A $22 million grant … thanks to the federal Stimulus Bill … will help Duke Energy research using batteries to store wind energy from a Texas wind farm.

This story from UPI says the North Carolina company will match the U.S. Department of Energy grant to design, build and install batteries for the storage of wind energy from its Notrees Windpower Project in western Texas:

Duke said it plans to develop a large-scale battery to store excess wind energy for the distribution of electricity when wind turbines are not in cycle.

“Energy storage truly has the potential to serve as a game-changer when it comes to renewable power,” said Wouter van Kempen, president of Duke Energy Generation Services, a Duke Energy subsidiary involved in renewable energy.

There are 95 wind turbines on the Notrees wind farm, which can produce up to 151 megawatts of clean electricity.