Co-chaired by Sandia and Pacific Northwest National Laboratories on behalf of the energy storage program, the event connected applied energy storage research and early-stage innovations with start-ups and end-users
Researchers Will McNamara and Xiaolin Li from Sandia National Laboratories and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory co-chaired the Energy Storage Symposium at the TechConnect World Innovation Conference and Expo in Austin, Texas, June 9-11, 2025. The symposium, titled “Energy Storage: Thinking Bigger for the New Grid,” featured six sessions focused on energy storage and realizing its potential for reliable, safe, and resilient electricity: Beyond Batteries; Safety; Materials, Components, and Power Electronics; Power Electronics and Use Cases; and Beyond Technologies. Twenty-four presentations from experts in technology research and innovation, storage implementation, commercialization and markets, and regulatory frameworks explored how storage can continue to expand its real-world impact. Kieran Claffey, senior research engineer at Southern Company, delivered the keynote address, discussing the utility’s approach to deploy energy storage across its southeastern U.S. service territory.
McNamara and Li co-chaired the symposium on behalf of Dr. Imre Gyuk and Dr. Erik Spoerke of the Department of Energy. McNamara also presented in the Beyond Technologies session on the topic “Evaluating the effectiveness of energy storage development policies,” summarizing work conducted by the Long Duration Energy Storage National Consortium. Li and co-presenters from PNNL shared research on the status and challenges in the development of sustainable batteries for energy storage applications.
Deployment and application of battery energy storage systems (BESS) continue to grow at an astonishing rate around the world, creating opportunities to combine innovation and commercialization. With diverse energy storage methods, chemistries, and form factors, energy storage holds significant potential for reliable, safe, and resilient electricity to help meet increasing uses and demand.
The TechConnect World Innovation Conference and Expo connects applied research and early-stage innovations from universities, labs, and startups with industry end users and scouts. Presentations highlighted the Office of Electricity’s funded work conducted at national laboratories like Sandia and elsewhere to realize the potential of BESS for abundant, reliable, and affordable domestic energy.
To learn more, visit the symposium website.
This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Electricity (OE), Energy Storage Division.