U.S. Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-NC) on May 7 signed on as the lead original cosponsor of bipartisan legislation that would expand federal research, testing, and demonstration programs focused on the safety of energy storage systems.
Rep. Harrigan introduced the Better Energy Storage and Safety Act, H.R. 8706, alongside bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) to amend the Energy Act of 2020 to modify certain programs and projects regarding energy storage technology, including addressing fire risks, thermal runaway, and long-term system failures.
“Energy storage is a critical piece of America’s energy future, and we have to make sure we are building it on a foundation that is safe and reliable,” Rep. Harrigan said. “These systems are going into homes, onto the grid, and into communities across the country, and right now our testing and safety standards have not kept pace with how fast the technology is moving.”
H.R. 8706 would close that gap, he added, and would put the right agencies to work on the hard problems to ensure “we are stress-testing these systems before failures happen in the field, not after.”
Specifically, the legislation would direct the U.S. Department of Energy, in coordination with National Laboratories, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the United States Fire Administration, to develop standardized testing and evaluation methodologies for operational energy storage systems, with a focus on failure modes.
H.R. 8706 also would expand the number of energy storage demonstration projects from three to five, add new safety-focused pilot grant objectives, and authorize $30 million per year from 2027 through 2031 for energy storage safety programs, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Harrigan’s office.
“As we continue to move towards renewable energy, we must ensure that the corresponding and critical technology is safe and secure,” said Rep. Panetta. “Although state-level public utility commissions have the authority and are responsible for ensuring safe and reliable energy service, my bipartisan bill would allow the federal government to make necessary improvements for the research, development, and testing of critical battery storage and clean energy systems.”
The measure has been referred for consideration to the U.S. House Science, Space, and Technology Committee.