A mix of clouds and sun early followed by cloudy skies this afternoon. High 19F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph..
Clear to partly cloudy. Very cold. Low 4F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.
Updated: January 30, 2026 @ 10:56 am
Wever, Iowa
Wever, Iowa
Wever, Iowa
Battery storage is the newest method of making clean energy more efficient.
In Iowa, Alliant Energy said its utilizing this with its solar panels to serve thousands of homes.
“This is 99-megawatt four-hour battery co-located with the solar which is 150 megawatts. It serves about 100,000 homes in the area,” said Alliant Energy Engineering Manager Abichu Abebe.
Solar energy flows from the panels to the power conversion system (PCS), it’s like the brain of the operation.
PCS delivers that solar power to the batteries, then disperses it to the grid when needed.
And it also does the opposite: on days when solar panels aren’t collecting much energy, the batteries are low, and there isn’t much demand on the power grid, the PCS will pull energy from the grid and store it for later when the need is higher.
“Think of them as like a like a bump stop for the grid. So, in a sense, if there is a huge influx, if there is an issue with the grid, these batteries can discharge a ton of power in a very short amount of time,” said the FlexGen Vice President of Safety and Compliance Devin Keber (contracted to help Alliant Energy).
An emergency system monitors everything and will alert the company if something goes wrong.
Alliant Energy works with local EMS to prep for emergencies—like with a fire, Keber said the plan is a “defensive posture” where impacted batteries would be isolated with a water barrier and left to burn.
“Why we tell them to stay away and don’t come in and try to force entry into these cabinets is electrical hazards. So, there are stored energy in these batteries,” said Keber. “Now these batteries are designed to disconnect and open up and isolate some of the power, but you can’t turn off the battery.”
Keber also said there’s no concern about melted toxic metals leaching into the ground because the batteries are laser-sealed shut. In the case of a fire, they would just burn up instead.
“Historically speaking is that it’s no more hazardous than your typical house fire,” said Keber.
To prevent that, though, these batteries also have a kill switch of sorts—the Battery Management System (BMS)—so if they start to overheat, they turn off.
“Ultimately that’s our biggest champion,” said Keber.
Wever, Iowa
It means these battery storage facilities aren’t catching fire like the batteries in those viral e-scooter videos.
“That’s what separates a battery storage site like this operating responsibly versus these batteries that you see in these scooters that are coming from some random internet site,” said Keber.
And, these batteries aren’t made out of the same material as electric vehicles, e-scooters, or cell phones—which is nickel magnesium cobalt.
Instead, they’re made from lithium iron phosphate, creating a battery that takes longer to degrade.
And now, Keber said new U.S. factories are being built to manufacture and recycle these batteries, up to 98% can be put back into new batteries, starting the process all over again.
“I’m very confident that all that recyclability is being used responsibly moving forward,” said Keber.
Because of this, experts state this emerging storage technology is better for the environment, better for the economy, and better for the consumer.
“It’s efficient, reliable, and affordable for the customers,” said Abebe.
Currently in Quincy
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