PARIS — A historic energy project is now live in Kenosha County, and it’s charging up Wisconsin’s future.
We Energies has officially launched the Paris Solar-Battery Park, the first large-scale energy storage project in Wisconsin history. The site, located in the Town of Paris, combines a massive solar field with a powerful battery system capable of storing 110 megawatts of energy—enough to power more than 130,000 homes for four hours.
Watch: Take a look at Wisconsin's first battery storage project:
“We can basically pull that energy in, store it, and have it ready to go when we need it,” said Bob Frazee, a supervisor at the Paris Plant. “It’s sitting there like a tank, ready to deploy.”
The goal is to store excess energy during sunny days and release it at night or during periods of high demand, especially in extreme weather or summer heat.
“Just last week on a really hot day across the Midwest, these batteries played a critical role,” said Brendan Conway with We Energies. “It’s great for our customers and great for the community.”
For nearby residents like Sergio Arizmendi, the new facility is more than just innovation — it’s peace of mind.
“We get big thunderstorms,” Arizmendi said. “The next thing you know, you lose the power. If you have that storage, maybe they can use that when the power goes off.”
With Kenosha County rapidly growing — from new homes to manufacturing and retail — energy leaders say this kind of infrastructure is essential to supporting local demand.
“The energy we’re providing here is going to continue to support Kenosha County’s growth,” Conway said.
This project is part of We Energies’ broader push toward cleaner, more resilient energy sources. The battery facility is expected to reduce strain on the grid and boost reliability, no matter the weather.
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