Policy & Advocacy
↳ Scaling long duration energy storage won’t happen through technology alone – it requires the right policies and market design.
Governments are beginning to act, but deployment is still held back by gaps in policy, system planning and financing. The LDES Council works with policymakers and industry to close those gaps and unlock a resilient, affordable and clean energy future.
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The Opportunity
Long Duration Energy Storage presents a $4 trillion opportunity, and could save up to $540 billion every year while strengthening energy security, lowering costs and making renewables reliable around the clock. Momentum is already building – with national targets in California, Australia and Europe, and dozens of real projects operating worldwide.
$4T
Market opportunity by 2040
Strengthening Grid Reliability
POLICY partners
POLICY FRAMEWORK
“Seven Enablers for LDES Deployment”
$540B
Annual savings potential
Who Benefits
LDES isn’t one technology – it’s a system enabler that benefits everyone
Consumers
Enjoy dependable, affordable, clean energy and resilience to climate shocks.
Industry
Access reliable, affordable power and heat.
Investors
Tap into a new, growing asset class.
Governments
Meet climate goals, secure supply and create local jobs.
The LDES Council provides fact-based guidance on the deployment of Long Duration Energy Storage.
The right frameworks ensure LDES is rewarded for its full system benefits, creates investor confidence and aligns deployment with national climate and security goals.
By working with members, partners and key decision leaders in governments, regulatory agencies, financial institutions and civil society, the full spectrum of benefits that LDES offers can be unlocked, accelerating the clean energy transition.
Seven Enablers to Scale LDES
A comprehensive framework for implementing Long Duration Energy Storage solutions
Raise awareness of LDES technologies
Conduct assessment of need
Set LDES targets
Allocate pre-commercial funding
Provide market access and long-term revenue visibility
Implement efficient grid pricing
Enable ease of connection
Deployment
Steps 1-3
Key enablers to spur need for LDES
Steps 1-3 focus on building awareness and setting clear targets
Steps 4-5
Key enablers to improve financing for LDES
Steps 4-5 address funding and market access challenges
Steps 6-7
Key enablers to improve deployment of LDES
Steps 6-7 focus on implementation and connection
These enablers provide a structured roadmap to activate a robust policy ecosystem for LDES. Each enabler plays a critical role in addressing barriers related to policy, financing and deployment, ensuring that LDES can be scaled effectively.
- The US DOE’s LDES liftoff Reports
- Europe’s EASE policy papers highlight LDES benefits.
- Ireland’s Transmission Operators recommended a Long-Term Service contract for LDES
- Italy, California and Australia conducted system needs assessments, influencing procurement plans.
- Italy sets a GW LDES target by 2023
- California mandated 1 GW of 12+ hour LDES by 2031-2037
- New York set 2 GW LDES targets by 2030
- New South Wales set 2 GW by 2023
- Germany planned 72 hours, 500 MW LDES supply for Dunkleflaute events
- US DOE’s $325M grants supported LDES pilots
- UK €69M LDES Demonstration Program accelerated commercialization
- China listed 56 pilot projects including CAES and thermal storage
- UK’s Cap-and-Floor Mechanism
- Italy’s 12-14 year tenders
- Chile’s 20-year PPAs for projects with storage
- Australia’s 14-year LTESAs support 8+ LDES
- Spain’s time-variable fees for storage charging
- Germany’s fee exemption for storage until 2029
- Netherlands’ non-firm grid agreements cutting costs up to 67%
- Denmark’s discounted fees for interruptible connections
- Netherlands and Denmark confirm grid connections to speed LDES rollout
- India’s single-window portal faster permitting
- Global Renewables Alliance’s 9-point plan for fair and fast permitting
From advocacy to action
The LDES Council shapes policy, drives awareness and accelerates deployment worldwide, creating a global ecosystem that supports long duration energy storage with critical inputs from our members, partners and policymakers.
01
Supporting national targets
From California’s multi-gigawatt requirements to New South Wales increasing its long duration storage target to 42 GWh by 2034
02
Advancing market design
Helping integrate LDES into system planning with CAISO/CPUC in the U.S. and informing the UK’s Cap-and-Floor model for long-term revenue certainty
03
Building global alliances
MoUs and partnerships including with the U.S. Department of Energy, EPRI, SE4All, Greening the Islands, Kyoto Club (Italy), the Energy Storage Coalition (Europe), and with TERI (India) to establish a Centre of Excellence on LDES
Shape the Future of Energy Policy
Join the LDES Council and help create the policy framework that will unlock long duration energy storage worldwide. Together, we’re building the foundation for a resilient, affordable net-zero energy future.