Operating Plants

Beacon Power operates three flywheel energy storage plants that provide frequency regulation service in three different US markets. There are more than 400 flywheels in commercial operation today helping grid operators in NYISO, PJM and ISO-NE safely and efficiently balance power grid supply and demand to ensure reliability. Flywheel operating hours exceed 7 million. In the NYISO market, our Stephentown plant is approximately 10% of the regulation market capacity, but provides over 30% of the Area Control Error correction, doing so with over 95% accuracy. Our successful operation of these plants is driven by our patented flywheel technology and advanced grid integration and power control systems.

Fast ramping flywheels lower the overall ISO system costs by freeing up other generation resources to participate in the energy market at higher output levels and at a more efficient heat rate, thereby reducing their fuel use, while lowering their operations and maintenance costs, and emissions rates. In addition, the fast ramp rates and high accuracy of Beacon flywheel plants in response to a utility or ISO control signal reduces the overall system requirements for regulation services.