LaBelle Prairie Project Overview: PRECorp secured approval for a $23.5 million loan through the USDA's Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program to build an energy storage system and a solar facility in Moorcroft, Wyoming. The project - called the LaBelle Prairie Project - will include 5 MW of energy storage and nearly 1.2 MW of solar generation and is eligible for potential loan forgiveness and tax credits.
- PRECorp's share of the project is estimated to be around $10 million after accounting for 20% loan forgiveness and 50% direct-pay tax credits.
- PRECorp's 50-year-old Moorcroft distribution substation will be rebuilt to accommodate the energy storage system.
Project Details - Goals: PRECorp aims to manage peak demand on its system, thus reducing annual power costs by an estimated $1 million annually by using the 5 MW energy storage system. Additionally, the storage system will provide a backup power source for the Moorcroft area.
- Battery Storage is the main intent and technology PRECorp is striving to understand and utilize.
- This project serves as a pilot initiative, allowing PRECorp to test and refine the integration of energy storage (batteries) technology on a smaller scale.
- Renewable energy generation was a requirement of the loan program, which paved the way for the storage technology that PRECorp is pursuing.
Project Timeline: The design and construction process is expected to take approximately two years, with the system scheduled to be operational by spring 2027.
Community & Member Education Resource: After completion, the system will provide an opportunity to develop a working knowledge of energy storage. This has been a major part of PRECorp’s strategy of managing our wholesale power costs through peak demand management. Additionally, this will allow PRECorp members, community groups and educators to tour and learn about these technologies.
- The membership as a whole benefits from this project by equipping PRECorp to manage system peak demand charges.
- Solar Technology continues to advance and PRECorp sees the need to better understand this impact to better advise and situate the membership for the future.
Continued Support: PRECorp’s support for local natural energy resources of coal, oil, and natural gas will continue into the future. With this project, PRECorp will be transparent about the true costs and benefits of battery storage and solar generation technologies.
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