Puget Sound Energy (PSE) and Form Energy, an energy storage technology and manufacturing company, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to explore the opportunity of deploying a pilot multi-day energy storage system to help PSE meet state requirements for clean energy and customer expectations for reliable service.
The partnership will allow both companies to collaborate on the development of a 10 megawatt (MW), 100-hour iron-air battery pilot within PSE’s service area. Through the partnership, PSE and Form Energy will evaluate the potential benefits of Form Energy’s technology, as well as determine an initial project configuration that could be deployed by the end of 2026.
Multi-day energy storage is a battery that can provide power over several days as compared to most commercially available batteries that supply only about four hours of backup power. Energy storage systems are critical to offsetting the need for PSE to build additional generation resources that are used only at times of high demand.
“Our priority is ensuring the lights and heat are on when the sun isn’t shining, the wind isn’t blowing, or when customers need more energy, such as a cold winter day or during a summer heat wave,” said Josh Jacobs, vice president of Clean Energy Strategy and Planning at Puget Sound Energy. “Doing that in compliance with state law means that we must address a critical reliability gap with carbon-free resources that can act as on-demand sources of energy.”
Washington’s Clean Energy Transformation Act requires electric utilities to be coal free by 2025, carbon neutral by 2030, and 100% served by renewable and non-emitting resources by 2045. As a result, utilities need to replace fossil fuel generation that is easily dispatched to meet reliability. At the same time, demand for electricity is expected to increase dramatically due to clean energy policies, such as the proliferation of electric vehicles and requirements for electrification of new buildings.
PSE is pursuing a multi-faceted approach to ensure reliability focused on understanding what is most effective for customers in terms of carbon reduction, cost and technical feasibility.
PSE is undergoing the most significant transformation in its 150-year history as it strives to meet Washington’s state’s clean energy laws—some of the most ambitious in the nation—and provide customers with energy that is safe, reliable and affordable. By 2030, the amount of new, non-emitting generating resources PSE will need to have is more than the utility has acquired in its existence to date.
