Fort Carson Debuts Largest Chemical Battery on a Military Base

Fort Carson installed the largest chemical battery on a Department of Defense location, launching an energy effort. Lockheed Martin's 1-megawatt Gridstar Flow system will store electricity during off-peak hours for use during peak demand, helping the base sustain operations during power outages and minimize energy expenditures.

At Wednesday's event, Fort Carson commander Maj. Gen. David Doyle stated, “This diversification of our power distribution safeguards our community against outages and adversarial threats.”

After avoiding scarce minerals like lithium, the water-based electrolyte system can power 400 households for 10 hours. The battery's first client use follows Lockheed Martin's internal testing. Fort Carson will charge the battery with solar panels and collect performance data over the next two years while boosting its solar energy output to 16 megawatts.

Rachel Jacobson, Army assistant secretary for Installations, Energy, and Environment, said energy resilience will be a primary concern under the next administration. “Energy resilience is critical for us to fight, win, and accomplish the mission,” she said.

The U.S. Army's Construction Engineering Research Laboratory supported the initiative, which follows renewable energy developments. Large-scale batteries like the Gridstar Flow are needed to store electricity in lousy weather as wind and solar power become more popular.

Fort Carson's electrical system is maintained by Colorado Springs Utilities, which said the battery's unique technology is not its responsibility. In 2019, Fort Carson erected an 8.5-megawatt battery to save money by charging during low demand and discharging during peak demand.

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“This new system enhances our capability to manage energy resources efficiently,” said Joe Wyka, deputy garrison commander at Fort Carson.

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