New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that New York State will receive funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for a long-duration energy storage demonstration project.
This project will utilize fire-safe battery technology to ensure a stable energy supply during high demand and extreme weather conditions.
The initiative supports the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goals and aims to achieve six gigawatts of energy storage by 2030, as reported by the office of Governor Hochul.
Governor Hochul stated: “Energy storage that ensures a safe and reliable power supply is critical to New York’s clean energy future.
By supporting leading-edge projects—such as these installations that provide extended storage duration—we will validate new technologies and illustrate how grid storage can be safely and effectively integrated into communities throughout the state.”
The project will be developed by the New York Power Authority (NYPA), Rockland County-based Urban Electric Power (UEP), and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).
Installations will occur at Westchester County’s Grasslands Reservation in Valhalla and the State University of New York’s (SUNY) Oneonta campus.
The DOE’s funding of more than $6.5 million will cover half of the $13.1 million project cost, facilitated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
NYPA President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll said: “The Power Authority is invested in pursuing the development of the technology needed that will support the integration of renewable generation while also ensuring that power is available during peak demand periods.
“This cutting-edge, long-duration energy storage project seeks to demonstrate a safer clean energy technology, illustrating New York State’s leadership in accelerating the transition to renewable resources and validating the use of these systems in meeting customer needs and commercial viability.”
The project aims to deliver electricity for 10-24 hours, surpassing conventional short-duration systems typically supported by lithium-ion batteries.
EPRI, a non-profit energy research and development organization, will provide technical and industry expertise, including safety assessment and techno-economic analysis.
Sanjoy Banerjee, CEO of UEP, said: “It’s an honor to provide the energy storage solution for these groundbreaking projects.
“As the demand for long duration energy storage grows, UEP’s innovative zinc-manganese technology stands out as a cost-effective and safe alternative.
“These projects are set to enhance the resilience of New York’s electrical grid and demonstrate the critical contribution of zinc batteries towards a sustainable energy landscape.”
NYPA will support the projects with energy education outreach programs to under-resourced communities near the demonstration sites.
The programs will include STEM, career readiness, and adult energy literacy workshops.
A community stakeholder working group will be formed, involving local schools, governments, universities, and community organizations to prioritize underserved populations.
According to the DOE, current energy storage technologies are not sufficiently scaled or affordable to support the broad use of renewable energy on the electric grid.
Cheaper long-duration energy storage can increase grid reliability and resilience, ensuring clean, reliable, and affordable electricity is available to everyone.
The projects also aim to reduce storage costs by 90 percent within the decade and demonstrate the potential for creating long-term jobs in clean energy manufacturing, installation, and maintenance.
The projects will demonstrate the viability of UEP’s zinc manganese dioxide batteries in large-scale and long-duration energy storage systems.
These batteries use fire-safe chemistry with low-cost, domestically available raw materials, and over 75 percent of UEP’s raw material vendors are based in the U.S.
The technology is expected to show comparable performance to lithium-ion batteries without the safety and supply chain issues.
SUNY Chancellor John B. King, Jr. stated: “Our congratulations to SUNY Oneonta on its selection as one of two sites for the cutting-edge, long-duration energy storage demonstration project, which has the potential to provide climate resiliency and demand management benefits.
“This project being tied directly to the campus’ distribution system is just another example of how SUNY is collaborating with our state and federal partners to develop new paths toward sustainably powering our campuses and, ultimately, advancing Governor Hochul and New York State’s ambitious climate goals.”