DOE Launches Research Into Long Duration Energy Storage - Smart Energy Decisions

Energy Storage, Sourcing Renewables  -  July 19, 2021

DOE Launches Research Into Long Duration Energy Storage

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced July 14 a goal to reduce the cost of grid-scale, long duration energy storage by 90% over the next ten years.

This target includes a commitment to accelerating innovation in long duration clean electricity storage that can store energy for more than ten hours in order to support the use of affordable and reliable clean energy. The new project, dubbed “Long Duration Storage Shot,” is part of the DOE’s Energy Earthshot Initiative.

“We’re going to bring hundreds of gigawatts of clean energy onto the grid over the next few years, and we need to be able to use that energy wherever and whenever it’s needed,” Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said in a statement. “That’s why DOE is working aggressively toward cheaper, longer duration energy storage to reach President Biden’s goal of 100% clean electricity by 2035. This new initiative will create new manufacturing jobs right here at home and make sure clean, reliable, affordable electricity is available to everyone, including Americans living in remote and underserved communities.”

The project will establish new, U.S.based manufacturing jobs for building such storage products, help increase the resiliency of local power grids and improve the cost-effectiveness of energy storage systems.

Pumped-storage hydropower is currently the largest source of long duration energy storage on the grid and lithium ion is the primary source of new energy storage technology. To improve long duration storage, researchers will consider alternative technologies like electrochemical, mechanical, thermal, chemical carriers or any combination of these to meet the duration target.

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