GE Global Research, which is the technology development arm of GE, has another battery-related win under its belt. The research headquarters in Niskayuna, New York has just been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy as one of 46 new multi-million-dollar Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) being established across the country. The focus of GE’s center will be advanced energy storage technologies and the pursuit of zero carbon emissions across a range of applications.
Power play: If large-scale, reliable and cost-effective ways are found to store the electricity produced by wind farms and solar panels, power companies can draw on stored power at times of peak demand rather than draw on plants that burn fossil fuels. It would result in lower electric rates and increased use of renewables.
Of the 46 EFRCs selected, GE Global Research has the distinction of being the only corporate research laboratory chosen. Thirty-one universities, two nonprofit organizations and 12 D.O.E. national laboratories lead the other centers.The idea behind the centers is to harness — and accelerate — advanced scientific research on energy in order increase the country’s energy independence. The news about the D.O.E. designation comes a week after GE announced the launch of its new battery business, which is based on technology developed by GE Global Research.
The 46 EFRCs will be funded at $2-5 million per year each for an initial five-year period. They were selected from a pool of some 260 applications that were received in response to a solicitation issued by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science in 2008. Outside panels composed of scientific experts were then brought in to pick the final centers.
“As we seek to hybridize the transportation sector, increase the amount of energy we get from renewable power and build the future Smart Grid, energy storage will be a critical part of all of these endeavors,” said Mark Little, Senior Vice President and Director, GE Global Research.
* Read the announcement
* Read “New York powers up with new GE battery plant”
* Read “GE boosts battery and hybrid bets”
* Learn more about the battery research at GE’s Global Research Center
* Learn more about GE’s investment in battery technology
* Learn more about the Energy Frontier Research Center Awards
