July 31 -- Comment period extended through August 31, 2020.
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/07/31/2020-16606/request-for-information-extension-energy-storage-grand-challenge
July 16 -- Through this RFI, the U.S. Department of Energy solicits feedback from interested individuals and entities, such as, industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and other stakeholders to assist the Energy Storage Grand Challenge (ESGC) with identifying market opportunities and challenges—both technical and financial—for the development, commercialization, production, and deployment of energy storage technologies. Comments are requested by August 21, 2020. The RFI is available at:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/07/16/2020-15301/request-for-information-energy-storage-grand-challenge
In January of 2020, the DOE announced the ESGC, a comprehensive program to accelerate the development, commercialization, and utilization of next-generation energy storage technologies and sustain American global leadership in energy storage. The ESGC builds on the $158 million Advanced Energy Storage Initiative announced in President Trump's Fiscal Year 2020 budget request.
The vision for the ESGC is to create and sustain global leadership in energy storage utilization and exports with a secure domestic manufacturing supply chain that is independent of foreign sources of critical materials by 2030. While research and development (R&D) is the foundation of advancing energy storage technologies, the DOE recognizes that global leadership also requires addressing associated challenges that lead to commercialization and widespread adoption of energy storage technologies.
The ESGC is a cross-cutting effort managed by RTIC. The DOE established the RTIC in 2019 to convene the key elements of the DOE that support R&D activities, coordinate their strategic research priorities, identify potential cross-cutting opportunities in both basic and applied science and technology, and accelerate commercialization.
Using a coordinated suite of R&D funding opportunities, prizes, partnerships, and other programs, the ESGC established the following five cross-cutting tracks: (i) Technology R&D, (ii) Manufacturing and Supply Chain, (iii) Technology Transitions, (iv) Policy and Valuation, and (v) Workforce. These five cross-cutting tracks have developed a draft Roadmap that will be updated based on feedback from this RFI as well as other ongoing DOE efforts, such as workshops, webinars, and other engagements with stakeholders. The roadmap identifies six use cases as neutral guideposts to provide a framework for the ESGC. These use cases include (i) facilitating an evolving grid, (ii) serving remote communities, (iii) electrified mobility, (iv) interdependent network infrastructure, (v) critical services, and (vi) facility flexibility, efficiency and value enhancement. More information on the use cases and the draft Roadmap can be found here
https://www.energy.gov/energy-storage-grand-challenge/downloads/energy-storage-grand-challenge-roadmap.
Each track has developed a set of RFI questions related to their respective areas and target audience. This RFI is divided into five sections that represent each track.
Point of contact: Rima Oueid, Senior Policy Adviser rticstorage@hq.doe.gov (202) 586-5000 / rima.oueid@hq.doe.gov 202-256-9614
