DOE releases energy storage challenge; requests stakeholder input

This week, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released the Energy Storage Grand Challenge (ESGC) Draft Roadmap and a Request for Information (RFI), seeking stakeholder input.

Announced
in January 2020 by U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette, the challenge is a
comprehensive program to accelerate development, commercialization and
utilization of energy storage. The Draft Roadmap outlines a strategy to
accelerate innovation across a range of storage technologies based on three
concepts: Innovate Here, Make Here, Deploy Everywhere.

Over
the Fiscal Years 2017-2019, DOE has invested over $1.2 billion into energy
storage research and development (R&D). ESGC’s vision is to create and
sustain U.S. global leadership in energy storage utilization and exports, with
a secure domestic manufacturing base and supply chain that is independent of
foreign sources of critical materials.

The
Draft Roadmap provides planned activities for each of the ESGC five tracks:

1. The Technology
   Development Track will focus on ongoing and future energy
   storage R&D.
2. The Manufacturing
   and Supply Chain Track will develop technologies, approaches
   and strategies for U.S. manufacturing.
3. The Technology
   Transition Track will work to ensure that DOE’s R&D
   transitions to domestic markets through field validation, public private
   partnerships, bankable business model development and the dissemination of high-quality
   market data. 
4. The Policy and
   Valuation Track will provide data, tools and analysis.
5. The Workforce
   Development Track will educate the workforce.

Additionally,
the Draft Roadmap identifies six use cases derived from high-level energy or
infrastructure goals of communities, businesses and regions. The ESGC use case
topics include facilitating an evolving grid, serving remote communities,
electrified mobility, interdependent network infrastructure, critical services,
and facility flexibility, efficiency and value enhancement. These topics will
help R&D as well as creating flexibility technologies that meet emerging
needs.

This
Draft Roadmap focuses on three key challenges, applied to each of the five
tracks:

• Innovate Here –
  How can DOE enable the United States to lead in energy storage R&D and
  retain IP developed through DOE investment in the United States?
• Make Here –
  How can DOE work to lower the cost and energy impact of manufacturing existing
  technologies, and strengthen domestic supply chains by reducing dependence on
  foreign sources of materials and components?
• Deploy Everywhere –
  How can DOE work with relevant stakeholders to develop technologies that meet
  our domestic usage needs and enable the United States to not only successfully
  deploy technologies in domestic markets but also export technologies?

“The
Energy Storage Grand Challenge leverages the unique, extensive expertise and
capabilities of the Department of Energy and our National Labs to really push
the envelope when it comes to developing next-generation energy storage,” said
Secretary Brouillette.

“The
RFI and Draft Roadmap are the culmination of many months of collaboration
across DOE’s program offices to address the Nation’s need for resilient,
reliable, secure and transformative energy storage solutions,” said Under
Secretary of Energy Mark W. Menezes. “The Secretary launched the ESGC earlier
this year highlighting the importance of manufacturing these critical
technologies in the U.S. so they can be deployed by American industry at home
and abroad.”