Challenge

In 2024, with funding from the U.S. Dept. of Energy, Sandia National Laboratories created the Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) National Consortium – and, within it, a “tiger team” to develop policy recommendations for commercializing LDES technologies. But the breadth and complexity of the task at hand – devising a sustainable marketplace for new technologies that don’t fit neatly into today’s energy regulations or markets – didn’t lend itself to brief, lightly facilitated stakeholder meetings. Although participants were fully on board, there wasn’t enough structure to have highly efficient, productive conversations.

Solution

As ever, EPDI began by bringing order to chaos: in this case, by considering the spectrum of markets (traditional vs. restructured) where LDES technologies may be deployed, and then focusing discussion on how the technologies could be properly valued, procured, and paid for. Organization of key policy topics (e.g., integrated resource planning, state-level incentive mechanisms, technology cost modeling) followed naturally, as did group ideas for prospective solutions. After several sessions, EPDI’s structured facilitation approach was reflected in the group’s initial set of policy recommendations, which were submitted to DOE in May 2025.

Results to Date:

• Initial LDES commercialization policy recommendations submitted to DOE
• Expanded LDES policy guidebook in development