NETL-supported research and leadership in the field of energy storage will be explored at an upcoming webinar hosted by the Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation at Carnegie Mellon University.

Panelists for “Batteries and the Future of Energy Storage,” which will be held at 11 a.m. ET on Thursday, May 6, include NETL’s Briggs White, technology manager, who manages the Advanced Energy Storage research program on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy.

Click here for information or to register for the webinar.

In 2020, DOE established the Energy Storage Grand Challenge, a comprehensive program to accelerate the development, commercialization and utilization of next-generation energy storage technologies and sustain American global leadership in this field.

NETL takes a technology neutral approach to energy storage with an emphasis on medium- and long-duration energy storage that is scalable from small applications to full-scale commercial power plants. To achieve this objective, Advanced Energy Storage activity focuses on the integration of energy storage technologies with a variety of fossil assets, including large-scale coal and gas power plants as well as smaller assets such as single-cycle peaking gas turbines and microgrid applications.

NETL also supports the revitalization of recently retired fossil assets such as coal mines, coal power plants, and abandoned oil and gas wells by repurposing these brownfields as energy storage facilities that provide grid support and local economic activity in energy communities. 

Webinar discussions will also address the growing interest in medium- and long-duration energy storage technologies such as hydrogen storage and thermal energy storage for their potential to support grid reliability and address seasonal energy shifting and curtailed renewable energy.

The panel will explore what technology, policy and economic shifts are needed on the local and national levels to build a domestic energy storage industry that competes internationally and will create jobs and economic vitality in the U.S.

“DOE’s Fossil Energy Advanced Energy Storage program is focused on piloting energy storage technologies integrated with fossil assets by 2025. This will provide for the learning that needs to be done so we can commercialize integrated technology solutions that can increase the flexibility of low-carbon dispatchable power as well as support the resiliency and reliability of the grid.,” White said.

Benefits to be created by a robust energy storage program include:

• Reliability in a changing grid. Energy storage technology enables greater grid stability and power plant flexibility to accommodate growth of variable renewable energy (solar and wind) and expansion of electrified transportation systems.
• Resiliency in unplanned events. Power plants can continue to operate during grid outages and provide robust supply during storms and other natural disasters, aiding response and recovery efforts.
• More secure supply. Energy storage keeps power plants and the grid functioning in times of physical and cyber-security threats.
• Reduced customer cost. Energy storage leverages otherwise wasted plant heat energy and underutilized supply system investments.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory develops and commercializes advanced technologies that provide clean energy while safeguarding the environment. NETL’s work supports DOE’s mission to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy and environmental challenges through transformative science and technology solutions.