Will McNamara, Energy Storage Policy Analyst at Sandia National laboratories, delivered a presentation on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at the City of Pasadena (California) District 6 Town Hall meeting to help the city achieve its goal of becoming carbon-free by 2030. Will was introduced by the City’s Vice Mayor Steve Madison and spoke about the role that energy storage plays in decarbonization, particularly the need for long-duration energy storage (LDES) technologies as penetration levels of renewable energy significantly increase. Will provided information about national trends on decarbonization, opportunities for clean energy funding sources through the Department of Energy, and how Sandia provides support for demonstration programs.
Prior to the Town Hall presentation, Will met with the Acting General Manager of Pasadena Water & Power (PWP), which expressed interest in developing an LDES technology pilot project with Sandia’s support. The District 6 Town Hall was a public forum held by the City of Pasadena to educate the public about the city’s decarbonization goals and address public questions and concerns about this initiative.
Will’s presentation was based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Electricity (OE), Energy Storage Division.