ESA Study Shows 114,000 New Jobs Possible for Energy Storage With Proposed Federal ITC Legislation

WASHINGTON, April 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Electricity Storage Association (ESA) released a new study, performed by KEMA, projecting the size of the rapidly growing energy storage market in the US electricity grid. The report shows the impact on job growth possible with the Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) incentives from the Storage Act of 2009 (S. 1091) currently being debated in Congress.  The report analyzes the effects of a 20% ITC for grid-connected energy storage and a 30% credit for onsite energy storage through 2020.

"There is a growing realization among legislators and regulators (federal and state) that energy storage will be a vital element optimizing large amounts of renewable energy in the US grid," stated Brad Roberts, ESA Executive Director.

Currently pumped hydro storage plants account for just over two percent of the total generating capacity in the US.  The current DOE Energy Storage Stimulus Plan is investing $185M to add 535 megawatts of additional storage in the grid from all sources ranging from Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) to flywheels and batteries.  This new report shows how total storage in the US grid could double in the next decade.  The KEMA analysis looks at aspects of storage applications like regulation/ancillary services, renewable energy integration (wind and solar), onsite storage for end-users and the rapidly emerging Community Energy Storage (CES) approach.

The complete report has been circulated to ESA members and a copy of the report's Executive Summary is available on the ESA website at http://www.electricitystorage.org.  A KEMA presentation on the report will be made at the ESA's 20th Annual Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina May 4-7, 2010.

About ESA

The Electricity Storage Association is an international trade association established to foster development and commercialization of energy storage technologies.  The membership includes utilities, equipment manufacturers, national laboratories, system designers and academia using the ESA as the leading technical forum to promote a better understanding of the benefits of energy storage in an electricity grid.  The ESA is organized as a 501 (c) (6) trade association.  The ESA is in the process of moving to new headquarters in Washington, DC.

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About KEMA

Founded in 1927, KEMA is a global provider of business and technical consulting, operational support, measurement and inspection, testing and certification for the energy and utility industry. With world headquarters in Arnhem, the Netherlands, KEMA employs more than 1,600 professionals globally with offices and representatives in more than 20 countries. KEMA's US subsidiary, KEMA, Inc., is headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts and serves energy clients throughout the Americas and Caribbean.

SOURCE Electricity Storage Association