January 15, 2020
The Clean Peak Standard: The Role of Energy Storage in Delivering Clean Energy Exactly WHEN it’s Needed
Download ESA’s latest policy resource: a two-page primer on the Clean Peak Standard and how energy storage fits in!
What is a Clean Peak Standard?
A clean peak standard (CPS) is a relatively new program concept designed to reduce the costs and environmental impact of electricity generation when demand is highest — and correspondingly, generation tends to be the most polluting.
Like a renewable portfolio standard (RPS), a CPS specifies a minimum percentage of electricity provided during peak demand windows that must be generated from eligible clean resources. It shifts clean energy generation from periods of low emissions and low demand to higher emissions and peak demand. Massachusetts is the first state to move forward with a clean peak standard.
Energy storage plays a critical role in holding electricity generated from eligible clean resources and delivering it when it’s needed – during peak demand. Even for areas with high percentages of renewable energy, those resources do not necessarily produce during peak demand periods, and so without energy storage, the grid may still rely on expensive and greenhouse gas-emitting generation resources.
