Schatz to Co-Sponsor Bill to Expand Energy Storage, Increase Clean Energy in Hawai‘i

Washington, DC—U.S. Senator Brian Schatz joined his Senate colleagues in co-sponsoring the Storage Technology for Renewable and Green Energy Act of 2013 (STORAGE). This bipartisan bill promotes the deployment of energy storage technologies, which will accelerate the deployment of renewable energy.

“The STORAGE 2013 Act is a smart piece of bipartisan legislation that would allow more renewable energy to be integrated onto the grid, increasing reliability while continuing to expand our clean energy economy,” said U.S. Senator Brian Schatz. “By promoting the development of energy storage technologies, we will be making strides toward easing our national dependence on foreign oil and creating good, clean energy jobs at home in Hawai‘i.”

The STORAGE 2013 Act offers investment tax credits of up to 30 percent for energy storage facilities installed by utilities, businesses, and homes.  The bill is designed to be technology-neutral, with qualifying equipment that includes batteries, flywheels, thermal systems, and even smart-grid enabled plug-in electric vehicles.

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