Solar Power World

  • Home
  • Top Solar Contractors
    • 10th Anniversary Roundtables
  • Articles
    • Most Recent Posts
    • News
      • Latest News Items
      • Solar tariffs
    • Featured
      • Latest Feature Stories
      • Contractor’s Corner
      • Trends in Solar
      • The Solar Explorer
  • Policy
    • Monthly Snapshots
  • Markets
    • Residential
    • Commercial
    • Community Solar
    • Utility
  • Products
    • 2020 Top Products
    • Batteries and Storage
    • Inverters
      • Global Manufacturing Locations
    • Racking and Mounting
    • Software
    • Solar Panels
      • U.S. solar panel manufacturers
      • Global Manufacturing Locations
  • Subscribe
  • Resources
    • About SPW
    • Digital Issues
    • Event Coverage
    • Leadership
      • 2020 Winners
      • 2019 Winners
      • 2018 Winners
    • Podcasts
    • Product Databases
      • Solar Inverter Models
      • Solar Panel Models
      • Solar Racking Models
      • Battery Storage Models
    • Product Manufacturing Locations
      • Global Inverter Manufacturing Locations
      • Global Solar Panel Manufacturing Locations
      • U.S. solar panel manufacturers
    • Solar Classrooms
      • Inverters
      • Solar panels
      • Roof-mount systems
      • Ground-mount systems
      • Residential energy storage systems
    • Suppliers
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers

Massachusetts awards $20 million for energy storage projects

By Kathie Zipp | December 11, 2017

Share

massachusetts storageThe Baker-Polito Administration today awarded $20 million in grants to 26 projects that will develop the Commonwealth’s energy storage market and deliver benefits to Massachusetts ratepayers and the electrical grid. Recognizing the potential benefits energy storage holds for the Commonwealth, paired with the strength of submitted projects, the Administration doubled the available funding from the initial $10 million commitment. The awarded projects will benefit 25 communities and draw in $32 million in matching funds, helping to grow the Commonwealth’s energy storage economy.

The grants were awarded as part of the Baker-Polito Administration’s Energy Storage Initiative (ESI) Advancing Commonwealth Energy Storage (ACES) program, funded by the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) through Alternative Compliance Payments (ACP) and administered by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC). The announcement was made by Governor Baker during an event at UMass Memorial – Marlborough Hospital. The critical care facility will use funding received under the grant program to integrate a 400kw solar canopy and energy storage system, reduce energy use and costs, shave its peak demand and increase its overall resilience.

“The development and deployment of energy storage projects will be vital to the Commonwealth’s ability to continue leading the nation in energy efficiency,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Funding these storage projects is an investment in our energy portfolio that will reduce costs for ratepayers and help create a clean and resilient energy future.”

“Massachusetts has a rich history of leadership in innovation and this storage grant program is another important step for the Commonwealth’s energy industry,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “We look forward to these projects playing an important role in their local communities and delivering the many benefits energy storage can provide to Massachusetts ratepayers.”

Launched by the Baker-Polito Administration in 2015, the ESI aims to make Massachusetts a national leader in energy storage by analyzing opportunities to support energy storage companies, accelerating the development of early commercial storage technologies and developing policy options to encourage energy storage deployment. The first phase of the ESI, the State of Charge study released in September 2016, identified hundreds of millions of dollars of potential ratepayer benefits from the deployment of energy storage in Massachusetts. The study analyzed the benefits of 10 specific use cases to evaluate how storage economics vary by business model, market involvement and location. These awards represent eight of those use cases and an additional use case not previously identified in the report.

“Energy storage has the potential to revolutionize the energy sector in Massachusetts,” said Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Matthew Beaton. “The Advancing Commonwealth Energy Storage program puts Massachusetts one step closer to realizing the hundreds of millions of dollars in system benefits and ratepayer savings that the deployment of energy storage can provide, while position the state to achieve its energy storage target.”

