Investing in America’s long-neglected infrastructure will create jobs, build a more resilient economy, and enhance American competitiveness. The need for economic stimulus is especially acute in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has brought hardship to millions of Americans.

Energy storage is an indispensable part of a modern, resilient electrical grid. Accelerating storage deployments will help society avoid outages and economic impacts from extreme weather; integrate electric vehicles (EVs) onto the grid and maximize their benefits; and enable a stable, reliable, zero-emissions grid powered by variable renewables. Notably, energy storage projects are “shovel-ready” and can be pursued without delay to benefit local workers, businesses, and communities.

To help Congressional leaders leverage energy storage to strengthen America’s economy, infrastructure, and competitiveness, this whitepaper discusses:

• The value proposition for energy storage
• Why a federal investment tax credit (ITC) for standalone energy storage is so important
• Policy recommendations for maximizing benefits from energy storage as electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, as a flexible resource, and as an enabler of a more resilient grid
• Why federal storage policy should accelerate market development and drive innovation in business models and software intelligence