The US plans $26m Clean Energy Demo Projects

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), on behalf of the Biden-Harris Administration, today announced $26 million in funding for projects that will show a combination of solar, wind, energy storage, and other clean distributed energy resources can dependably power the nation’s electricity grid.

The Solar and Wind Grid Services and Reliability Demonstration Program, funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will demonstrate how clean energy resources can address significant grid reliability challenges by developing and testing tools and plant functions that allow the grid to remain online amid disturbances and restart if it goes down.

The data from the demonstration projects will show how President Biden’s target of 100% renewable electricity by 2030 can be met while promoting system resilience.

Initially designed to supply homes and businesses in the United States with electricity from a select few major fossil fuel power plants, the grid now incorporates both conventional and renewable energy sources.

The creation of new technologies that help grid operators control this increasingly complicated network is made possible by DOE investments. As grid operators deal with an increasing number of interruptions, such as cyberattacks, extreme weather conditions, and wildfires, such solutions now need to be shown at a larger scale in order to enhance their adoption and foster trust.

In order to create a clean power industry, sustainable energy sources like solar and wind generation and energy storage must demonstrate their ability to support the grid in both normal and emergency circumstances.