[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 22, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3062-S3063]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Mr. Heinrich, Ms. Smith, Mr. 
        Gardner, Mr. Coons, Ms. McSally, and Mr. King):
  S. 1602. A bill to amend the United States Energy Storage 
Competitiveness Act of 2007 to establish a research, development, and 
demonstration program for grid-scale energy storage systems, and for 
other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Better 
Energy

[[Page S3063]]

Storage Technology Act. I am pleased to be partnering with Senator 
Heinrich on this initiative. I would also like to thank Senator 
Gardner, Senator Smith, Senator Coons, Senator McSally, and Senator 
King who have joined us as original cosponsors of the BEST Act.
  Our bipartisan bill supports narrowly tailored energy storage 
research to develop the next generation of technologies at the 
Department of Energy. Advancing next generation energy storage 
technology will allow us to integrate more renewables into the power 
grid, such as wind energy or solar energy which, in turn, will help to 
reduce emissions and slow climate change.
  Energy storage systems provide a wide range of benefits. First, these 
technologies increase the reliability and the resilience of the 
electric grid by limiting potential disruptions. Energy storage helps 
us to better manage supply and demand on the grid and allows for the 
expanded use of renewable energy. The reliability of our grid and grid-
scale storage systems go hand-in-hand.
  Second, this type of technology can decrease energy costs, a goal 
that we all share. In Maine, the price of electricity rises steeply 
during the coldest days of the year. For example, in late 2017 and 
early 2018, very cold temperatures in New England led to higher energy 
costs--more than a billion dollars in the wholesale energy market--in 
just 15 days.
  The next generation of energy storage technologies could help to 
transform our grid, meaning that we would no longer need to generate 
more expensive power to meet demands during the hottest and coldest 
days of the year. Instead, we could use more affordable energy sources 
that have been stored for later use.
  Third, energy storage systems can allow for more intermittent 
renewable sources, such as wind and solar power, to be placed on the 
grid and used precisely when they are needed. The Aqua Ventus, a 
floating, deepwater offshore wind project being developed by the 
University of Maine and a consortium of groups, could benefit from 
energy storage innovation. Off the coast of Maine, there are very 
strong and consistent winds where offshore wind turbines can produce 
electricity almost 50 percent of the time. This next generation storage 
technology will ensure that we can use this wind power closer to 100 
percent of the time by storing electricity to use when the wind isn't 
blowing.
  One of the biggest hurdles to commercializing energy storage is cost. 
To overcome this obstacle, our bill specifically directs the Department 
of Energy to work to decrease the cost of this exciting technology. 
This is similar to the Department's SunShot initiative that decreased 
the price of solar power by approximately 75 percent in less than a 
decade.
  Furthermore, energy storage systems are technology neutral. This bill 
will foster innovation and enhance deployment of these innovative 
technologies without picking winners or losers.
  Specifically, our bill would do the following: It would focus energy 
storage research on highly flexible, longer duration, and seasonal 
storage systems. It would support five energy storage demonstration 
projects. The bill would create a strategic plan and allow the 
Department of Energy to develop cost targets. It would coordinate 
research and support the coordination of research. Finally, the bill 
would authorize $60 million annually for each of the next 5 years.
  I am pleased to report that our bipartisan bill has earned very broad 
support, including the endorsements of the Bipartisan Policy Center, 
Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions, ClearPath, Edison Electric 
Institute, Energy Storage Association, the Information Technology and 
Innovation Foundation, the National Audubon Society, the Natural 
Resources Council of Maine, the National Hydropower Association, Solar 
Energy Industries Association, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and 
the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
  Frankly, it has been a long time since I have seen a bill be able to 
attract that much support from groups that have different ideological 
goals, and I am very proud that we were able to line up the support of 
all of those groups.
  The BEST Act will help advance energy storage technologies to improve 
the efficiency of our Nation's electrical grid while helping to promote 
the wider use of clean, renewable energy. The goals of this bill are 
those which I would hope every Member of this body could embrace. I 
urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Thank you, Mr. President.

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