This New York pump station ditched diesel for battery backup

A wastewater pumping station in Erie County, New York, is now running backup power on a battery storage system instead of a diesel generator, and local officials say it could cut costs, emissions, and maintenance headaches.

Battery energy storage systems company Viridi has installed a 150 kWh BESS at a pumping station in Erie County Sewer District No. 2 in the Town of Hamburg. The battery system, called RPSLink, can provide 32 to 90 hours of backup power, depending on pump demand, keeping the wastewater station running during outages without relying on fuel.

Wastewater pumping stations are essential infrastructure, but many still rely on diesel generators for backup power. Those systems can cost roughly $5,000 to $10,000 per year to maintain, even though they’re rarely used. They also need fuel treatment, regular testing, and ongoing servicing. Because pumps draw large startup currents and cycle frequently, municipalities often oversize generators to handle those spikes, which adds to costs and inefficiency.

Erie County officials say switching to battery storage should reduce maintenance costs, eliminate fuel dependence, and provide nearly instant backup power. Angela M. Horton, senior sanitary engineer for the county’s Division of Sewerage Management, said the system supports the county’s climate and energy goals while improving reliability for critical wastewater operations.

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The battery system includes remote monitoring and automated alerts, which can reduce the need for in‑person inspections and help crews detect problems quickly. County officials say the installation could serve as a template for other sites, since the region has nearly 100 similar pumping stations that could potentially adopt the same approach.

Viridi CEO Jon M. Williams said, “Our fail-safe BESS offers municipalities a cleaner, more reliable, and more economical path forward – one that protects both residents and the environment.”

The company says its battery systems are designed specifically for critical infrastructure and are already deployed at sites such as the Denver Public Library and the US Military Academy at West Point.

Electrek’s Take

Municipal infrastructure rarely gets attention in the clean energy transition, but it’s one of the biggest untapped opportunities. Backup generators sit idle most of the time, burn diesel when they do run, and still cost thousands annually to maintain. Swapping them for battery storage could be a straightforward decarbonization win for cities, especially in places with extensive pump-station networks like Erie County.

The real test will be scale. Pilot‑style deployments often look promising, but widespread adoption depends on upfront costs, procurement rules, and whether municipalities trust batteries as much as they trust diesel. If systems like this prove reliable over time, they could replace much of the fossil‑fuel backup power in public infrastructure.

Read more: Germany is using heated bricks to replace gas-fired industrial boilers

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