California Bill proposes energy storage requirements for utilities

California Attorney General Jerry Brown

New legislation proposals that would require utilities to develop storage capacity for electricity have been introduced in California.

Assembly member Nancy Skinner and state Attorney General Jerry Brown want to see power suppliers required to establish storage equivalent to 2.25% of daytime peak demand by 2014.

Their bill, AB 2514, would set a 5% peak demand storage requirement for 2020 onwards.

The intention behind the legislation is to set up a “smart grid”, where renewable and clean energy could be stored to help balance the electricity networks during demand spikes rather than switching on fossil fuel power station capacity.

The legislation would also create jobs, according to those behind it, as well as cutting energy bills.

“Energy storage is the future — it’s a fast-growing clean technology industry that will save the state money and reduce pollution,” said the Attorney General Jerry Brown, the bill’s sponsor who is considering running for California governor.

“What’s even better is that this new technology could create 8,500 new jobs in California during the next decade.”

Storage

California currently uses coal and other fossil fuel power as its backup electricity supply. The proposers of the legislation said better energy storage options could also help as more intermittent forms of renewable energy generation are brought online.

Electricity is difficult to store directly, but can be used to generate hydrogen from water, which can then be used to produce electricity when required through fuel cell technology.

Other options, such as pumped hydropower stations, are also available to effectively store electricity.
Janice Lin, Director of the California Energy Storage Alliance, said: “Given major advances in energy storage, the industry is now ready to provide high-technology, affordable, reliable products for California’s utilities and consumers.

“This bill will put California at the forefront of a growing global market that will spur economic development.”