Collins, Heinrich Call for Quick Implementation of Bill to Advance Energy Storage Technology

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) sent a letter to the Secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE) urging the quick implementation of the Better Energy Storage Technology (BEST) Act that they authored.  This bipartisan bill, which was signed into law in December, reauthorizes and reorients DOE’s energy storage research and development efforts to facilitate breakthroughs on next-generation energy storage.

“Energy storage systems provide a range of benefits, from grid reliability to decreased energy costs and increased use of renewable resources,” wrote the Senators.  “Energy storage also holds great promise in the fight against climate change, as advancing next-generation energy storage technology will allow us to more efficiently integrate renewables, such as wind and solar, which in turn will help to reduce emissions.”

“One of the biggest hurdles to developing energy storage technology is cost.  To address this obstacle, the BEST Act specifically directs DOE to create a strategic plan and develop cost targets, similar to DOE’s SunShot Initiative that decreased the price of solar by approximately 75 percent in less than a decade,” the Senators continued.

In the letter, the Senators also requested that DOE support BEST Act programs in its fiscal year 2022 budget request to Congress.

Click HERE to read the full letter.

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