ESA Says Storage Benefits Should be Delivered Nationwide

Washington, D.C. – Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz today praised the benefits of energy storage at a hearing before the House Energy and Power Subcommittee. Among other things, the Secretary mentioned that a project at the New Jersey Transit Corporation demonstrated the resilience that storage can provide to microgrids, and that such projects were examples for the rest of the nation because they lead to job creation and a stronger economy.

Secretary Moniz quote is as follows:

"Recently, I was in Secaucus, New Jersey, to sign a memorandum of understanding with Governor Christie and the New Jersey Transit Corporation. The MOU kicks off the design phase of "NJ TransitGrid," a new project that will provide highly reliable power for a critical transportation corridor when the traditional grid is compromised. DOE's Sandia National Laboratory will provide initial design work, building on their extensive experience with microgrids for military installations. This "microgrid" will employ distributed generation technologies such as fuel cells, combined heat and power, and solar with storage so that the power system will be less fragile when infrastructure is taken offline. This is an important example of the sort of resilience we will need throughout the country, and this project can provide a first-of-a-kind example for the Nation, while creating jobs and a more competitive economy."

The Electricity Storage Association's Chair, Darrell Hayslip responded,

"We're pleased with the way in which Secretary Moniz is embracing storage as a critical component of a 21st century grid. We look forward to continuing to work with him and other stakeholders to deliver nationwide the significant benefits of storage to ratepayers, businesses, and our economy."

For more information about electricity storage, go to www.electricitystorage.org