Heinrich Welcomes Up to $24 Million from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to Advance Clean Energy Storage Technology, Improve Grid Resilience in New Mexico and Beyond

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) welcomed up to $24 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) — funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — to advance the development of long-duration energy storage technologies, improve grid resiliency, lower costs, and accelerate the transition to a clean energy future. ReJoule, a second-life battery diagnostics and reuse company located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, will receive up to $10 million to repurpose retired electric vehicle batteries and provide energy storage for affordable housing developments in Santa Fe and California.

 

Sandia National Laboratories, headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, will receive up to $4 million to demonstrate long-duration particle-based thermal energy storage technologies. Sandia will also receive up to $10 million to lead a team to demonstrate long-duration zinc-based battery storage that can replace diesel backup generators for critical facilities during outages. 

 

“Innovative energy storage technologies can improve the efficiency, reliability and resilience of the electric systems that power our homes and businesses. Over the last few years, advancements in storage technology have dramatically reduced costs while increasing our ability to manage grid supply and demand,” said Heinrich. “The deployment of energy storage needs to be at the center of our ongoing effort to move toward a cleaner and more reliable electrical grid. This investment will make it easier and more affordable to utilize long-term energy storage technologies, support high-quality jobs, and unlock the clean energy future right here in New Mexico.”     

 

Energy storage is essential to enabling utilities and grid operators to effectively adopt and utilize the nation’s growing portfolio of clean energy resources, like solar and wind, on demand. However, today’s energy storage technologies are not sufficiently scaled or affordable to support the broad use of renewable energy on the grid. According to DOE’s Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: LDES report, cheaper, longer, and more efficient storage is needed to meet energy demand that fluctuates throughout the day and night. For example, solar power generated during the day could be stored for nighttime use or nuclear energy generated in low demand periods can be used when demand increases.

 

This announcement will help DOE realize its Long Duration Storage Shot goal of reducing the cost of LDES by 90% by 2030 and supports the Administration’s efforts to advance critical clean energy technologies, expand the adoption of renewable energy resources, and strengthen America’s energy security.

 

Heinrich has led the effort in the Senate to advance energy storage technology. His legislation to accelerate the development of next-generation energy storage was enacted into law in 2021.

In March 2021, Heinrich introduced legislation to establish an investment tax credit (ITC) for business and home use of energy storage.

 

Heinrich continues to be a champion of legislation to meet our decarbonization goals and support the energy transition, while building the clean energy workforce of tomorrow. 

 

In May and June, Heinrich introduced legislation to improve the way that we permit, plan, and pay for transmission infrastructure to meet our decarbonization goals and support the energy transition, while building the clean energy workforce of tomorrow.

 

Earlier this month, Heinrich delivered a keynote address at an advanced energy conference to lay out his vision to position New Mexico at the center of the nation's clean energy future. In the speech, Heinrich pointed to his work to accelerate the clean energy transition through legislation and federal investments he has secured. The Senator’s full remarks as prepared for delivery can be found here. 

 

About ReJoule: 

ReJoule seeks to maximize the value of used batteries by repurposing retired lithium-ion electric vehicle batteries into energy storage for the grid. When electric vehicle batteries are no longer suitable for transportation, the decommissioned battery may still have 70 percent or more of its initial capacity. One of the biggest challenges in repurposing these batteries is identifying their state of health, as batteries of different capacities cannot be easily used together. To overcome this challenge, ReJoule has patented a quick way to assess the capacity of the batteries, identify batteries of similar capacities, and match them to create a pack.

 

ReJoule is working with a variety of leading research and industry partners on this project and is working to attain UL safety certification. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will be offering techno-economic analysis, life cycle analysis, and fire safety design assistance. The Mechanical Engineering Department of University of Kansas will be offering physics- and machine learning-based second-life battery modeling from cell to system level and real-time monitoring of energy, power, thermal, and aging conditions. The Native American-led Solar Bear company will assist with construction, workforce development, and host site collaboration. ReJoule will work with Rising Sun Center for Opportunity, which prepares youth, women, and individuals with barriers to entry in the workforce for family-sustaining careers in clean tech. Finally, ReJoule will work with Redwood Energy (one of the country’s leading designers of zero net energy affordable housing), Sigway Energy, CollectiveSun, Coffman Engineers, and Black&Veatch.

 

About Sandia National Laboratories: 

One of 17 national laboratories operated by DOE, Sandia National Laboratories develops innovative, science-based, systems-engineering solutions to address our nation’s most challenging national security problems. Principal programs areas include nuclear weapons, national security, energy, and global security. Primary locations include facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Livermore, California.

Sandia’s particle-based thermal-energy storage project will be conducted at the National Solar Thermal Test Facility, a unique, large-scale test facility that performs research and development for concentrating solar thermal technologies.

 

Sandia’s zinc-based battery-storage project will be a partnership with E-Zinc, a large-scale zinc battery manufacturer. Technology demonstrations will be conducted at the Sandia Livermore site in California, and R&D will be conducted in various locations across the lab complex, including Albuquerque, New Mexico.