Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, released the following statement regarding Argonne National Laboratory's designation as the Department of Energy's Battery and Energy Storage Hub:

"Today's announcement by DOE further establishes Illinois as the world's leader of advanced battery and energy storage technologies.  These technologies are crucial to American energy security and to energy advances that will upgrade our aging energy grid, improve transportation fuel-efficiency, and better harness renewable energy resources.  I am proud to have worked with my Illinois congressional colleagues to help bring this initiative to Illinois."

The Advanced Battery and Energy Storage Hub will be comprised of a multi-partner team with its epicenter at Argonne National Laboratory in Argonne, Illinois.  The Hub, known as the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR), will be awarded $120 million from the Department of Energy to integrate research from across the country to bring about the next generation of energy storage technologies. 

On April 9, 2012, Congressman Kinzinger coauthored a letter with members of the Illinois congressional delegation to Energy Secretary Chu supporting JCESR's Hub application.  Secretary Chu's response is copied below.

Dear Congress Kinzinger:

Thank you for your April 24, 2012 letter to Secretary Chu supporting the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR) consortium led by Argonne National Laboratory, which has formed for the Department of Energy's (DOE) competition to award a Batteries and Energy Storage Innovation Hub. The Secretary has asked that I respond on his behalf.

The DOE Office of Science is managing this Hub, including the competition phase. On February 1, 2012, the Department issued Funding Opportunity Announcement DE-FOA-0000559 for the Batteries and Energy Storage Hub.  The deadline for full applications was on May 31, 2012, and the JCESR application was received before the closing date. Each application has undergone a review to determine whether the eligibility criteria established in the FOA have been satisfied; the JCESR application satisfied the eligibility requirements. Each eligible application is now undergoing a thorough external peer review, as is standard practice in the Office of Science. The selection criteria for the Batteries and Energy Storage Hub are explicitly stated in the FOA as issued and will not change. We are committed to full and fair consideration of all eligible applications and will ensure a rigorous merit review. We expect to announce a selection later this year.

We appreciate your interest in the DOE Energy Innovation Hubs program. If you have any questions, please contact me or Patricia Temple in the Office of Congressional Intergovernmental Affairs at 202-5865450.

                                                            Sincerely,

                                                            W.F. Brinkman

                                                            Director, Office of Science