Green Bay has granted its first utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) project approval, marking a pivotal step for grid reliability and energy storage in Wisconsin. The City of Green Bay Plan Commission authorized a Conditional Use Permit (CUP), allowing Tern Energy Storage LLC to develop the 200MW system on an 8.1-acre site.

With approximately 450 battery enclosures, 112 transformers, and a collection substation, the project will store and dispatch power back to the grid, ensuring stability during peak demand. Energy storage technology is seen as vital for transforming the state's grid, and the addition of high-capacity transformers will support large-scale energy shifts in times of fluctuating demand.

To maintain fire safety, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 855 Standard will guide the project design. It may also include an on-site operations and maintenance (O&M) facility. Tern Energy Storage, a subsidiary of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), will own and operate the project, while Tenaska, Inc., based in Omaha, Nebraska, will oversee development.

With an estimated $300 million investment and projected 75 construction jobs, the project is scheduled to begin construction in the fourth quarter of 2025, with completion expected in 2026 or 2027. This BESS project follows a growing trend in Wisconsin, where other large-scale battery storage projects, including Koshkonong Solar Energy Center, are in development.

Source: smart-energy.com