Senate resolution orders study and pilots for energy storage; SEU and utilities to test projects including Milford

Senator Stephanie Hansen, chair of the Senate Environment, Energy and Transportation Committee, sponsored Senate Joint Resolution 3, with Representative Burns, asking the Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU) to study energy storage and run pilot projects with the state’s utilities. Hansen told the committee the resolution grew from stakeholder discussions and is intended to assess costs, locations and benefits of storage technologies for grid stabilization and to capture renewable generation.

Hansen said the SEU would report back at multiple times, with an initial status report due at the end of 2025 and subsequent reports after pilot completion. "Let's take a look at it. Let's study it. Let's see what works, what doesn't work," Hansen said during her presentation.

Matt Hartigan, executive director of the Public Service Commission, told the committee that any utility cost‑recovery for pilot projects should be net of revenues the utility obtains from PJM or other sources to avoid double recovery. "Any…