Snowmaking requires enormous amounts of electricity, particularly when ski resorts race to produce as much snow as possible during brief stretches of cold weather. Those sudden spikes in power consumption can result in substantial utility charges, adding to the expense of keeping ski slopes covered in snow.

A Massachusetts ski resort is exploring an unusual solution: a giant battery capable of supplying electricity for up to 20 hours at a time.

Berkshire East Mountain Resort, located in Charlemont, Massachusetts, is the proposed site of an 80-megawatt-hour battery storage system that could help reduce the resort’s peak electricity demand. Massachusetts has awarded $4,513,200 toward the project through its Advancing Massachusetts Power Energy Storage Grant Program.

The project is being developed by Inlyte Energy and CutPeak Energy, with a target completion date in 2028. Financing, final agreements, and regulatory approvals are still required.

According to the developers, Berkshire East’s snowmaking equipment can draw as much as 4 megawatts of electricity when operating at full capacity. Such high demand may occur during relatively short periods when temperature and humidity conditions are favorable for making snow.

Electric utilities commonly assess demand charges based on a customer’s highest rate of electricity consumption during a billing period. Running dozens of snow guns, pumps, and compressors simultaneously can create an expensive peak, even if electricity consumption is much lower during the remainder of the month. Inlyte and CutPeak say demand charges are Berkshire East’s second-largest operating expense after labor.

The proposed battery would store electricity during periods of lower demand and release it when snowmaking operations are running at full capacity. Rated at 4 megawatts of output and 80 megawatt-hours of storage, the system is designed to deliver its full rated power for 20 hours. It could also provide backup electricity for designated facilities during utility outages.

Unlike the lithium-ion batteries commonly used in electric vehicles and many energy storage installations, Inlyte’s technology uses an iron-sodium chemistry designed for applications requiring sustained electricity delivery over many hours.

The technology remains relatively new. Massachusetts describes its storage grant program as an effort to demonstrate emerging technologies, and Berkshire East would represent a substantial deployment of Inlyte’s battery system. Its performance and long-term economics at a ski resort have yet to be established.

Although Berkshire East is located in New England, the project could have implications for ski resorts throughout the Mid-Atlantic, where snowmaking infrastructure continues to expand.

At Virginia’s Wintergreen Resort, crews are installing 14 new high-output fan guns and expanding automated snowmaking controls. A new electrical substation is also under construction to support the resort’s growing power requirements and future snowmaking expansion.

Maryland’s Wisp Resort has similarly invested in snowmaking infrastructure, including new snow guns, expanded pipelines, and an additional pump to increase water flow from Deep Creek Lake during favorable snowmaking conditions.

Such improvements allow resorts to produce more snow when temperatures cooperate, but can also increase electrical demand. Battery storage could offer another way to manage those peaks, particularly where utilities impose substantial demand charges.

Whether the Berkshire East approach makes financial sense elsewhere remains an open question. The project’s total installed cost, projected annual savings, and expected payback period have not been publicly established. Its economics would depend on local utility rates, snowmaking schedules, and opportunities to use the battery during the rest of the year.

If Berkshire East moves forward, the project could provide an early indication of whether long-duration battery storage is a practical investment for ski resorts facing growing snowmaking demands.