In January 2020, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) launched an Energy Storage Grand Challenge (ESGC) as a comprehensive program to accelerate the development, commercialization and utilization of next-generation energy storage technologies. A roadmap has now been issued to spur the transition of technologies from the lab to the marketplace and to develop and domestically manufacture energy storage technologies that can meet all U.S. market demands by 2030.

Initial cost and performance targets focus on user-centric applications with substantial growth potential and envision a $0.05/kWh levelized cost of storage for long-duration stationary applications, a 90% reduction from Source: DOE2020 baseline costs by 2030. Achieving this levelized cost target would facilitate commercial viability for storage across uses including meeting load during periods of peak demand, grid preparation for fast charging of electric vehicles and applications to ensure reliability of critical services.

Other emerging applications for stationary storage include serving remote communities, increasing facility flexibility, increasing the resilience of interdependent networks and fostering the transformation of the power system.

Additional ESGC program goals call for achieving an $80/kWh manufactured cost for a battery pack by 2030 for a 300-mile range electric vehicle, a 44% reduction from the current cost of $143 per rated kWh. Achieving this cost target would lead to cost competitive electric vehicles and could enhance the production, performance and safety of batteries for stationary applications.

DOE has also released the 2020 Grid Energy Storage Technology Cost and Performance Assessment and the Energy Storage Market Report 2020. These documents provide data that informed the ESGC roadmap and provide accessible information for the energy stakeholder community.