In June, in accordance with the bipartisan comprehensive energy diversification legislation signed by Governor Baker in August of 2016, DOER announced a 200 Megawatt hour (MWh) energy storage target for the state’s three electric distribution companies to achieve by January 1, 2020. The projects awarded under the ACES program represent a total of 32 MW and 85 MWh of energy storage capacity, of which 16 MW and 45 MWh are within electric distribution company territory. Massachusetts currently has approximately 4 MW and 7 MWh of advanced energy storage installed.

“Energy storage is a strategic opportunity for the Commonwealth to transform the way we utilize our energy resources,” said Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Judith Judson. “The projects receiving funding through the ACES program will provide a roadmap for how Massachusetts can integrate storage into our diversified energy portfolio to lower overall energy costs, increase grid efficiency by decreasing peak demand, and more effectively utilize our strong clean energy sector.”

“These projects represent a substantial step forward for the emerging energy storage sector in Massachusetts,” said MassCEC CEO Stephen Pike. “The Commonwealth’s leadership in developing this industry will allow renewable energy sources to be harnessed to their full potential and increase the resiliency of the electrical grid.”

View award winners here. 

News item from Mass.gov

Tell Us What You Think! Cancel reply

Related Articles Read More >

Crown Battery will buy RECs and eventually source local renewables to take operations 100% green
100 Green Mountain Power utility customers can receive a free Span smart electrical panel
Power Edison to supply 12-MWh mobile battery system to U.S. utility
Going off-grid in the 2020s: Updated battery choices for today’s power needs

Exclusive SPW Content

Videos Podcasts Webinars Whitepapers

SPW Digital Editions

Solar Power World Digital EditionBrowse the current issue and archived issues of Solar Power World in an easy-to-use, high-quality format. Bookmark, share and interact with the leading solar construction magazine today.

Solar Policy Snapshot

Solar policy differs across state lines and regions. Click to see our monthly roundup of recent legislation and research throughout the country.

Read More >

Popular Posts See More >

Panasonic to end solar panel manufacturing
How a forced-labor prevention act may affect U.S. solar panel imports
Stand-alone energy storage tax credit legislation introduced in both the House and Senate
Biden infrastructure plan includes 10-year extension and phase down of direct-pay ITC
Solar Power World
  • Top Solar Contractors
  • Solar Articles
  • Top Products
  • Leadership
  • WTWH Media
  • About/Contact Us
  • Advertising
  • Subscribe
  • Windpower Engineering & Development

Copyright © 2021 WTWH Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Site Map | Privacy Policy | RSS

Search Solar Power World

  • Home
  • Top Solar Contractors
    • 10th Anniversary Roundtables
  • Articles
    • Most Recent Posts
    • News
      • Latest News Items
      • Solar tariffs
    • Featured
      • Latest Feature Stories
      • Contractor’s Corner
      • Trends in Solar
      • The Solar Explorer
  • Policy
    • Monthly Snapshots
  • Markets
    • Residential
    • Commercial
    • Community Solar
    • Utility
  • Products
    • 2020 Top Products
    • Batteries and Storage
    • Inverters
      • Global Manufacturing Locations
    • Racking and Mounting
    • Software
    • Solar Panels
      • U.S. solar panel manufacturers
      • Global Manufacturing Locations
  • Subscribe
  • Resources
    • About SPW
    • Digital Issues
    • Event Coverage
    • Leadership
      • 2020 Winners
      • 2019 Winners
      • 2018 Winners
    • Podcasts
    • Product Databases
      • Solar Inverter Models
      • Solar Panel Models
      • Solar Racking Models
      • Battery Storage Models
    • Product Manufacturing Locations
      • Global Inverter Manufacturing Locations
      • Global Solar Panel Manufacturing Locations
      • U.S. solar panel manufacturers
    • Solar Classrooms
      • Inverters
      • Solar panels
      • Roof-mount systems
      • Ground-mount systems
      • Residential energy storage systems
    • Suppliers
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers