Bill Overview
Title: KEEPS Act
Description: This bill requires the U.S. National Science Foundation to carry out a competition to award a cash prize to the first participant to develop the ability to store multi-megawatt electricity for 30 consecutive days with less than a 10% decrease in the electricity stored.
Sponsors: Rep. Gohmert, Louie [R-TX-1]
Target Audience
Population: People who rely on electrical grids for energy
Estimated Size: 330000000
- The bill incentivizes the development of long-term electricity storage solutions.
- Reliable long-term electricity storage is necessary for integrating renewable energy sources into the power grid.
- An efficient storage solution would benefit utilities, businesses, and consumers by providing more stable and reliable energy.
- This can contribute significantly to reducing carbon emissions globally by enhancing renewable energy use.
Reasoning
- The KEEPS Act focuses on electrical storage innovation, which impacts various segments of the U.S. population.
- The primary impact will be on those directly involved in energy sectors (research, utilities, etc.), followed by broader impacts on consumers due to potentially lowered energy costs and increased grid reliability.
- Individuals not directly tied to the energy sector may see indirect impacts over time as renewable integration grows.
- Considering the budget constraints and American target estimate, the direct effects may initially touch few, but the eventual benefits should be widespread if successful technological breakthroughs occur.
Simulated Interviews
Electrical Engineer (Palo Alto, CA)
Age: 34 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The KEEPS Act is a fantastic motivator for innovation in the energy sector.
- If successful, solutions developed could drastically alter our approach to energy storage, improving renewable adoption.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 10 | 7 |
Energy Consultant (Austin, TX)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy could lead to breakthroughs that we desperately need in energy storage.
- Businesses I work with often struggle with the volatility of renewable energy supply.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Utility Manager (Columbus, OH)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- While the immediate benefits inside utilities might be limited, long-term impacts could streamline operations and maintenance.
- Energy storage innovations are essential for power grid stability.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Manufacturing Plant Manager (Detroit, MI)
Age: 38 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Developing high-capacity energy storage could stabilize our energy costs and increase reliability.
- Currently, we face huge costs during peak energy price periods.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Graduate Student (Miami, FL)
Age: 26 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The competition provides motivation and funding that could open many opportunities for researchers like me.
- A breakthrough would pave the way for greater academic interest in this field.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Small Business Owner (New York, NY)
Age: 54 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm not sure how quickly this policy will impact my business.
- Cheaper and more reliable energy could make a big difference in our operational costs.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Renewable Energy Advocate (Denver, CO)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This type of policy can drive essential progress in combating climate change.
- Long-term storage is kind of a holy grail for renewables.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 10 | 8 |
Retired (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think it's great that this act focuses on long-term storage solutions.
- I hope it leads to more affordable and clean energy in the near future.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
High School Teacher (Chicago, IL)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The competition might inspire the younger generation of students to pursue energy science.
- Real solutions in energy require addressing storage challenges—I'm hopeful.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Software Developer (Seattle, WA)
Age: 32 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Exciting potential in integrating software with new energy storage solutions the KEEPS Act might inspire.
- Long-term reliable energy could revolutionize energy market software solutions.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $20000000 (Low: $10000000, High: $30000000)
Year 2: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $7000000)
Year 3: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $7000000)
Year 5: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $7000000)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- Potential innovation boosts as multiple entities compete in developing advanced energy storage technologies.
- Long-term energy cost reductions and increased stability of the power grid.
- Indirect economic and environmental benefits from larger-scale integration of renewable energy sources.