The Energy Storage Program Office of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability is the focal point for research and development for electricity storage for the power grid. This site is an excellent reference for learning about what DOE is doing in electricity storage for the grid. Click on the OE logo to access the site.

The mission of the U.S. Department of Energy Electricity Advisory Committee is to provide energy policy advise to DOE.  The EAC issued  a document in December 2008 titled  "Bottling Energy: Storage as a Strategic Tool for Managing Variability and Capacity Concerns in the Modern Grid."  This key document can be downloaded from the EAC website. Click on the EAC logo to access the site.

One of the most innovative storage technogies was conceived by American Electric Power and  is called "Community Energy Storage (CES)."  Most grid level storage is connected at the substation level or further up the grid.  CES is deployed at the tips of the grid in units with 25KW to 50KW power capacity with one to three hours of storage.  The CES units are packaged in underground utility transformer boxes which are placed next to the transformers serving a group of residences. The individual units can provide backup power for the residences following a power failure.  And CES units can be agreggated and operated as a fleet to effectively provide ancillary services to the grid - this is their primary purpose.  This is the newest concept for grid level storage.  Click on the AEP Logo to learn more about Community Energy Storage.

There are many companies, government agencies, and private research organizations that are working on CES-scale electricity storage systems based on electric vehicle battery technology.  Links to some of the more interesting websites are provided below. Click on the logos below to learn more about distributed energy storage systems for the tips of the grid.