Energy Department Announces $1M for Storage Vouchers

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Electricity (OE) today announced a new $1M storage technical assistance voucher program. Two OE-funded vouchers are intended to spur innovations in Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) technologies among developers, small businesses, research institutions, and communities. The program aims to increase LDES project deployments nationwide and help achieve the Biden-Harris Administration’s clean energy goals. 

Each of these opportunities will offer vouchers worth $500k, comprising 3-7 vouchers of $50k-$150k each. DOE will select up to 14 awardees (each awardee consists of a technical assistance provider/recipient pair) as part of the Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) mechanism. PIAs are agreements between the Federal government and non-Federal partners to increase outreach with small business firms, higher education, and non-traditional partners. This program is available to both technical assistance providers in the announcement today and technical assistance recipients in a follow-on announcement this summer.  

Voucher Opportunity 7: Long Duration Energy Storage Technology Acceleration 

This voucher opportunity will target LDES technology innovators, including vendors and manufacturers. These recipients will receive $50-150k in services, such as market assessment support, business plan formulation, technical modeling or analysis, testing, performance validation, and commercialization strategy support from providers. With mentorship for these critical planning and strategy stages, these innovators have a higher likelihood of success with potential LDES projects. 

Voucher Opportunity 8: Long Duration Energy Storage Community Development 

This program will enable first-time energy storage deployments in communities that wish to benefit from the decarbonization, resilience, and workforce benefits of energy storage. Recipients may include municipalities, tribes and tribal organization, state or local governments, community development organizations, or utilities, who are interested in deploying energy storage in their jurisdiction. These recipients will receive $50-$150k vouchers of in-kind support from providers for technical assistance such as siting/permitting support, storage project road mapping, regional modeling, energy use analysis, technical feasibility studies, technology solution decision-making, and community engagement.  

By supporting community entities with their energy storage ideas, these communities will be more invested in deploying energy storage technologies that will benefit stakeholders locally and regionally. 

“These technical assistance vouchers provide technology innovators with the means to shape the future of their own communities while advancing long duration energy storage,” said Gene Rodrigues, Assistant Secretary for Electricity. “Our ultimate goal is to bolster reliability by making clean energy options accessible to neighborhoods across America.”   

The program is managed by ENERGYWERX in partnership with DOE, a collaboration made possible through an innovative PIA set up by DOE's Office of Technology Transitions. 

Interested technical assistance providers may apply for this funding at ENERGYWERX. Provider applications are due June 6, 2024, by 3 p.m., Eastern. DOE expects to announce the selected providers in mid-summer, when the application for technical assistance recipients will open. DOE will hold an informational webinar and objective strategic session on May 15, 2024, from 3–4 p.m., Eastern, for potential providers to ask questions of DOE staff. DOE will hold office hours on May 30, 2024, from 3–4 p.m., Eastern, to answer additional questions. 

Learn more about Voucher 7 and Voucher 8.

Learn more about OE.