What needs to happen next to store clean energy in North Dakota

11 May 2023
By Joe Rinaldi

NORTH DAKOTA (KXNET) — North Dakota has a lot to offer when it comes to clean energy — whether it’s wind, geothermal, or even hydroelectric power. But storing that energy has always been a struggle.

Now, the Department of Energy, or D.O.E, is accelerating the storage and deployment of these key clean energy resources.

The D.O.E’s Liftoff Reports provide the private sector and other industry partners a valuable resource on how and when certain technologies – like Long Duration Energy Storage – can reach full-scale deployment.

Right now, there are only a few energy storage mechanisms for wind power. Some include solid-state batteries, ultra or super-capacitors, and compressed air storage.

This is good for short distances, but for longer distances and time periods, there need to be more options and mechanisms that really don’t exist yet.

“The liftoff report accurately and appropriately reports that we need to make substantial technological progress in order to have long-duration energy storage fulfill its potential as a widely adapted grid asset,” said Gene Rodrigues, the Assistant Secretary for Electricity at the Department of Energy.

Another problem is that clean energy storage facilities cost a lot of money to build. One facility in Texas cost almost $100 million and can only serve a certain distance within Texas.

But the D.O.E is trying to fix these problems and make energy storage and distribution for clean energy, far more reaching.

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