Senate Energy Committee holds hearing on energy storage capabilities

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing this week with representatives of various energy storage-focused entities, focusing on the technology’s capabilities in relation to the greater grid.

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), committee chair, opened the session by linking the need for a stronger electric grid to the events this year that have afflicted Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are in a severe state of emergency, and as we try to help rebuild the grids and restore power, we need to be looking for ways to make those grids more reliable and more resilient than ever before,” Murkowski said. “Energy storage can be a part of that conversation.”

The committee heard from representatives of the Energy Storage Association, Voith Hydro, the Pacific Northwest National Lab, and Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. Among concerns, they had to face were the rare and minor metals such technology require, at a time when the United States relies on foreign sources for such, with at least 50 percent of 50 different mineral commodities being imported.

“We can’t allow this dependence to worsen as these technologies grow in use,” Murkowski said. “We need to ensure that federal policies do not unintentionally impede the evolution of markets for this sector.”