The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) announced the launch of four new rural battery storage projects this week.
The projects are being done in partnership with five electric cooperatives and the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Electricity. The projects are funded in part by the DOE. They will examine how energy storage systems can improve the resilience of critical infrastructure in rural areas. Two of these projects support military installations served by electric cooperatives while two are integrated directly into separate cooperative facilities.
“This is a great example of how America’s electric co-ops and the more than 95 military facilities that they serve are evolving together,” NRECA CEO Jim Matheson said. “Meeting future energy needs requires a commitment to research and innovation. This new program will improve resilience while expanding our understanding of how battery technology can be used in new applications throughout rural America.”
NRECA’s partners on the battery storage projects include Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association in Colorado, West River Electric Association in South Dakota, as well as Sandhills Utility Services, Tideland EMC, and North Carolina EMC — all in North Carolina.
“America relies on rural communities, and rural communities rely on electricity,” Dr. Imre Gyuk, director of energy storage in DOE’s Office of Electricity, said. “By using storage, these projects will help to make the supply of electricity more resilient, greener, and sustainable, as well as more cost effective.”
Technical assistance will be provided by DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories.
The DOE’s Office of Electricity will provide approximately $1.3 million in cost share funding to NRECA for the projects. Lessons learned and findings from the projects will be shared with electric cooperatives across the nation for potential implementation at other facilities.
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association represents nearly 900 local electric cooperatives in the United States.
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