Indianapolis Power & Light Co. and AES leaders cut the ribbon last week on the new IPL Advancion Energy Storage Array Facility located at the Harding Street Generation Station. The Advancion Array is the first grid-scale, battery-based energy storage system to make a footprint in the 15-state Midcontinent Independent System Operation (MISO) region, which will provide affordable and reliable power for our customers.
"IPL is committed to developing energy solutions that balance affordability for our customers and the impact on the environment," said Rafael Sanchez, IPL President & CEO. "This array provides an innovative approach to helping address the challenges that come with diversifying our energy mix with more wind and solar resources."
The IPL Advancion Array provides 20 megawatts (MW) of interconnected energy storage equivalent to 40 MW of flexible resources with unmatched operations flexibility. The facility will lower emissions by enabling more efficient dispatch of existing generating assets and support the ongoing integration of renewable power sources. The Advancion energy storage platform was recently recognized with the 2016 International Edison Award for its contribution to the growth and integration of clean energy around the globe. The IPL Array features Advancion pre-certified suppliers, including Samsung SDI and Parker Hannifin, and the balance of plant was provided by the Casteel Corporation.
IPL continues to pursue a balanced generation portfolio. By next spring, the majority of IPL's generating capacity will come from natural gas, wind and solar. Last month, IPL was also recognized by Edison Electric Institute for innovating execution of solar generation and battery storage projects. Additionally, there was representation from IPL and AES at the White House Summit, which invited regulators, energy company leaders and energy developers to discuss renewable energy and energy storage.
"Advancion 4, our fourth generation solution, was developed to meet the needs of utilities like IPL who are looking for innovative and proven solutions," said John Zahurancik, President of AES Energy Storage. "With nearly a decade of energy storage experience and more than 3 million megawatt hours of delivered service across the installed base, Advancion will deliver value immediately and for many years to come."
