The state grid must build energy storage

What is the $119 million investment in grid scale energy storage?

With the $119 million investment in grid scale energy storage included in the President’s FY 2022 Budget Request for the Office of Electricity, we’ll work to develop and demonstrate new technologies, while addressing issues around planning, sizing, placement, valuation, and societal and environmental impacts.

Will energy storage change the dynamics of a grid?

With widespread grid failures on this scale, energy storage would have to make up a much larger share of system capacity than it currently does to change the dynamics, although it can respond to sudden system fluctuations by providing ancillary services, like frequency and voltage regulation.

Does state energy storage policy matter?

While decisions carried out by federal regulators and regional market operators have an impact on state energy storage policy, state policymakers—and state legislators in particular—are instrumental in enacting policies that remove barriers to adoption and encourage investment in storage technologies.

What are States doing about energy storage?

States are also developing expert task forces and committees to evaluate storage technologies and opportunities for growth. Maine, for example, enacted HB 1166 (2019) creating a commission to study the benefits of energy storage in the state’s electric industry.

How can States reduce regulatory barriers to energy storage?

States have also focused on removing regulatory barriers to adopting energy storage by requiring or authorizing utilities to consider energy storage in resource planning and by creating standards for connecting storage resources to the grid.

How do energy storage and demand response affect the grid?

As a result, the grid has historically relied on more flexible resources, such as natural gas or hydropower, to meet sudden changes in demand. Energy storage and demand response add additional flexible resources to the system operator’s toolkit, providing them with more options for balancing the grid.