Washington County is home to brand new technology from Alliant Energy. The company installed their first utility scale battery near Wellman. This is in response to many of their customers installing solar panels. With fluctuations in weather during a given day, solar panels can put energy back onto the grid at voltage levels that are difficult to regulate. The battery serves as a buffer to help Alliant provide a consistent and stable feed on their network. The previous alternative would have been for Alliant to replace power lines, poles and equipment in the area while cutting service to customers during installation.