Indianapolis Power and Light has broken ground on what it says will be one of the largest energy-storage facilities in the Midwest. I-P-L will use interconnected advanced batteries to store up to 20 megawatts of energy.
Ken Zagzebski, president of I-P-L parent company A-E-S, says the battery array will make the power grid more reliable by smoothing out variations in supply and demand.
And he says the lithium-ion batteries will reduce emissions.
Governor Mike Pence says the storage batteries represent a pathway to wider use of alternative energy
When it‘s completed next year, the storage system will be the largest in the 15 states covered by the Carmel-based MISO power grid operator. A-E-S has similar units in Ohio and West Virginia. The company says creating storage capacity makes increased use of solar and wind power more practical.