U.S. Market Prospects for Long Duration Energy Storage Technologies

Abstract

Often thought of as the ultimate solution to renewable energy intermittency, energy storage has been one of the most sought-after technologies for a clean energy future. The market for long duration energy storage, or LDES, is still in its infancy, driven primarily by startups hungry to deliver a reliable, affordable, and multi-purpose LDES to utility-scale buyers. These technologies stand in contrast to lithium-ion, which is not expected to be economically feasible beyond 4-hour durations. Even as the “Holy Grail of clean energy,” most LDES projects are in their pilot-phase and few have been deployed. On behalf of Tesla, this project sought to evaluate 1) the leading technologies, their respective specifications and the companies leading their development, 2) the economics behind these technologies, and 3) and how federal and state policies are enabling deployment across the United States.