Battery Energy Storage, Not Generator, for Island

System saves Alaskan community $280,000

METLAKATLA, Alaska-- A community on a small island in southeastern Alaska is saving money, conserving energy, and protecting the environment through an innovative use of lead-acid batteries. The battery energy-storage system (BESS), the second such installation for partners GNB Technologies and General Electric, is located near the Centennial Diesel plant in Metlakatla, Alaska. Used to mitigate the power swings caused by the Annette Hemlock sawmill, the BESS has saved more than $288,000 in energy costs in its first year of operation and reduced power outages in the community.

The sawmill is the primary employer in the …