NY Governor Signs Bill Directing Storage Deployment Goal
The American Public Power Association (APPA) recently reported that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo would direct the PSC to undertake a process to determine the appropriate suite of policies that will help drive New York toward a long-term energy storage deployment goal.
Kate Muller, director of corporate communications and marketing at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, said that the process will be informed by the forthcoming energy storage "roadmap," which New York State’s R&D organization, NYSERDA has been developing with an eye toward enabling mechanisms for market participants "that will maximize the benefits of energy storage for New Yorkers consistent with the principles" of REV.
The bill signed by Cuomo also calls for the creation of an energy storage deployment program that would be administered by NYSERDA and the Long Island Power Authority.
Cuomo's decision to sign the bill won plaudits from the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium, a trade group.
"Energy storage has an important role to play in modernizing New York's electric grid, providing real benefits for ratepayers and producing environmental and economic benefits for the state," said William Acker, the group's executive director.
Energy storage, he noted, provides flexible, reliable power that produces no greenhouse gas or harmful air emissions.
A recent NYSERDA report found the number of jobs in New York's energy storage industry grew by 1,000 between 2012 and 2015, a 30% increase.
The original article by APPA’s Bob Matyi also provides a brief summary of similar storage initiatives in several other states. It is available is at this link.
