In the News 2014

Oncor’s Plan to Backup Texas Power Gives Jolt to Energy Storage Industry
The Dallas Morning News
December 29, 2014
The power line company, Oncor, has proposed installing thousands of batteries across the Texas electrical grid, providing backup during storms and reducing the strain during times of peak demand.
Innovating a New Innovation Model
Forbes feature from Real Business
December 14, 2014
JCESR’s lasting legacy will be the manner in which the organization is structured and the rules of engagement. Their playbook is already being studied by other public-private partnerships.
Researchers Seeking Better Car Batteries
Yale Climate Connections
December 8, 2014
When it comes to the batteries that power electric cars, researchers are charged up to find new alternatives to the lithium ion technology of today.
Lawrence Berkeley Lab Team Helps Lead Charge to Revolutionize Energy Storage
Santa Cruz Sentinel
November 19, 2014
In January, Berkeley will open its new $54 million General Purpose Laboratory, bringing its battery scientists, chemists and engineers together under one roof for the first time. The team, headed by JCESR Deputy Director Venkat Srinivasan, aims to achieve revolutionary advances in battery performance.
Tiny Batteries Could Revolutionize Green Energy
National Geographic
November 17, 2014
Nanotechnology could dramatically improve energy storage for electronics, cars, and buildings. “It’s really a moment of opportunity right now,” says JCESR’s George Crabtree. “There’s an opportunity to accelerate the pace of innovation.”
New Berkeley Lab Seeks the Next Big Battery Breakthrough
ENERGYWIRE
November 4, 2014
A new, $54 million building high in the hills above Berkeley, Calif., will be where experts in electrochemistry, nanomaterials and computer modeling try to make a quantum leap in the storing of energy.
Argonne Battery Roadshow Aims to Connect with Industry
Chicago Tribune feature from Capital Gazette
October 29, 2014
The national battery research hub at Argonne National Laboratory kicked off a roadshow last week to share what it has learned so far in its quest to build a better battery.
U.S. Energy Secretary Inaugurates Berkeley Lab Research Building
The Daily Californian
October 26, 2014
U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz cut the inaugural ribbon Thursday on a new facility in Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory built to house innovative partnerships between energy research labs.
Transforming Battery Technology
2014 SWE Conference Guide
October 23, 2014
JCESR scientist, Lynn Trahey, discusses the importance of improving battery technology and the commercialization of better energy storage products.
The Challenges of Clean Energy Tech and How Chicago is the ‘Global Hub for Battery Innovation’
StreetWise Media
October 22, 2014
Innovating in clean energy is more difficult than other industries. But despite the challenges that exist in clean energy innovation, Chicago is quickly becoming a leader in energy technology.
Driving Innovation at the National Labs
EV News Report
October 9, 2014
As electric vehicles become more affordable and efficient, the way we get around is changing. The Energy Department’s 17 National Labs play a big role in researching and developing these transportation advancements, which are improving air quality, increasing energy security and creating new jobs.
Here’s the Next-Generation Battery Market You Never Knew Existed
The Motley Fool
September 1, 2014
Today’s power grid won’t work very well in the dawning era of renewable energy. Solar cells and wind towers generate power on a very different schedule than coal-fired power plants or nuclear reactors. These differences require massive battery banks to bridge the gap between human demand and Mother Nature’s uncontrollable supply.
Your Smartphone Battery is about to Last at least Twice as Long
The Motley Fool
August 24, 2014
All told, we’re getting more than six times the energy storage value for our dollar thanks to two decades of battery research at Argonne and other institutions. But the next step forward will be even more impressive.
Tesla Motors, Inc. is Itching for More and Better Batteries
The Motley Fool
August 20, 2014
Tesla Motors is working on a $5 billion factory that could enable the company to produce 500,000 electric cars in 2020 — up from 22,450 in 2013. But none of the current electric vehicle boom would be happening if the Department of Energy hadn’t seen the long-term value of lithium-ion research 20 years ago.
Materials Research: Batteries Warm Up
Nature
August 6, 2014
Interest in energy-storage research is growing, opening up opportunities for chemists with interdisciplinary skills.
How Far Can We Go?
Sierra Magazine
July/August 2014
Electric cars are no longer oddities. Now carmakers are working to make them ubiquitous.
How A New Project In Washington State Could Show Off The Latest In Battery Technology
Before It’s News
July 9, 2014
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will lead a $14.3 million project to develop batteries for the electric grid.
Renewed Energy
Nature
June 4, 2014
Reforms at the U.S. Department of Energy are recharging research.
A Better Battery
The Atlantic Magazine
May 2014
Nobel Laureate and former Secretary of Energy Steven Chu describes how an overhaul of the unglamorous battery will jump-start a shift to renewable energy.
Diversity, Collaboration Mark New Argonne Directorship
Laboratory Equipment
May 7, 2014
Argonne Laboratory Director Peter Littlewood discusses the JCESR program.
Tesla Wants A Gigafactory Or Two Ready By 2017
ThinkProgress.com
May 5, 2014
JCESR Deputy Director Jeff Chamberlain discusses Tesla’s new Gigafactory.
How Scientists, Car Companies, and the Military are Creating the Smartest Energy Solution on the Market
ThinkProgess.com
May 1, 2014
JCESR is working with industry to power cars of the future with batteries.
JCESR to Develop New Batteries for Space
The Plain Dealer
March 21, 2014
JCESR will work with Ohio’s NASA Glenn to develop more powerful batteries for planetary missions.
JCESR and NASA Glenn have Innovative Partnership
Hispanic Business.com
March 21, 2014
Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) joined leaders of JCESR and NASA Glenn Research Center at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on the development of next generation batteries for use in future space missions.
Study: Clean Energy Sector Remains Strong in Illinois
Midwest Energy News
March 20, 2014
Chicago is becoming a battery innovation hub thanks to the new Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR).
The Rechargeable Revolution: A Better Battery
Nature Journal
March 5, 2014
Chemists are reinventing rechargeable cells to drive down costs and boost capacity.
National System Offers Insight Into City’s Digital Lab
Chicago Sun-Times
March 2, 2014
The best way to get a hint of what to expect when tens of thousands of square feet on Goose Island transform into the Digital Lab is to look at the dozens of national labs already around the country.
When Industry, Science Team Up, Ideas Can Hit Market Faster
Chicago Tribune
February 26, 2014
In the past, scientists would publish the results of their research and it might take industry years to digest it and put it into practice. With industry partners at the table all along, as soon as a scientific publication is out the door, corporate partners can start taking steps to commercialize it.
Manufacturing Chicago’s Economic Future
Chicago Sun-Times
By Mayor Rahm Emanuel
February 25, 2014
Chicago is about to become the epicenter of a digital manufacturing revolution that will power our city’s economy for decades. We are seeing great dividends from our coordinated strategy to systematically pursue the innovation centers that will define America’s future.

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