U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm
The Biden-Harris administration, by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), has launched practically $350 million for rising long-duration energy storage (LDES) demonstration initiatives able to delivering electrical energy for 10 to 24 hours or longer to assist a low-cost, dependable, carbon-free electrical grid. Funded partially by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this funding alternative will advance new renewable energy applied sciences, improve the capabilities of consumers and communities to combine grid storage extra successfully, improve grid resilience, and extra.
“Advancing energy storage technologies is key to making energy generated from clean renewable resources—like wind and solar—available for 24/7 use, and is critical to achieving a decarbonized power grid and reaching President Biden’s ambitious climate goals,” says U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “DOE is taking huge steps to lower the cost and increase the duration of energy storage technologies so that clean, reliable, affordable electricity is available whenever and wherever to everyone, especially Americans living in remote and underserved communities.”
As the U.S. strikes in the direction of a carbon-free electrical grid that depends extra on numerous renewable energy era, the necessity for dependable LDES that may provide sufficient energy for lengthy durations of time and during times when energy era is decreased or unavailable turns into extra important. Today’s energy storage applied sciences aren’t sufficiently scaled or inexpensive to assist the broad use of renewable energy on {the electrical} grid. Cheaper, longer period energy storage can improve group involvement in native power techniques, construct resilience for communities, and reduce power grid disruptions.
The LDES Demonstrations Program can be managed by DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) and can fund practically $350 million for as much as 11 demonstration initiatives—initiatives that may contribute to the department-wide purpose of decreasing the price of grid-scale energy storage by 90% inside the decade. DOE will fund as much as 50% of the price of every venture to catalyze impactful LDES demonstrations and open monumental new prospects for clear, baseload power. The program goals to fund initiatives that may overcome the technical and institutional limitations that exist for full-scale deployment of LDES techniques by specializing in a variety of various know-how varieties for a various set of areas.
To guarantee these initiatives create good jobs and advantages for communities, the funding announcement features a group advantages plan from every applicant. Community advantages plans are based mostly on a set of 4 core coverage priorities: investing in America’s workforce; participating communities and labor; advancing range, fairness, inclusion, and accessibility; and implementing the Justice40 Initiative. These key ideas, when included comprehensively into venture proposals and executed upon, will assist de-risk these initiatives to make sure that the transition to a clear energy economic system advantages all Americans.
Letters of Intent are due by December 15, 2022, and full functions are due by March 3, 2022. Additional funding alternatives might observe this announcement to validate and speed up commercialization of LDES applied sciences.
In October, DOE issued a $30 million Lab Call Announcement for Long-Duration Energy Storage Demonstrations. Remaining funding for LDES packages can be coated at a later date.
