The Oregon Dept. of Energy is partnering with the U.S. DOE Office of Electricity’s Energy Storage Program, and Sandia National Laboratories, to offer funds for an energy storage demonstration project in Oregon. Up to $250,000 in federal funds will be matched by up to $45,000 in state funds from ODOE and Oregon BEST.
The deadline for submitting proposals is Oct. 16, and the award is expected to be announced Nov. 2.
The demonstration aims to enable installation and continuous operation of an electrical energy storage system, or ESS, with a capacity of 500kW/500kWh or greater, connected to the transmission or distribution system. No preference is given to one energy storage technology over others; however, preference will be given to projects that demonstrate two or more of the following five high-interest applications, or “use cases:”
- T&D upgrade deferral/management of peak demand
- Service reliability/resiliency
- Power quality/voltage support
- Grid regulation
- Renewable energy firming, ramp control, energy shift
Proposals are encouraged from utilities, energy storage technology vendors, energy service suppliers and electric customers including, but not limited to, municipalities, universities, and commercial and industrial businesses. Applicants that are not electric utilities must have a committed utility partner or include a letter of support from the interconnecting utility. A minimum cost share of 50 percent is required. ODOE prefers projects that can be interconnected to the electric transmission or distribution system within 18 months of the award and the project must operate for a minimum of one full year.
More information is available from ODOE at http://www.oregon.gov/energy/Pages/energy-storage.aspx#Energy_Storage_RFP_Updates.