To “Build Back Better,” Deploy Energy Storage at an Unprecedented Scale

By electing Joe Biden as President, Americans have sent a strong message of support for accelerating toward a clean energy economy. Investments in energy storage deployment, manufacturing and innovation are fundamental to recovering from the economic damage of COVID-19, rebuilding our infrastructure to meet 21st century demands, and decarbonizing our economy to fight climate change.

As outlined in our 2030 Vision, at least 100 GW of energy storage is needed over the next decade to support the buildout of higher shares of wind and solar power, as well as distributed energy resources and electric vehicles. Energy storage will also be increasingly critical for frontline communities to have electric service resilient to extreme climate events, like heat waves, wildfires, storms, and hurricanes, as well as reducing our reliance on fossil-fuel power plants located in or near communities historically burdened by air pollution. And energy storage will provide this clean and resilient power while reducing peak demands on the power system, thus saving money for utilities, businesses, and homes, while serving as a foundation for a new domestic industry with a large international export market.

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Energy Storage Association 'looks forward to working with President-Elect Joe Biden'

The election of Joe Biden as President of the US shows that Americans want to accelerate the transition to clean energy, Kelly Speakes-Backman, CEO of the US national Energy Storage Association, has said.

Speakes-Backman, who has previously characterised energy storage as something which enjoys rare bipartisan support in the upper levels of the US government and among lawmakers, gave a brief statement as it became clear just before the weekend that Biden had beaten incumbent Donald Trump in the race for 270 Electoral College votes to seal victory in the presidential race.

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Clean Energy Industries Cheer Biden’s Victory, Lay Out Hopes for Early Action

Solar and wind power, energy storage and grid infrastructure groups have high hopes for a climate-friendly administration. 

Tax incentives for energy storage could also help boost technologies needed to integrate the country’s rising share of intermittent solar and wind power. Kelly Speakes-Backman, CEO of the U.S. Energy Storage Association, said in a Saturday statement that the group expects “to see strong support from the new administration focused on the decarbonization of the electric and transportation sectors, which will further drive the deployment of energy storage.” 

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Solar + storage industry reacts with enthusiasm to Joe Biden's presidential victory

The renewable energy industry expressed its enthusiasm when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris officially won the 2020 presidential election on Saturday, November 7. One of Biden’s core campaign promises was addressing climate change and a COVID-stricken economy by investing in green jobs and accelerating the renewable energy transition. The president-elect’s transition website features four key focus areas, including COVID-19, economic recovery, racial equity and climate change.

Kelly Speakes-Backman, CEO of the U.S. Energy Storage Association (ESA) issued the following response to the election:

“By electing Joe Biden as president of the United States of America, Americans have sent the signal to accelerate the path forward toward a clean energy economy. We expect to see strong support from the new administration focused on decarbonization of the electric and transportation sectors, which will further drive the deployment of energy storage. We look forward to working with the Biden administration and congressional members to continue our bipartisan efforts to advance our vision of 100 GW by 2030, creating a more resilient, efficient, sustainable and affordable electricity grid.”

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How Biden’s Presidency Could (Further) Transform the Power Sector

The energy storage industry also hailed the election. “By electing Joe Biden as President of the United States of America, Americans have sent the signal to accelerate the path forward toward a clean energy economy,” said Kelly Speakes-Backman, CEO of the U.S. Energy Storage Association. “We expect to see strong support from the new Administration focused on decarbonization of the electric and transportation sectors, which will further drive the deployment of energy storage. We look forward to working with the Biden Administration and Congressional members to continue our bipartisan efforts to advance our vision of 100 GW by 2030, creating a more resilient, efficient, sustainable, and affordable electricity grid.” 

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Clean Energy Accelerator odds increase on Biden win, US net-zero grid goal

The Clean Energy Accelerator, as envisioned in legislation introduced earlier this year and late last year, pairs each public dollar with multiple private dollars to expand clean energy’s reach in the US.

Earlier this year, nearly 100 organizations voiced support for the Clean Energy Jobs Fund, which included a Clean Energy Accelerator in both its House and Senate versions. Letters of support for the Accelerator came from state green banks, start-ups, clean tech investors, utilities, energy industry trade groups, including the Solar Energy Industries Association and Energy Storage Association, and several environmental organizations.

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What Does a Joe Biden Presidency Mean for Microgrids?

Kelly Speakes-Backman, CEO of the US Energy Storage Association: “By electing Joe Biden as President of the United States of America, Americans have sent the signal to accelerate the path forward toward a clean energy economy. We expect to see strong support from the new administration focused on decarbonization of the electric and transportation sectors, which will further drive the deployment of energy storage.”

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Europe's renewables ambitions 'not matched by recognition of energy storage's importance'

While European power markets outpace the US and China for renewable energy deployment, the continent’s policymakers are yet to recognise the importance of energy storage for integrating that capacity onto the grid, new research from Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables finds.

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ESA Applauds Maryland Public Service Commission for Approval of Multiple-Use Energy Storage Pilots

“The Maryland Public Service Commission took a significant step forward last week with the approval of 6 energy storage pilot projects that each demonstrate multiple uses and ownership models of energy storage,” said ESA CEO Kelly Speakes-Backman. “ESA applauds Chairman Stanek and the Commission for their leadership in tackling fundamental challenges to the value of energy storage. Storage is an essential tool for Maryland to achieve its energy and climate goals, and these pilots will help inform the PSC and Maryland’s utilities about how to maximize the cost-effectiveness of energy storage deployment and gain more savings for ratepayers by increasing its utilization across multiple uses. ESA also appreciates the leadership of Delegate Marc Korman and Governor Larry Hogan in sponsoring and signing HB 650 (2019), which led to this important Order from the Commission.”

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Maryland PSC greenlights Exelon pilots to guide future of utility-scale storage in the state

The Public Service Commission of Maryland last week issued an order approving six energy storage pilot projects, proposed by Exelon subsidiaries Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE), Potomac Electric Power Company (Pepco), and Delmarva Power & Light that regulators say will return data and experience that could form the foundation for the next phase of utility-scale storage in the state.

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