Tesla Powerpacks will power a ski resort in Tahoe

Tesla’s energy has secured another battery project this week; the company’s Powerpacks will power an energy storage installation at a ski resort in Tahoe, California.

The Squaw Valley resort and Liberty Utilities have announced the proposed “Olympic Valley Microgrid Project” in the North Tahoe region.

Greg Sorensen, president of Liberty Utilities’ West Region, commented:

“Battery energy storage can facilitate use of renewable energy sources. Battery storage can also improve service reliability and help offset purchases from fossil fuel sources during times of high electricity demand, saving money for our customers. The Olympic Valley Microgrid project proposal is just one piece in a larger mosaic of renewable energy and battery energy storage projects that Liberty Utilities is exploring throughout our service territory.”

The resort will be providing the land for the battery system, which will have a power capacity of 8 MW and will provide grid services.

It will be charged using local renewable electricity, which should help the company achieve its goal of being 100% powered by renewable energy by the end of the year.

Andy Wirth, president and COO of Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, commented:

“It is inspiring to work with a motivated and innovative utility provider like Liberty Utilities on a project that will bring tangible, long-lasting benefits to the power grid that supplies our entire community. This project has the ability to significantly increase the resiliency of Olympic Valley’s current power sources, and help set the entire Tahoe Truckee region on a path toward a greater goal of identifying and implementing 100 percent renewable energy sources.”

The project has been submitted for review and approval by the California Public Utilities Commission and Placer County ahead of the start of construction.

This is one of several recent Powerpack projects for Tesla, including the recent delivery of a Powerpack system to SpaceX’s new spaceport in Texas and a new Powerpack system that brought a business almost completely off-grid in France.