Update: Long Duration Energy Storage Demonstration
Update as of May, 2026: The GridFlow LDES project described below has pivoted to an alternative flow battery chemistry: Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) are aqueous flow batteries where energy is stored in vanadium electrolytes in different oxidation states, physically separated from the cell stack that converts chemical energy to electricity. Their key value proposition is long-duration, durable energy storage (typically 4–12+ hours) with very high cycle life and no thermal runaway risk, making them attractive for grid-scale renewable integration, microgrids, and industrial backup. The technology is in commercial deployment, primarily in China, and the New Mexico demonstration project will validate and de-risk its commercial value proposition for New Mexico’s grid. Original post follows:
MSL organized and is coordinating a Long Duration Energy Storage Research and Demonstration Pilot Project focused on innovations in flow battery technology. The project team unites GridFlow (a startup commercializing a novel technology spun out of Sandia National Laboratories), Kit Carson Electric Cooperative (KCEC, the utility serving the demonstration site in El Rito, NM), and MSL. The project has been awarded approximately $1 million from an energy storage grant program. (more…)