Accelerating energy storage investment would help modernize the US electricity supply, enhance grid resilience, and add clean energy jobs

WASHINGTON—Today, Representative Mike Doyle (D-PA) introduced legislation, The Energy Storage Tax Incentive and Deployment Act, to create an investment tax credit (ITC) for energy storage systems.

"We applaud Representative Doyle for his effort to modernize the U.S. electricity supply with the Energy Storage Tax Incentive and Deployment Act," said Tom Kiernan, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). "Like the power transmission lines that make up the grid, energy storage is a catalyst technology that makes the entire electricity supply more affordable and reliable. Expanding investment tax credit eligibility to all energy storage technologies would spark new clean energy infrastructure investment, grow American jobs, and help ensure our electricity supply is ready for future challenges."

Energy storage technologies—including batteries, flywheels, pumped hydro, thermal storage, compressed air, and others—are a source of reliability services and flexibility for the power grid. Storage helps balance power supply and demand instantaneously by storing electricity from low-cost energy sources, like wind, and releasing that power during periods of high demand.

Storage systems deliver these benefits whether they are connected to the grid as an independent resource or when storage is paired with any energy source. However, current law only allows energy storage to qualify for an ITC when paired with a solar project under certain circumstances. The flexibility and market efficiencies resulting from accelerated energy storage investment would spur new wind farm development and job creation.


AWEA is the national trade association of the U.S. wind energy industry. We represent 1,000 member companies and over 100,000 jobs in the U.S. economy, serving as a powerful voice for how wind works for America. Members include global leaders in wind power and energy development, turbine manufacturing, and component and service suppliers. They gather each year at the Western Hemisphere's largest wind power trade show, the AWEA WINDPOWER Conference & Exhibition, next in Houston, May 20-23, 2019. Find information about wind energy on the AWEA website. Gain insight into industry issues on AWEA's blog, Into the Wind. And please join us on Facebook, and follow @AWEA on Twitter.