[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 112 (Tuesday, July 12, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S5004]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REED (for himself and Mr. Heller):
  S. 3162. A bill to provide for the consideration of energy storage 
systems by electric utilities as part of a supply side resource 
process, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, today, along with my colleague Senator 
Heller, I am introducing the Storage Technology for Operational 
Readiness and Generating Energy Act, or STORAGE Act. I thank Senator 
Heller for his work with me on this bipartisan bill.
  The advent of energy storage capacity means unused energy from 
renewable sources can be made available for use when needed, rather 
than wasted. As a result, advances in energy storage can help improve 
the reliability, resiliency, and flexibility of the grid, as well as 
reduce the potential for future rate increases for consumers.
  To further encourage the research and development of energy storage, 
the legislation we are introducing authorizes the Secretary of Energy 
to coordinate efforts among various existing programs at the Department 
of Energy. By streamlining these energy storage research and 
development programs, we hope we will maximize efficiency of funds and 
expand this vital research. I am pleased that the Senate has already 
included an amendment I offered with Senator Heller to add these 
provisions as part of the Energy Policy Modernization Act that we 
passed earlier this year.
  Our bill also amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 
19781, or PURPA, to add energy storage systems to the list of 
strategies states should consider when developing their energy plan in 
an effort to promote energy conservation and greater use of domestic 
energy. The bill does not mandate the implementation of this or any 
technology. Rather it simply encourages states to analyze whether 
energy storage would provide benefits to the overall system. I look 
forward to working with Senator Heller and our colleagues to also find 
a path forward for these provisions.
  I urge our colleagues to join in supporting the STORAGE Act and 
taking commonsense steps to advance energy storage technology.
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