Energy Storage

Energy storage enables a decarbonized grid.

Energy storage systems are flexible assets that can be charged with electricity from the grid or from renewable sources like wind and solar.

They improve the deliverability of energy from renewable sources and can help reduce — or even eliminate — dependence on fossil fuel generation. Energy storage systems can be charged when excess electricity is available and discharged during periods of high electricity demand to remove "grid congestion" or to reduce a customer's demand charges.

These systems can be located at homes, businesses, or as stand-alone installations.

Even though utility-scale storage is a relatively new industry, it has been scaling rapidly.

Residential storage is primarily used as a home resiliency (back-up power) solution. When paired with residential solar, it can power a home's critical loads during an outage indefinitely. On Long Island, homeowners can also use energy storage to shift their energy consumption to off-peak hours, and save money through novel utility programs.

Commercial energy storage can provide back-up power to sites in the event of grid outages, and can be paired with solar.

The utilities have a variety of demand-response programs and price signals that provide storage owners with compensation for providing grid-beneficial services. Commercial storage can be installed independent from building loads (such as a community solar project) to provide grid benefits and maximize revenue.

Bulk storage projects participate directly with New York's transmission grid and enable large-scale renewable integration, reduce grid curtailment and congestion, and can shift renewable generation to the times of the day, week, month, or year when it is needed most.

Bulk storage can also provide important grid services such as reliability, voltage and frequency regulation, and operating reserves. When deployed wisely, bulk storage can prevent or delay the need for certain expensive upgrades to the transmission system. 

Importantly, bulk storage may provide a cost-effective and reliable pathway to replace fossil-fueled power plants that disproportionately affect residents of historically disadvantaged communities.