2022 Theses Master's

The Challenges of Deploying Battery Energy Storage Infrastructure in New York State

Zhou, Yifei

Clarifying the deployment challenges of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) infrastructure can better enable the improvement of energy transition. The flexibility of BESS infrastructure to store and deliver energy while avoiding the space requirement of energy generation and transmission systems is conducive to developing net-zero cities. However, deploying BESS infrastructure brings comprehensive challenges for policymakers, investors, developers, and other market participants.

From a planning perspective, available financing tools, tax incentives, the legal and permitting framework, zoning and regulation requirements are all potential factors that can lead to deployment obstacles. At a state level, this thesis clarifies the benefits of developing BESS infrastructure, outlines the process from planning to implementation, points out the key players and partnership, discusses the obstacles to meeting the policy goals, and provides the planning leadership with recommendations for accelerating the deployment process.