2010

For Release: Immediate, March 10, 2009


CONTACT:   Colleen Ryan, NYSERDA Press Office
                   518-862-1090, ext 3359
                   cqr@nyserda.org

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NYSERDA Commits $8 million to Develop and Commercialize
19 New York Battery and Energy-Storage Technology Projects

Projects Support the Work of NY-BEST,
New York’s Consortium to Support Growth of Energy Storage Industry in New York State

Troy, Mar 10, 2010--The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) today announced that it will award $8 million to help develop or commercialize 19 cutting-edge energy storage projects that will strengthen New York’s standing as a national leader in the energy storage industry and help build New York’s clean energy economy for the future.

Nineteen awards are being made to companies and universities across New York that are involved in advanced research and development of energy storage applications that could benefit transportation, utility Smart Grid applications, renewable energy technologies, and other industries.  The 19 projects will leverage $7.3 million in cost-sharing by recipients for a total of $15.3 million in funding.

Speaking in Troy at a meeting of the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology (NY-BEST™), a consortium created by Governor David Paterson to support New York’s energy storage industry, Francis J. Murray, Jr., NYSERDA president and CEO said: “Creating more advanced energy storage technologies is essential for us to achieve substantial reductions in our greenhouse gas emissions and energy use.  The proposals we are funding today will not only help meet our energy needs, but will demonstrate New York’s leadership in energy technology, stimulate world-class research and development, and commercialize products that will help build a clean energy economy and create jobs for the future.”

The New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium (NY-BEST™) is an industry-focused coalition working to further the development and manufacture of an advanced battery and energy storage sector in New York State by capitalizing on New York’s existing broad base of energy storage companies and research centers.
Funding will support projects in two categories:  Industry-led near-term commercialization partnerships, and technology development. 

Industry-Led Commercialization Partnerships: $4.8 million

• General Electric Co. (Schenectady) is developing improvements to its sodium metal halide batteries for use in a new generation of cleaner locomotives and stationary applications to smooth intermittent renewable power generation as it interconnects with the grid and critical load back-up power and other applications.  NYSERDA funding, $2.5 million.
  
  
• Ultralife Corporation, Newark (Wayne County) is integrating battery and ultra-capacitors (an electronic energy-storage device) on a common power circuit serving two renewable-energy generation sources.  This will enable increased renewable-energy contributions to the grid.  Also, the system can provide backup electricity during an outage and, during normal operation, allow customers to draw on the stored energy to reduce both their peak electric grid demand and the utility charges associated with peak demand. NYSERDA funding, $2.4 million.

Technology Development:  $3.2 million.

• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy) is developing next-generation lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. NYSERDA funding, $200,000.
  
  
• Ioxus (Oneonta), under three projects, is improving its ultracapacitor performance through developing a novel electrode-electrolyte interface, using nanostructured materials in the electrodes, and developing a new high density electrode material. NYSERDA funding$600,000.
  
  
• College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering of the University at Albany is developing electrolytes to improve the performance of ultra-capacitors. NYSERDA funding, $200,000.
  
  
• Hollingsworth & Vose, Co., Easton (Washington County) is developing an advanced separator for valve-regulated lead-acid batteries. NYSERDA funding, $200,000.
  
  
• City University of New York, under 2 projects, is developing a novel nickel-zinc battery that uses low-cost materials and technologies to improve the performance of ultra-capacitors. NYSERDA funding, $349,597.
  
  
• Cornell University (Ithaca) is developing non-flammable battery electrolytes with improved temperature and voltage performance. NYSERDA funding, $200,000.
  
  
• General Motors (Honeoye Falls, Monroe County) is developing materials for improved lithium-ion battery electrodes for automotive applications. NYSERDA funding $196,090.
  
  
• Impact Technologies (Rochester) is developing a novel method to increase the lifetime of batteries by assessing battery health using in-cell measurement. NYSERDA funding, $99,766.
  
  
• Cerion Enterprises (Rochester) is developing innovative materials for next-generation lithium-ion batteries, which are used in automotive applications and in consumer electronics.  NYSERDA funding, $200,000.
  
  
• Rochester Institute of Technology is developing methods to recycle and reuse lithium-ion batteries minimizing waste streams to landfills and maximizing reclamation. NYSERDA funding, $195,869.
  
  
• Brookhaven National Laboratory, SUNY Binghamton, and SUNY Buffalo are partnering under three projects to develop improved batteries for use in stationary grid scale energy storage applications, including, lithium-air, lithium-ion, and lithium-titanate batteries. NYSERDA funding, $552,890.
  
  
• SUNY Binghamton is developing lithium air storage systems that could have applications in vehicle or grid systems. NYSERDA funding, $200,000.

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