Energy Storage Association Executive Director Comments on President Obama's Visit to Leading Battery Manufacturer Saft

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The Energy Storage Association's (ESA) Executive Director, Matt Roberts, was invited by the White House in support of the energy storage industry and the Administration's efforts to promote storage technologies.

"The Administration has been an active partner in the growth of the clean technology manufacturing sector and we greatly appreciate their support for the energy storage industry," said Matt Roberts, Executive Director of ESA. "Energy storage is changing how we generate, distribute, and use energy every day. By supporting the expansion of the energy storage industry, the Administration has helped to ensure that we continue to strengthen our grid infrastructure, and create a more resilient and flexible electric system for the benefit of American businesses and consumers."

Roberts continued, "A resilient electric grid is the backbone of our economy and energy storage empowers us to maintain that reliability while delivering smarter, more dynamic energy services, addressing peak demand challenges, and enabling the expanded use of renewable generation like wind and solar. Not all electrons are created equal, but energy storage ensures that we can make the best use of our entire electric system."

"A smarter grid means that regulators and utilities need to continue to modernize their approach to new technologies. Today, energy storage serves as generation, capacity, transmission, and distribution; defying traditional classification—and we need new market structures and regulations that can capture those multiple value streams in one system. That is the grid we need today to make best use of our most innovative advancements in energy technology."

Saft received federal funds as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Today, President Obama visited the company to see first-hand the benefit that the stimulus funding has provided to the company and region—bringing high paying jobs and foreign direct investment. Saft continues to be a leader in the industry and develop and enhance next-generation battery systems for deployment on the grid.

For more information about the energy storage industry and ESA's 26th Annual Conference and Expo in Charlotte, NC, from April 25-27 visit www.energystorage.org.