The Energy Storage Guidebook provides an introduction to energy storage opportunities, applications, and considerations relevant to public power utilities.

Use the guidebook to better understand how energy storage may support priorities such as:

• Peak demand management

• Reliability and resilience

• Renewable energy integration

• Load growth and electrification

• Infrastructure deferral

• Cost management

• Community and strategic objectives

Best for

Utilities that are beginning to explore energy storage or seeking a broader understanding of potential applications and public power considerations.

The Energy Storage Maturity Model helps utilities evaluate their current capabilities and determine how prepared they are to plan, procure, implement, and operate an energy storage project.

The assessment can help your organization:

• Identify existing strengths

• Recognize planning or organizational gaps

• Establish priorities for further development

• Align departments around a common understanding of readiness

• Determine practical next steps

The model is not intended to determine whether a utility should pursue energy storage. Instead, it helps utilities understand what capabilities may be needed to pursue a project successfully.

Best for

Utilities that want to understand their organizational starting point before committing significant time or resources to project development.

The Business Case Guide helps utilities develop a clear and decision-ready rationale for an energy storage investment.

A strong business case explains why a project is needed, what alternatives were considered, what benefits and risks are expected, and why the recommended approach represents the best path forward.

The guide provides a structured but flexible framework for addressing:

• The organizational or system need

• Project goals and intended use cases

• Alternatives considered

• Proposed technical and ownership approaches

• Expected costs and benefits

• Financial considerations

• Project risks and mitigation strategies

• Implementation timelines

• Measures of success

• Recommended next steps

The guide is designed to support communication with utility leadership, governing boards, city officials, regulators, and other decision-makers. It is not intended to replace detailed engineering or technical analysis.

Best for

Utilities that have identified a potential energy storage opportunity and need to gain leadership, board, municipal, or regulatory support to proceed.

Once an energy storage project has received initial approval, the Project Plan Guide helps utility teams translate the concept into a coordinated and executable plan.

The guide is designed to help utilities move beyond a basic schedule or technical specification. It provides a structured approach for coordinating the many functions that contribute to a successful energy storage project.

Topics include:

• Project objectives and charter development

• Scope and success criteria

• Roles, responsibilities, and governance

• Technical approach and ownership structure

• Site selection and permitting

• Interconnection requirements

• Safety and emergency response coordination

• SCADA, EMS, DERMS, and IT/OT integration

• Cybersecurity considerations

• Procurement planning

• Project timelines and critical-path activities

• Stakeholder and community communication

• Risk identification and management

• Operational and lifecycle planning

Fillable worksheets and practical prompts help project teams document decisions, clarify responsibilities, and maintain alignment throughout project development.

Best for

Utilities that have received approval to move forward and need to coordinate engineering, operations, IT, finance, procurement, communications, leadership, and other participating functions.

The Procurement Guide helps utilities translate project goals and planning decisions into a clear, competitive, and defensible solicitation process.

It is designed to support the development of procurement documents that communicate utility requirements, encourage responsive proposals, and provide a sound basis for evaluating potential vendors and solutions.

The guide addresses considerations such as:

• Confirming the procurement pathway

• Defining the project scope

• Establishing technical and performance requirements

• Coordinating municipal purchasing requirements

• Identifying vendor qualifications

• Developing proposal instructions

• Structuring evaluation criteria

• Establishing scoring and review procedures

• Documenting the selection process

• Addressing contract, schedule, warranty, and performance risks

• Preparing for project award and execution

The resource can be adapted to reflect the utility’s project objectives, governance structure, purchasing requirements, and level of internal procurement capacity.

Best for

Utilities preparing to develop a solicitation, evaluate proposals, select a vendor, or document a competitive procurement process.