A renewable energy plant, commissioned in Oregon on Sept. 28, combines solar power, wind power, and massive batteries to store the energy generated there. It is the first utility-scale plant of its kind in North America.

The project will generate enough electricity to power a small city at maximum output.

The new hybrid utility plant addresses a key challenge facing the utility industry as the U.S. transitions away from fossil fuels and increasingly turns to solar and wind farms for power.

Wind and solar are clean sources of power, but utilities have been forced to fill in gaps when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining with fossil fuels like coal or natural gas.

Read more: www.power-eng.com