Skip to the main content of the page

Safety & Resilience

Skip Navigation LinksOregon Department of Energy / Safety & Resilience / Energy Storage

Energy Storage

Energy storage may be a key tool to integrate renewable resources into the electricity grid.
Transmission Tower
Some electricity resources, such as nuclear or coal-burning facilities, produce energy on-demand. Renewable resources​, such as wind and solar power, are not always available to match demand, since the wind doesn't always blow and the sun doesn't always shine. 
Storing energy, like in a battery, can help us capture renewable energy to be used when it's needed (even solar power in the middle of the night). Not only can smart storage solutions help us increase the use of renewable electricity, it can also improve the resiliency of the power grid.

In 2015, ODOE secured financial and programmatic support from Sandia National Laboratories for an energy storage pilot project at the Eugene Water & Electric Board  . ODOE provided technical expertise and support to EWEB for their project demonstrating energy storage and "microgrid" technology. The project helps Oregon better understand different storage technologies to improve system resilience and strengthen long-term grid resiliency.

ODOE is also bringing together statewide stakeholders to assess the long-term benefits of energy storage. Working with the Oregon Public Utility Commission​ , we are developing evaluation criteria for electrical storage systems:
 ​​​​​​​​
Resources
 
 Energy System Resiliency​
​
 
 Energy Planning

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
​ ​Contact the Planning & Innovation Team:
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Help us improve! Was this page helpful?