READING — Northern States Power Company, doing business as Xcel Energy, is proposing to construct a 300 megawatt / 1,200 megawatt-hour Nobles Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project composed of lithium-ion battery technology on Xcel Energy owned land adjacent to the existing Nobles Wind Farm and Nobles Substation, located at 19469 McCall Ave., Reading.
According to Xcel Energy Principal Media Relations Representative Kevin Coss, Xcel Energy representatives met with local officials on Aug. 25 at the Nobles County Government Center in Worthington. Nobles County Administrator Bruce Heitkamp said he and Commissioners Gene Metz and Justin Ahlers were present at the meeting. Because a majority of commissioners were not in attendance, the meeting was closed to the public and the press.
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During the meeting, Xcel Energy reportedly discussed the project’s location, the anticipated schedule, an overview of the battery technology and safety standards, the community benefits of the project and the permitting process it will need to complete through the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC).
“The project is now in the early stages of design,” Coss said via email. “We plan to submit a site permit application to the PUC by the end of the year and also sent out letters to those in the surrounding area about the project. Once the PUC accepts the application, in-person and virtual public meetings will take place for adjacent landowners and other interested parties to learn more and provide comments on the project.”
Those public meetings are expected to occur in early- to mid-2027, with construction following in late summer or early fall. If the project advances, the batteries are expected to start serving the grid by the end of 2028.
According to a letter written by Xcel Energy’s Siting and Permitting Agent Tyler Beemer, the proposed project would consist of approximately 260 BESS enclosures and 65 Medium Voltage (MV) transformers, which steps up voltage to 34.5 kilovolts (kV). After the voltage is stepped up at each BESS block, the MV cabling is collected in the project substation, where the voltage is once again stepped up to the transmission level voltage of 115 kV through Main Power Transformers included as part of the project.
Because the proposed location of this facility is directly adjacent to the point of interconnection at the existing Nobles Substation, a short 115 kV transmission line — estimated to be less than 1,500 feet — will connect the project to the existing substation within the same parcel owned by Xcel Energy.
“Battery storage systems are an important part of our plan to meet the future needs of the homes and businesses we serve for safe, reliable and increasingly clean electricity,” Coss said. “These systems can store energy during times when energy is abundant, such as when the wind is powering our wind turbines and the sun is shining on our solar panels, and deliver it when renewable energy production decreases but demand does not.
“Batteries can also reduce strain on our transmission and distribution infrastructure, improve the grid’s efficiency, and help us meet growing electricity demand in a cost-effective way,” Coss said.
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Input or feedback regarding the project is welcomed by Xcel Energy. Contact Tyler Beemer at tyler.beemer@xcelenergy.com or (952) 491-9470. Written comments are also welcomed, to be sent to Tyler Beemer, 414 Nicollet Mall, GO 6, Minneapolis, MN 55401.