Benefits of Batteries in the Built Environment: The Role of Storage in NYC's Energy Transition

Often over-shadowed by its more popularly known solar predecessor, community storage is the goldilocks energy solution for dense urban population centers. Solutions like community-solar farms are not reasonable for cities such as New York City, which don’t have acres of land to dedicate. Standalone storage projects are well-suited for the urban clean energy transition due to their discrete operation and small footprint. Community-storage projects can benefit from the scale of a utility asset and the localized grid benefits of a behind-the-meter asset. Twenty-two states have enabled community-solar legislation, which can largely be extended to community-storage, and should be a major tool in cities' energy transitions.