This past November, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation to develop a statewide energy storage goal. New York joins California, Massachusetts and Oregon as the only states to approve such energy storage targets.
Five months earlier, the New York State Legislature unanimously approved the measure, which could spur the development of energy storage technology and increase clean energy use. The legislation requires the New York Public Service Commission to develop a target level for 2030. After the goal is established, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the Long Island Power Authority will manage the energy storage program.
The Energy Storage Roadmap created by the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium cites these three benefits of bolstering energy storage in the state:
Additional electrical energy can be available in the event of an unexpected and sudden need or can be set aside in anticipation of expected future need.
The quality of electricity being delivered can be restored in the event of short-duration problems with voltage, frequency, power factor or continuity. The output of excess generation can be retained for later use.
The Energy Storage Roadmap recommended setting a goal of 2 GW of multi-hour storage capacity on New York’s electric grid by 2025 and 4 GW by 2030. Also, establishing such goals may spur innovation and job growth and provide stability for the power grid.
For example, California has seen job growth from storage startups and after the Aliso Canyon natural gas leak, rapid-response battery deployment helped stabilize the southern grid.