PHOENIX — Google and the Salt River Project are teaming up to strengthen Arizona’s grid resilience by testing new types of energy storage.
SRP and the tech giant will research non-lithium ion technologies for long duration energy storage (LDES), according to SRP Manager of Innovation and Development Chico Hunter.
“We believe that long duration energy storage will play an essential role in meeting SRP’s sustainability goals and ensuring grid reliability,” Hunter said in a Monday announcement from SRP.
The purpose of LDES is to store energy over extended periods of time, which is especially important when it comes to renewable energy sources like solar and wind, which don’t produce power 24/7.
Furthermore, the technologies SRP and Google are researching could serve as alternatives to the lithium-ion batteries commonly used in modern devices, from smartphones to electric cars.
How are Google, SRP advancing energy storage research together?
“This first of its kind research collaboration with Google will bring additional insight into the viability of these new technologies that could move them to maturity more quickly,” Hunter said.
Through the partnership, Google will fund part of the costs for LDES pilot projects developed for SRP’s energy grid, according to the announcement.
From there, Google will study how well they perform and provide input on research and testing plans.
Overall, the energy storage research partnership will help both SRP and Google move forward with their sustainability goals.
SRP hopes to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Google is seeking to ultimately run its global data centers and offices on carbon-free energy, according to Head of Advanced Energy Technologies at Google Lucia Tian.
“Long duration energy storage is a key technology in the portfolio of advanced energy solutions that we want to bring to market faster — to unlock stronger, cleaner, more resilient grids,” Tian said.
“Through our collaboration with SRP, we aim to accelerate the innovation and technological advancements necessary to deploy LDES solutions at scale so communities in Arizona and beyond can meet their power needs reliably and cost-effectively for years to come.”
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