Funding worth nearly $350 million (£294m) has been announced to support emerging long-duration energy storage (LDES) demonstration projects in the US.
The Department of Energy (DOE) will provide the funding for projects that are capable of delivering electricity for 10 to 24 hours or longer to support a low cost, reliable and carbon-free electric grid.
It believes as the US moves towards a carbon-free grid that relies more on renewables, the need for reliable LDES that can supply enough energy for long periods of time and during periods when energy generation is reduced or unavailable becomes more essential.
The DOE adds energy storage technologies currently available are not sufficiently scaled or affordable to support the broad use of renewable energy on the grid.
The latest funding will support up to 11 demonstration projects that contribute to the DOE’s wider goal of reduce the cost of grid-scale energy storage by 90% within the decade.
Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm said: “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 decarbonised power grid and reaching President Biden’s ambitious climate goals.
“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.”
