Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)

BESS Recognition

ABB was awarded the Platts 2003 Global Energy Award for their design and development of the BESS converter. The converter changes the batteries' DC power into AC power ready for use in GVEA's transmission system. The Platts Global Energy Award is the most prestigious award program in the industry. There were nearly 200 nominations from every continent and every field of energy in the 2003 competition. The award for energy projects is comparable to the Academy Awards for actors and actresses, complete with sealed envelopes, spotlights illuminating award recipients and acceptance speeches.

GVEA President & CEO Steve Haagenson accepted an EPRI technology award for the BESS project at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Annual Meeting on February 15 2004. EPRI presented the annual award to an electric cooperative for their leadership in electricity-related technologies. EPRI, the Electric Power Research Institute is a non-profit energy research consortium for the benefit of utility members, their customers, and society. Their mission is to provide science and technology-based solutions to global energy customers by managing a far-reaching program of scientific research, technology development, and product implementation.

GVEA Board President Rick Schikora and President & CEO Steve Haagenson accepted a Guiness World Record certificate acknowledging that the BESS is the world's most powerful battery. The BESS earned the world record when on December 10, 2003, during a test of its maximum limit, it discharged 46 megawatts for five minutes. The certificate was presented by Jim McDowall, Saft America Inc.'s Business Development Manager, on April 7, 2005 in Fairbanks, Alaska. For more information, and a photo, please view the news release.