The Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has cut the ribbon on its new grid-scale energy storage research facility. The $75 million center brings together researchers and industry partners to work on grid-scale energy storage technologies for all stages of the battery development cycle.
The new research center couldn’t come at a better time. Energy grids across the U.S. are being challenged to meet growing demand brought on by transportation electrification, artificial intelligence and data centers.
Known officially as the Grid Storage Launchpad (GSL), the Richland, Washington facility will tackle the aging power grid, not only in Washington but across the country. Experts predict demand in the Pacific Northwest could spike by as much as 30% in the next decade, thanks to the growth of the technology sector and increased demand for home heating and cooling as temperatures soar.
“Grid storage allows more wind and solar to be integrated into the grid. And the Northwest’s reliability in providing that clean energy source will be, as it has been in the past, one of the big drivers of the Washington economy,” State Senator Maria Cantwell said at the ribbon cutting. “In part, we have been able to lead in aviation, manufacturing, information technology, agriculture, and now data centers — all because we know how to provide cheap, affordable electricity, and we want to keep doing it.”
One of only 10 national laboratories in the nation, PNNL has a $1.5 billion budget and employs 6,000 people. Earlier this year, the laboratory and Microsoft partnered to use artificial intelligence and high-performance computing to find a way to reduce lithium content in batteries by as much as 70% without sacrificing performance.
The laboratory has a long list of innovations to its credit, from compact discs and holographs to full-body scanners at airports.