On August 14, Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette spoke to the importance of energy storage during his visit to Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). During the trip, Secretary Brouillette presided over a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony between DOE and the Washington State Department of Commerce and a dedication ceremony for the Grid Storage Launchpad (GSL). The Secretary was joined at the event by U.S. Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington’s 5th District, U.S. Congressman Dan Newhouse of Washington’s 4th District, Director of the Washington State Department of Commerce Dr. Lisa Brown, Pacific Northwest Site Office (PNSO) Manager Rodger Snyder, Director of PNNL Dr. Steve Ashby, and virtually by the Office of Electricity’s Assistant Secretary Bruce J. Walker and U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington State.

Assistant Secretary Walker and Dr. Brown signed the MOU between the DOE and Washington State to support the advancement of grid energy storage technologies. Secretary Brouillette praised this collaborative effort and noted “through this MOU we will accelerate the research, development, and demonstration of grid storage tools and technologies that will promote and accelerate the delivery of clean and resilient energy all across the state and perhaps the nation as well.”

The GSL will focus on the development of grid scale energy storage by creating a single entity that enables scientific collaboration, effective validation methods, and accelerated deployment for grid storage technologies.

Assistant Secretary Walker highlighted the key role that energy storage plays in supporting critical infrastructure, integrating modern generation technologies, and enabling flexible and secure grid operations. He referred to the GSL as “a monumental achievement in this industry to get storage where it needs to be,” and expressed his excitement for the project moving forward.

You can view the remarks in this video below:

 

Video Url
PNNL's Grid Storage Launchpad Dedication
Video courtesy of the Department of Energy