US DOE opens Grid Storage Launchpad, an advanced research and testing facility for grid-scale batteries

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has launched a new laboratory aimed at research and testing of advanced energy storage technologies "in a realistic environment". 

The Grid Storage Launchpad (GSL) will operate under the aegis of DOE's Office of Electricity, and seek to advance the resilience, reliability, and security of America's electricity grid.

GSL's primary purpose is to support the Office of Electricity in its efforts to develop grid-scale energy storage technology, or advanced batteries, that are safer, more cost effective and durable. The 93,000 square foot facility is housed at the Pacific Northwest National Lab in Washington state on the country's West Coast, the DOE said in a release. 

The lab will bring together researchers from the US industry and government to conduct independent battery tests and validate materials and advanced battery prototypes, the DOE said, adding that this would help secure US leadership in accelerating energy storage technologies. The testing environments at the lab will replicate the real-world conditions faced by the US power grid.

Gene Rodrigues, Assistant US Secretary for Electricity, described the lab as a "game-changer", and said it was "the proving ground where the energy industry can come to test and validate the most advanced next-generation energy storage technologies."

Additionally, the facility will foster collaboration between US national labs and other stakeholders to support the Office of Electricity's mission, the US Energy Storage Grand Challenge, and the US Long Duration Storage Shot.

Geri Richmond, DOE's Under Secretary for Science and Innovation, said in a statement: "This new Grid Storage Launchpad is where we will transform the energy storage industry, which is a key to modernizing the US electric grid."

"The scientists and researchers who test everything from smaller prototype batteries to large, grid-scale battery systems will lead us forward into a new world where energy storage is safer, durable, and more affordable. When we bring the smartest minds in the industry and give them the tools to advance energy storage, we move our nation that much closer to a cleaner energy future," Richmond added.