Department of Energy Sets Goal To Cut Cost Of Grid-Scale, Long Duration Storage By 90%

U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm on July 14 announced the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s new goal to reduce the cost of grid-scale, long duration energy storage by 90% within the decade.

Long duration energy storage is defined as systems that can store energy for more than 10 hours at a time.

This marks the second target within DOE’s Energy Earthshot Initiative, which aims to accelerate breakthroughs of more abundant, affordable, and reliable clean energy solutions within the decade. Under the first Eearthshot Initiative, DOE launched an effort to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen by 80% to $1 per kilogram in one decade.

The Long Duration Storage Shot will consider all types of technologies, whether electrochemical, mechanical, thermal, chemical carriers, or any combination that has the potential to meet the necessary duration and cost targets for grid flexibility.

Currently, pumped-storage hydropower is the largest source of long duration energy storage on the grid, and lithium ion is the primary source of new energy storage technology deployed on the grid in the United States, providing shorter duration storage capabilities, DOE noted.

DOE said it developed the Long Duration Storage Shot target through its Energy Storage Grand Challenge (ESGC) and stakeholder engagement activities and input from subject matter experts, and will continue concerted outreach to advance the Long Duration Storage Shot and ESGC’s aggressive goals and strategy.

ESGC and the Long Duration Shortage Shot are linked with integrated efforts across the Department’s Offices of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Electricity, Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, Science, Nuclear Energy, and Technology Transitions, as well as the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy.