Energy Storage to Play Key Role in Future of Electricity Transmission

Energy storage has a key role to play in modernizing and expanding America's electricity delivery system, according to Mr. Jimmy Glotfelty, Director, Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Electric Transmission & Distribution (OETD). Glotfelty, keynote speaker at the recent Energy Storage Council Annual Conference (held March 3rd in Houston, TX), said that the DOE recognizes the importance of storage and is pursuing an "action agenda" designed to develop a flexible transmission system. He emphasized, however, that active support by the industry is crucial to the agenda implementation and he challenged the ESC and its membership to help raise the profile of energy storage in Washington.

Mr.Glotfelty's presentation was reinforced by Abbie Layne, Senior Technical Advisor at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL- Morgantown, WV). Ms. Layne is the new liaison between DOE and the new Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS). Both Glotfelty and Layne stressed that grid reliability, security, and technology development are the cornerstones of their work and that energy storage can help strengthen and secure all three. Layne emphasized the importance of this issue by revealing that the federal budget contains $56-million for energy security and assurance -- twice the amount requested. The recent ESC conference was an important turning point for the storage sector of the electricity industry. It was the first meeting of its kind to address the full spectrum of policy, market, and technological challenges and opportunities facing the energy storage community. Concerns over the security of our national electricity system, coupled with the prospect of using stored electric energy to moderate volatility in competitive markets and provide ancillary services, shore up the transmission infrastructure, and reduce dispatch costs incurred by generating assets, make energy storage one of the most promising new areas of the electricity industry. The proceedings of this landmark meeting are now available on CD and can be purchased on the Council's website at www.energystoragecouncil.org . The CD features, in addition to the Glotfelty and Layne presentations, Pramod Kulkarni, California Energy Commission; Charles Matthews, Chairman, Texas Railroad Commission; Jason Makansi, ESC's Executive Director; Jeffrey Abboud, ESC's Director of Government and Policy Affairs; Septimus Van Der Linden, ESC consultant; leading energy storage electric utilities such as PacifiCorp and AEP; and major players in the storage field including energy suppliers, architect engineers, and project developers. The ESC, formed in 2002, supports the development and deployment of energy storage technologies by providing the industry education and public policy representation that is essential for energy storage to flourish in the new electricity economy. For information on recent activities or on membership, please visit www.energystoragecouncil.org.

The recent ESC conference was an important turning point for the storage sector of the electricity industry. It was the first meeting of its kind to address the full spectrum of policy, market, and technological challenges and opportunities facing the energy storage community. Concerns over the security of our national electricity system, coupled with the prospect of using stored electric energy to moderate volatility in competitive markets and provide ancillary services, shore up the transmission infrastructure, and reduce dispatch costs incurred by generating assets, make energy storage one of the most promising new areas of the electricity industry.

The proceedings of this landmark meeting are now available on CD and can be purchased on the Council's website at www.energystoragecouncil.org . The CD features, in addition to the Glotfelty and Layne presentations, Pramod Kulkarni, California Energy Commission; Charles Matthews, Chairman, Texas Railroad Commission; Jason Makansi, ESC's Executive Director; Jeffrey Abboud, ESC's Director of Government and Policy Affairs; Septimus Van Der Linden, ESC consultant; leading energy storage electric utilities such as PacifiCorp and AEP; and major players in the storage field including energy suppliers, architect engineers, and project developers.

The ESC, formed in 2002, supports the development and deployment of energy storage technologies by providing the industry education and public policy representation that is essential for energy storage to flourish in the new electricity economy. For information on recent activities or on membership, please visit www.energystoragecouncil.org.