological
Opinion found the project would have no significant impact.
The 50-megawatt ARES project will encompass 106 acres of public
land in southern Nevada near Pahrump in Clark and Nye counties and help
stabilize the western electric grid, providing a wide range of ancillary
services that enable the grid to adjust to momentary changes in demand.
ARES Nevada uses gravity to store energy and release it when
it’s needed. Using a single railroad track sited on a gentle grade,
multiple electric locomotive cars move up the track as they receive excess
power from solar and wind power plants during sunny and windy days. When
needed, the train cars will be dispatched slowly downhill, using their
motor-generators to return power to the grid.
“Creative solutions like ARES Nevada provide a more reliable
and modern electric grid and help create an even cleaner energy future for our
citizens,” says Angie Dykema, director of the Nevada Governor’s Office of
Energy.
The project will provide 100 to 125 full-time local jobs
during an eight month construction phase, says the company, which anticipates
16 full-time positions once in operation. The project is expected to
provide energy for 40 years or more with only routine maintenance.
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