Principles of Equitable Policy Design for Energy Storage

In December 2018, the Union of Concerned Scientists convened a diverse group of stakeholders to discuss the equitable deployment of energy storage. The group—which included environmental justice and grassroots organizations, policy experts, industry, labor, consumer advocates, faith groups, and renewable energy advocates—collectively developed a set of consensus principles for equitable storage deployment.

The principles—which have been signed by 26 participating organizations—are intended to help state policymakers promote energy storage, address the needs of disadvantaged communities, and avoid inadvertent harm. The stakeholders grappled with the following questions:

• How can storage be deployed to reduce emissions and improve air quality?
• How can storage make communities and residents more resilient to disasters and power outages?
• How can storage promote local economic development and job growth?
• How can storage help accelerate greater levels of renewable energy on the grid?
• How can storage help reduce electricity bills?
• How can policymakers ensure that communities have a seat at the table?