Clean energy, storage leaders convene in North Carolina

NC Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA) and the Energy Storage Association (ESA) met recently in Charlotte, North Carolina for NCSEA’s Storage Uses, Deployment, Integration, and Operations (STUDIO) Conference.

ESA CEO Kelly Speakes-Backman and Ivan Urlaub, executive director of NCSEA discussed the event and the storage market in North Carolina in an op-ed on ESA’s website following the conference.

The authors write that energy storage is important to North Carolina because the state is second in the nation for installed solar capacity and is especially vulnerable to natural disasters, which increases the demand for a flexible, resilient grid. NC State University is also expected to release its Energy Storage Study soon, which will describe policy recommendations for North Carolina to consider to increase energy storage deployment.

In 2016, the op-ed notes, ESA held its annual conference in Charlotte, and NCSEA convened an Energy Storage Working Group. In July 2017, North Carolina passed HB 589, which included a provision for an Energy Storage Study. The study launched in January 2018 and aims to develop guidance for utilizing energy storage, create a model for deployment and identify any other considerations that may impact energy storage deployment in the state.

“STUDIO’s arrival in Charlotte couldn’t be more timely,” the authors wrote in the op-ed. “The event brings together industry experts to examine the practical ways to integrate energy storage projects and identify best practices in deploying safe and cost-effective storage to lower energy costs, reduce emissions and establish a more resilient electric grid. NCSEA is excited to see how the knowledge gained from the focus of this year’s conference, the implementation of a storage project and unlocking its full potential, will enhance our understanding of the results of the Energy Storage Study that will be released in December.”