Puget Sound Energy signs agreement to develop multi-day energy storage system

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) has signed an agreement with Form Energy, an energy storage technology and manufacturing company to explore opportunities for an energy storage project in its service territory.

Specifically, the two firms have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to explore the opportunity of deploying a pilot multi-day energy storage system. The partnership will allow both companies to collaborate on the development of a 10 megawatt (MW), 100-hour iron-air battery pilot within PSE’s service area.

Multi-day energy storage is a battery that can provide power over several days as compared to most batteries that supply only about four hours of backup power. Energy storage systems are critical to build additional generation resources that are used only at times of high demand.

“Our priority is ensuring the lights and heat are on when the sun isn’t shining, the wind isn’t blowing, or when customers need more energy, such as a cold winter day or during a summer heat wave,” Josh Jacobs, vice president of Clean Energy Strategy and Planning at Puget Sound Energy, said. “Doing that in compliance with state law means that we must address a critical reliability gap with carbon free resources that can act as on-demand sources of energy.”

Through the partnership, PSE and Form Energy will evaluate the potential benefits of Form Energy’s technology, as well as determine an initial project configuration that could be deployed by the end of 2026.

The state of Washington’s Clean Energy Transformation Act requires electric utilities to be coal free by 2025, carbon neutral by 2030, and 100 percent served by renewable and non-emitting resources by 2045.