The Department of Energy (DOE) has commenced efforts to design and build a new $75 million facility that would support clean energy research and implementation. The new Grid Storage Launchpad (GSL) will operate from the Richland, Washington-based Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), DOE said Wednesday.
“The Grid Storage Launchpad facility will bring together researchers and industry from around the country to modernize and add flexibility to the power grid, advance storage technologies and boost use of clean energy,” said Jennifer Granholm, secretary of energy.
GSL will house collaborative and multidisciplinary research, tests of energy storage systems and accelerated technology development. Thirty laboratories will compose the facility’s research workspace, including testing chambers.
PNNL will select a contractor for GSL’s design and build, as DOE expects construction activities to start later this year. The department also anticipates the future facility to be ready for operations by 2025.
