Columbia harbor energy storage plant operation

What is the Columbia Energy Storage Project?

Sign up for WPR’s email newsletter. The Columbia Energy Storage Project would store excess energy from the electric grid by converting carbon dioxide gas into a compressed liquid form and then converting that liquid back into a gas, powering a turbine to generate electricity, according to the Department of Energy.

Who owns Columbia County's coal-fired power plant?

Columbia County is currently home to a coal-fired power plant owned and operated by Alliant Energy, with partial co-ownership from WEC Energy Group — parent company of Wisconsin Public Service and We Energies — and Madison Gas and Electric. That plant is slated to come offline by mid-2026.

Will Alliant Energy build a long-duration energy storage system in Columbia County?

Alliant Energy filed an application with the state Public Service Commission on Aug. 7 to build a long-duration energy storage system in Columbia County. It would be the first project of its kind in North America.

Can energy be stored in a 'energy dome'?

The gas will be stored in what officials call an “energy dome.” An Italian company named Energy Dome has already worked on the technology in a smaller-scale demonstration site in Sardinia, Italy. The Columbia Energy Storage Project would store excess energy from the electric grid by converting carbon dioxide gas into a compressed liquid form.

Is a new energy storage system coming to Wisconsin?

Photo courtesy of Alliant Energy A first of its kind energy storage system coming to Wisconsin took a step forward this month, almost a year after the project was announced. Alliant Energy filed an application with the state Public Service Commission on Aug. 7 to build a long-duration energy storage system in Columbia County.