Binghamton University, State University of New York, has officially launched the Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine, a battery initiative funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) [b0352505]. The launch event was attended by NSF officials and coalition partners. The Battery NY research and development center will be located in a University-owned facility in Johnson City, Binghamton [b0352505]. The facility aims to support the creation of advanced, sustainable battery technologies and accelerate energy and battery supply chain innovations [b0352505].
The Energy Storage Engine will receive $15 million from the NSF for the first two years of the project and up to $160 million over 10 years [b0352505]. The initiative is part of the university's vision to create a full-scale, lab-to-market battery economy in upstate New York [b0352505]. Binghamton University is the only U.S. university to receive the NSF Regional Innovation Engines designation, the federal Economic Development Administration's Build Back Better Regional Challenge program, and the federal Battery Tech Hub designation [b0352505].
The project builds on the research of Distinguished Professor M. Stanley Whittingham, who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2019 for his work in the development of lithium-ion batteries [b0352505]. It has attracted academic and corporate partners and has received support from New York's Empire State Development [b0352505]. The initiative also aims to drive technology innovation and U.S. competitiveness, as well as promote local workforce development [b0352505].