New York funds 7 energy storage projects for REV initiative

Dive Brief:

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) will fund seven companies based inside the state to either scale up projects or demonstrate how energy storage can help transform the state's electricity grid.
Energy storage is a major component of New York's Reforming the Energy Vision, and technologies targeted by the grants will include advanced batteries, ultracapacitors, fuel cells and and control modules which help reduce energy consumption.
One project, in the Hudson River Valley, involves energy storage solutions for solar installations along with development of an "island interconnection device" that allows a microgrid to operate apart apart from the wider grid.

Dive Insight:

New York is continuing to use the REV process to push grid modernization technologies and distributed energy. The seven NYSERDA-backed projects will focus on technologies which can reduce the need for traditional fuels while creating a more energy-efficiency and renewables-friendly grid.

The companies funded by NYSERDA are all members of the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium, the authority said, and will be developing "bench-to-prototype" technologies.

"The companies receiving these awards will help create innovative energy storage technology to serve vehicle, building and grid power needs," John Rhodes, NYSERDA President and CEO, said in a statement. "Under Governor Cuomo's REV strategy, New York State is transforming the way electricity is distributed and used by consumers, and energy storage will factor significantly into development of a resilient, affordable, clean energy system."

Last year, New York regulators approved five clean energy initiatives under the REV proceeding aimed at boosting innovation and investment, including raising the state's cap on net metering from 3% to 6% and approving a unique energy management program for Con Edison to deploy in Brooklyn and Queens.

Among the projects being funded, in New York City Urban Electric Power is working on a zinc-manganese-dioxide battery chemistry to "reduce the total cost of electrical energy storage in grid-based applications." In the Hudson Valley, Varta Microbattery will construct an energy storage solution for solar installations and demonstrate an interconnection device that allows a customer microgrid to switch easily from on-grid to off-grid power. In the Finger Lakes, American Fuel cell will demonstrate a scale-up project for its fuel cell technology for stationary and mobile applications, among other projects.