Energy Storage Technology Advancement Partnership

The Energy Storage Technology Advancement Partnership (ESTAP) is a new federal-state funding and information sharing project that aims to accelerate the deployment of electrical energy storage technologies in the U.S. The value proposition for participating states is to work closely with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (DOE-OW) on near-term joint funding and technology deployment, to join a network of leading states supporting energy storage technology, and to achieve faster progress in electrical energy storage commercialization and economic development.

Background

Electrical energy storage has the potential to provide significant support to the integration of renewable energy in the U.S. However, public funding and support are critical to accelerate progress and achieve cost reductions and widespread deployment for these technologies, including batteries, flywheels, thermal storage, site-anywhere compressed air, micro-pumped hydro, and others.

DOE-OE and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) are interested in accelerating the pace of deployment of distributed electrical energy storage technologies through a cooperative partnership with interested states. Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) has been asked to establish and facilitate this state-federal energy storage technology advancement partnership project, which is funded by DOE-OE through SNL.

Project Purpose

The project’s overall purpose is to create a new federal and state partnership focused on energy storage technologies with joint funding and coordination to accelerate energy storage technology commercialization and deployment.

Project Objective

The project’s objective is to accelerate the pace of deployment of energy storage technologies in the United States through the creation of a technical assistance and co-funding partnership between states and DOE-OE.

Project Activities

• Creation of a State Energy Storage Network and a Stakeholder Network

• Information Sharing Webinars and Meetings

• State and Stakeholder Surveys

• Joint Project Funding Solicitation for Project Deployment

How to Participate

Interested state entities administering public funds for clean energy project that are willing to consider committing some funding to and participating in the DOE OE-State partnership to support energy projects are invited to join the State Energy Storage Network. Members of this network will help develop recommendations for implementing the funding partnership and a structure for advancing cooperation and information sharing. Other interested stakeholders, including manufacturers, universities, and utilities and other end users within states are encouraged to participate in conjunction with state agencies.

• Funding level and timeframe. State entities, along with their stakeholders, are asked to use their best efforts to identify and seek state-based funding to contribute to the DOE funding opportunity to advance energy storage technology deployment. Because of state-specific procurement policies, restrictions, and requirements, there may be several different approaches used and tailored to participating states to accommodate broad participation in the cooperative arrangement with DOE. There is no required funding amount to participate, but states will be asked to contribute – in conjunction with their in-state partners – at least 50% of the project’s cost.

• Timeline. The Project Team continues to meet individually with interested states and their stakeholders/partners to discuss and agree on the details of a cooperative Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and co-funding arrangement, including clarifying state interests, priorities, and questions. The RFI, calling for responses from interested states, was issued 2/17/12, with responses due on 3/8/12. The responses may inform the language in a formal RFQ, to potentially be issued in April 2012. DOE-OE and Sandia expect to potentially execute contracts for selected projects on or around August 2012. Additionally, DOE-OE and Sandia hope to issue future rounds of funding for state-partnered projects.

• Surveys. CESA is continually collecting survey responses from states and stakeholders. We urge you to respond to the appropriate survey.

o State survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8L27NTX

o Stakeholder survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NFXZ9BB

Interested states are invited to participate by contacting CESA’s project director, Todd Olinksy-Paul (Todd@cleanegroup.org or 802.223.2554).