When it comes to truly transformative energy technologies, energy storage should be on the short list. While it feels like there is never any good news these days, energy storage is shattering records, meeting milestones, and writing its own good-news story.

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Because of its many benefits, states, utilities, and even big corporations are increasingly interested in investing in energy storage. Lawmakers are also interested in the opportunities energy storage presents. The U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce committee has announced the latest installment in their “Powering America” hearing series: the Role of Energy Storage in the Nation’s Electricity System for Wednesday July 18. Members of Congress will examine the growth of large-scale energy storage in the United States, the unique reliability attributes energy storage provides for the electric grid, and the use and impacts of energy storage within wholesale electricity markets.

Storage offers us a terrific opportunity to partner with renewable energy resources to build a cleaner and more effective electric grid. It can provide flexibility to meet shifting patterns of electricity usage; complement renewable energy sources to facilitate greater growth and more rapid reductions in carbon emissions; and provide emergency power in the face of disaster.

Read more: NRDC