Battery power in Kwethluk
Nuvista Light and Electric Cooperative of Bethel is working with Kwethluk, a small village in the region, on the installation of a 675 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery storage system that will provide backup power and, when a planned local wind project is built, allow surplus power generated by wind to be stored. This will allow the community to use less diesel for power generation. The U.S. Department of Energy has provided a $477,050 grant for the project, which must be matched 50 percent from local sources. Kwethluk has 700 residents and is 18 miles from Bethel. The project is similar to a battery storage and wind project combination at Kongiganak, another small community in the region, which is now able to meet half of its power needs with wind.