The landmark legislation requires electric utilities to adopt energy storage technologies, making it easier to incorporate renewable energy sources into the state’s electric grid. Integrating energy storage technology will allow California’s electric distribution system to meet and accommodate the daily fluctuations of energy demand. In addition, increasing energy storage capacity is expected to help promote intermittent energy sources like wind and solar power and contribute to an overall more reliable smart grid.
Mark MacCracken, CEO of the California Measurement Advisory Committee (CALMAC) and Chair-elect of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), says, “Energy storage is an excellent solution for making renewable energy sources more economically viable. Energy storage is critical as we move toward the use of renewable resources and Energy Storage Bill AB 2514 is a step in the right direction for the future of our country’s energy needs. I commend the leaders in California that realized that solving our energy problems is not as simple as just putting solar on roofs and wind turbines on mountains, since solar and wind cannot be counted on to be there when you need them. I hope other states follow California’s lead.” CALMAC’s IceBank Energy Storage system uses thermal energy storage by making ice at night, when wind power is most abundant, and using it the next day to cool buildings, decreasing cooling costs by up to 40 percent and reducing both source energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. CALMAC has over 3,600 Ice Storage installations worldwide. CALMAC Corporation, which promotes peak energy conservation and energy cost savings, is a member of Demand Response Smart Grid (DRSG) Coalition and a USGBC member. For more information on CALMAC and ice storage, visit http://calmac.com
