As the renewable energy economy scales up, companies like ours play a part in helping maximize this clean, plentiful energy.
Published Feb 10, 2018 on Wilsonville Spokesman
Clean energy is increasingly in the headlines — from the development of the first U.S. offshore wind project, to solar power preparing to overtake fossil fuels in Texas, and new predictions that renewables will overtake fossil fuels by 2020.
It’s an exciting time to be part of the clean energy movement; we’re in a unique moment in history when we can already see the tangible successes of investing in clean energy, yet also still have time to be at the forefront of it.
As the renewable energy economy scales up, companies like ours play a part in helping maximize this clean, plentiful energy. The wind and sun can’t be turned on and off at will, so when it’s sunny and windy, how do we ensure that excesses don’t go to waste? That’s where batteries come in. Batteries allow companies to collect excess electricity and store it until it’s needed. And our batteries utilize earth-abundant iron, salt and water to deliver an environmentally safe, long-life solution for the world’s clean energy transformation and infrastructure needs.
Established in 2011, our company, ESS Inc., manufactures clean batteries that enables utilities to integrate more renewables into the grid, help businesses store and use electricity to maximize savings, add resiliency to the existing energy generation or support critical load during outages.
Demand for battery storage systems is increasing, which is why this past December, we made plans to boost production capacity at our Wilsonville plant in a new 100,000-square-foot facility.
Climate change presents a tremendous economic threat, and clean energy presents an equally significant economic opportunity. Through a commitment to innovation, the U.S. can harness the opportunities presented by the clean energy economy, and minimize the threats presented by climate change.
Oregon’s Clean Energy Jobs bill presents an historic opportunity for our state to be at the forefront of this innovation. Clean Energy Jobs is a policy to cap and price climate pollution and reinvest proceeds into Oregon’s clean energy economy. It’s a flexible, efficient mechanism for reducing climate pollution at a low-cost. Oregon has been working on varying forms of legislation to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions with a limit and price on pollution for well over a decade. Clean Energy Jobs is the final product, ready to be passed by the Oregon Legislature in 2018.
Working in tandem with existing environment policies, Clean Energy Jobs is an important piece of the puzzle to help our station transition to a clean energy economy. It’s a market-driven, proven program that allows polluters to find the most efficient, least-cost way to reduce emissions. It unleashes Oregonian innovation.
As a company comprised of individuals with decades of experience in cleantech, distributed power generation, and energy storage technologies, we understand how the economics of renewables is evolving. We know that it’s the future.
Oregon has the chance to lead the way with a proven policy model that’s already working in 10 states and countries throughout the world. Oregon, Washington, California and British Columbia make up the 5th largest economy in the world — making us powerful enough to move markets and set an example. From renewable energy to zero emission vehicles, the West Coast is leading with many innovative climate protection policies. Clean Energy Jobs is how we continue to lead.
Shelley Peng is the VP of Marketing for ESS Inc. in Wilsonville.