U.S. Energy Department Unveils Draft Roadmap for 10-Year Energy Storage Program

The U.S. Energy Department on July 14 released a draft roadmap for its Energy Storage Grand Challenge initiative, a comprehensive program launched in January to expedite the development of next-generation storage technologies. By 2030, the program aims to establish and sustain U.S. leadership in energy storage utilization and exports, with a domestic manufacturing supply chain that does not depend on foreign sources of critical materials. To accelerate innovation across multiple storage technologies, the blueprint outlines strategies centered on three concepts: Innovate Here, Make Here, Deploy Everywhere.

During Fiscal Years 2017-2019, the department invested over $1.2 billion into energy storage research and development, facilitating an agency-wide, long-term strategy. The initiative, launched in January, establishes a set of goals to reach by 2030 in multiple areas including technology transfer, valuation, manufacturing, and workforce. Additionally, the agency identifies six use cases derived from high-level goals of communities, business, and regions, with the intention of converting them into a set of “technology-neutral functional requirements.” The use case topics explore multiple areas, including facilitating an evolving grid, reaching remote communities, and electrified mobility.

The roadmap provides planned activities for five tracks:

• Technology Development Track focused on ongoing and future R&D on user centric goals and long-term leadership;
• Manufacturing and Supply Chain Track to advance U.S. manufacturing and strengthen U.S. leadership in innovation and sustain at-scale manufacturing;
• Technology Transition Track to ensure transition from R&D to domestic markets;
• Policy and Valuation Track to provide data, tools, and analysis that aid in policy decisions and maximize the value of storage technologies;
• Workforce Development Track to educate the workforce and equip them to research, develop, design, manufacture, and operate storage systems.

The agency is seeking stakeholder input to inform the suite of activities proposed in the draft. Responses are due by Aug. 21.