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The US Department of Energy (DOE) has chosen 14 underserved community applicants to get technical assistance from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in the area of energy requirements, with up to five of them receiving engineering assistance to implement energy storage systems.
PNNL is one of three national laboratories in the United States that conduct research and provide validation services for energy storage technologies and projects.
The DOE Office of Electricity’s Energy Storage Program chose 14 urban, rural, and tribal communities from a pool of more than 60 applications to receive support from PNNL as part of the Energy Storage for Social Equity (ES4SE) program.
ES4SE was established to provide disadvantaged communities with direct access to non-financial technical help and possible support for new local energy storage project initiatives.
The initial phase of the program will see communities get assistance in assessing their energy needs, evaluating options, and identifying suitable partners to implement those solutions. According to the DOE, technical help might include energy, economic, and geographical studies.
In the second phase, five communities will be chosen from among the 14 to begin building and commissioning an energy storage facility.
To guarantee the project’s success, PNNL will offer engineering support such as identifying utility connections, recognizing safety risks, equipment sizing, installation support, measurement, and validation.
The 14 selected communities from throughout the United States are as follows:
- Native Renewable, Flagstaff, AZ
- Honor the Earth, Callaway, MN
- Ayika Solutions Incorporated, Atlanta, GA
- Coyote Steals Fire Energy Group, Pendleton, OR
- Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community and Western Energy Development, Trinidad, CA
- Together New Orleans, New Orleans, LA
- Hoʻāhu Energy Cooperative Molokai, Kaunakakai, HI
- Coast Electric Power Association, Kiln, MS
- Klickitat Valley Health, Goldendale, WA
- Warm Springs Community Action Team, Warm Springs, OR
- Rogue Climate, Coos Bay, OR
- Joule Community Power and Open Door Mission, Rochester, NY
- Makah Tribe, Neah Bay, WA
- Oneida Nation, Oneida, WI
The ES4SE program also promotes the Department of Energy’s Energy Storage Grand Challenge, a comprehensive program aimed at accelerating the research, commercialization, and use of next-generation energy storage systems and ensuring American worldwide leadership in energy storage.
