Powering Alcatraz Island’s Tourism

Powering Alcatraz Island’s Tourism

Alcatraz has always been cut off from the mainland, with no power lines. Today, its tourism business benefits from solar panels connected to a battery bank and power inverters that help power the island instead of relying solely on diesel generators.

The system has reduced the island’s fuel consumption by 45 percent since its 2012 installation. It also saves more than 25,000 gallons of diesel fuel a year.

Venkat Srinivasan from the Argonne Collaborative Center

The lead acid battery ... is legendary. We can recycle 95+ percent of [these] batteries all across the world. It's a very safe chemistry, ... [and] we understand how to use it very, very well.

Dr. Venkat Srinivasan, Director, Argonne Collaborative Center for Energy Storage Science