Nearly $15 Million Awarded to Four Demonstration Projects To Advance Long Energy Duration Energy Storage Technology Solutions

Additional $8.15 Million Now Available for Yet to be Commercialized Technologies That Advance, Develop or Field-Test Hydrogen, Electric, Chemical, Mechanical or Thermal-Electric Storage Technologies

August 17, 2023

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced nearly $15 million in awards to four demonstration projects that advance long duration energy storage solutions that will help harness and provide stored renewable energy to New York's electric grid. In addition to these awards, $8.15 million in funding has been announced to support innovative long duration energy storage solutions, devices, software, controls, and other complimentary technologies yet to be commercialized. Project submissions should advance, develop or field-test hydrogen, electric, chemical, mechanical or thermal-electric storage technologies that will address renewable integration challenges, such as grid congestion, hosting capacity constraints and siting in New York City. Today’s announcement supports the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goal to install 3,000 megawatts of energy storage by 2030 while facilitating further development to 6,000 megawatts.

"Each energy storage technology breakthrough reduces our reliance on fossil fuels and marks progress toward successfully integrating renewable energy into communities across the state,” Governor Hochul said. “Today’s announcement reflects our continued commitment to innovate and develop technology that will allow us to be energy independent and ensure resources are available when and where needed.”

Administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the awards and competitive funding opportunity support energy storage product development and demonstration projects that are 10 to over 100 hours and multi-days in duration at rated power, otherwise known as long duration energy storage.

Awards

The awarded projects include:

• Ecolectro, Inc.: $1.08 million – To scale-up their groundbreaking polymer chemistry and materials that are expected to significantly reduce the cost of producing hydrogen by electrolysis and create a drop-in replacement for current designs. This project entails scaling laboratory-proven technologies with engineering and validation prototypes to build and test 10-kilowatt (kW) electrolysis units. The electrolyzer unit will be deployed in a pilot demonstration in partnership with Liberty Utilities in Massena, New York.
• Form Energy: $12 million – To develop, design and construct a commercial-scale, 10-megawatt (MW)/1,000-megawatt hour (MWh) demonstration of a new form of low-cost, long-duration energy storage that aims to be able to both support the integration of intermittent renewable resources and provide multiple days of continuous, zero-carbon power to the grid when called upon. The project will use breakthrough iron-air battery materials that are safe, abundant, ultra-low-cost, and globally scalable from existing supply chains. A project location is to be determined.
• PolyJoule, Inc.: $1.03 million – To Install a 2-MWh, 167-kW PolyJoule Long Duration Modular battery energy storage system (BESS) in partnership with Eastern Generation at its Astoria Generating Station located in Queens, New York. This demonstration project aims to prove the safety, technical, operational, and economic merits of the PolyJoule Conductive Polymer BESS in a densely populated urban setting. The permitting, installation, and facilitation requirements will show reduced cost-of-deployment advantages and site flexibility. Through multiple years of testing and analyzing data gathered during seasonal fluctuations, PolyJoule, Inc. aims to prove the technical robustness of the system, capable of being deployed anywhere in New York State.
• Urban Electric Power (UEP): $703,965 - To install a 100-kW/1-MWh BESS using UEP’s patented rechargeable zinc alkaline battery technology. The proposed BESS will be designed for long duration energy storage applications (i.e., 10 to 24 hour) at commercial and industrial facilities. Specifically, the BESS will provide power resilience to end users, allow for energy reduction through peak demand shaving, and support the electric grid by participating in demand response events. The project is located in Pearl River, New York.

New Funding Opportunity

For the newly issued solicitation, awards will be made in the areas of product development, demonstration projects and cost-share requests for inclusion in federal funding submissions. Proposals will be accepted through 3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on October 17, 2023. Details for this solicitation are available on NYSERDA's website .

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, "Increasing the state’s capacity to store wind and solar energy for increasing amounts of time is essential to meet our climate and clean energy goals, especially as more energy flows to the grid from renewable energy projects coming online. The energy storage technologies being brought to bear by this program are ensuring New Yorkers will have access to an electric grid powered by clean renewable energy and peace of mind that it’s backed by ample storage capacity with safeguards paramount.”

NY Best Executive Director William Acker said, “NY-BEST applauds Governor Hochul’s announcement today providing additional State funding for long duration energy storage solutions. Long duration energy storage is essential to achieving a decarbonized grid and fully displacing fossil-fueled power plants and investments such as these are instrumental to advancing important technology solutions in New York State.”

Advancing energy storage at scale is critical to meeting the State’s Climate Act goals and to ensure the safety and security of energy storage systems across the state. Last month, Governor Hochul announced the creation of a new Inter-Agency Fire Safety Working Group. While fires at energy storage facilities are exceedingly rare, the Governor has directed the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Office of Fire Prevention and Control, NYSERDA, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Department of Public Service, and the Department of State to lead the Working Group to independently examine energy storage facility fires and safety standards. The Group will leverage nationally renowned experts and national laboratories in energy storage root cause and emergency response analyses to independently assess and identify common causes, air monitoring results or other community impacts, and other factors involved with energy storage fires. The findings and resulting recommendations will be shared with the New York City Fire Department, National Fire Protection Association, International Code Council, the New York State Fire Prevention and Building Code Council, and Underwriters Laboratories, establishing New York as a national and international leader in fire safety and stationary energy storage systems.

This funding is offered through NYSERDA’s Renewable Optimization and Energy Storage Innovation Program and builds on New York State's investments in research, development, and commercialization to support innovators that are accelerating the low emissions and carbon sequestering technologies needed to meet the state's goal for economy-wide carbon neutrality. NYSERDA's Innovation program is deploying $800 million over 10 years as direct investments via grants and wrap-around commercialization support. More than $680 million in private investments and $200 million in project finance capital have been enabled, and more than 450 innovative clean energy products have been commercialized as a result of NYSERDA's technology and business development investments, including LED lighting systems, home appliances, longer-lasting batteries, and more efficient heating-and-cooling systems.

NYSERDA's initiatives are funded through the State's 10-year, $6 billion Clean Energy Fund. More information about this funding is available on NYSERDA's website.

New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan

New York State's nation-leading climate agenda calls for an orderly and just transition that creates family-sustaining jobs, continues to foster a green economy across all sectors and ensures that at least 35%, with a goal of 40%, of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities. Guided by some of the nation’s most aggressive climate and clean energy initiatives, New York is on a path to achieving a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70% renewable energy generation by 2030, and economywide carbon neutrality by mid-century. A cornerstone of this transition is New York's unprecedented clean energy investments, including more than $35 billion in 120 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce building emissions, $3.3 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $2 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. These and other investments are supporting more than 165,000 jobs in New York’s clean energy sector in 2021 and over 3,000% growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, New York also adopted zero-emission vehicle regulations, including requiring all new passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold in the State be zero emission by 2035. Partnerships are continuing to advance New York’s climate action with nearly 400 registered and more than 100 certified Climate Smart Communities, nearly 500 Clean Energy Communities, and the State’s largest community air monitoring initiative in 10 disadvantaged communities across the state to help target air pollution and combat climate change.