The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is offering $350 million in funding for projects that demonstrate an emerging energy-storage technology capable of providing hours of power, the agency announced recently.
The Long-Duration Energy Storage (LDES) Demonstration Program will provide funding for LDES projects with the capability of delivering electricity for 10 to 24 or more hours, the DOE announced Nov. 14. The program is being managed by the DOE's Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) and receives part of its funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the announcement reports.
“We just announced nearly $350 million in funding to develop & demonstrate long-duration energy storage technologies to support a more sustainable, reliable and greener electric grid,” the DOE stated in a Twitter post.
The funding will go to up to 11 projects that overcome current technical and institutional barriers and support the DOE's goal of reducing the cost of grid-scale energy storage by 90% within the decade, the DOE states. Applicants must submit a community-benefits plan based on four core policy priorities, the announcement states: "investing in America's workforce; engaging communities and labor; advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility; and implementing the Justice40 Initiative.
"These key principles, when incorporated comprehensively into project proposals and executed upon, will help de-risk these projects to ensure that the transition to a clean energy economy benefits all Americans," the DOE states in the announcement.
Reliable LDES able to provide energy for long times or when energy generation is reduced or unavailable are essential to the U.S.'s transition to a carbon-free electric grid that uses multiple renewable energy sources; however, current storage technologies are either insufficient or unaffordable, according to the DOE. The agency states less expensive, longer-lasting LDES systems could build grid resilience and minimize power disruptions.
“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,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said in the announcement.
“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,” Granholm said.
