Cantwell, a U.S. senator from Washington state, is scheduled to speak at the dedication of a new Grid Storage Launchpad at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland on Tuesday.
Cantwell's office said he has pumped in $75 million in federal funding for the facility, which is intended to accelerate research and development of battery technology.
The Launchpad will test up to 12 technologies per year, ranging from tiny batteries that fit in a watch to batteries for electric cars.
This is the first physical facility invested in battery technology by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Power.
A release from Senator Canwell's office stated, “The new Grid Storage Launchpad (GSL) will bring together national laboratories, universities, and industry to accelerate innovation and deployment of grid-scale energy storage technologies to help achieve the nation's decarbonization goals and make our energy system more resilient, reliable, and secure. The GSL will bring together all stages of the battery development cycle, from foundational materials and device prototyping to 100 kW-scale testing and validation, in a uniquely integrated facility.”
Cantwell is joined by the following elected officials and government administrative staff:
Washington State Senator Matt Behnke Dr. Steve Ashby, Director, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Julie Turner, Manager, Pacific Northwest Site Office, U.S. Department of Energy Dr. Jeri Richmond, Under Secretary for Science, Technology and Innovation, U.S. Department of Energy Jean Rodriguez, Under Secretary for Electric Power, U.S. Department of Energy Harriet Kuhn, Acting Director, Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy Judd Varden, Associate Director, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Date and Time: Tuesday, August 13, 2024, 10:30 AM PT – 11:25 AM PT.
Location: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
