Policy Recommendations to Unlock the Value of Long-Duration Energy Storage

Click here for a factsheet summarizing the Long-Duration Energy Storage Recommendations.

Long-duration energy storage (LDES) will play an increasingly important role in decarbonizing the power sector as more variable renewable energy is added to the electric power grid. LDES is defined by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as any system that can store energy for 10 or more hours. It is a diverse technology class with a range of potential system forms, including electrochemical, mechanical, chemical, and thermal energy storage. While shorter-duration lithium-ion batteries (typically 0 to 4 hours) will continue to address storage needs in the near term, LDES will be essential to enabling the long-term decarbonization of the power system. The DOE estimates that the U.S. grid may need 225 to 460 gigawatts of LDES capacity for a net-zero economy by 2050. This estimate assumes total deployment of 4 to 13 gigawatts of LDES by 2035. Reaching this near-term milestone necessitates federal- and state-level policy support of LDES deployment and integration. While some progress has been made, more work is needed to fully unlock the value of LDES. To meet this challenge, the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) has established a technology working group that convenes power sector stakeholders to discuss and identify policy solutions that can help address the current barriers to LDES deployment while simultaneously unlocking its key value drivers. This brief offers five policy recommendations following the working group’s inaugural year.