SC Nexus for Advanced Resilient Energy

Lead Agency: South Carolina Department of Commerce  

States Served: South Carolina, Georgia  

Applicant-Defined Region: The State of South Carolina, and the Augusta-Richmond County GA-SC MSA 

Core Technology Area: Energy grid supply chain  

Contact: Cristina Paredes ([email protected])

Media Contact: Shay’auna Bowman ([email protected])

Organizational Link: https://www.sccommerce.com/scnexus

The SC Nexus for Advanced Resilient Energy (SC Nexus), led by the South Carolina Department of Commerce, aims to be a global leader in advanced energy, with a focus on cyber-secure grid resilience technologies (GRT) and improving the energy supply chain. This Tech Hub will leverage the region’s manufacturing base, research capabilities, and public-private collaboration to innovate and commercialize emerging energy storage materials and manufacturing techniques, including a demonstrative microgrid implementation that integrates distributed energy and storage into the state’s electricity systems. This Tech Hub will also expand opportunities for developing, testing, and deploying exportable electricity technologies regionally. In doing so, SC Nexus will contribute to economic and national security by expanding the availability of GRTs and enabling greater deployment of distributed energy resources (DERs) that will fortify energy supplies and reduce grid disruptions.  

The SC Nexus Tech Hub seeks to remove barriers for GRT advances and increase likelihood of commercialization by providing the infrastructure to test and demonstrate new advanced energy technology, including battery energy storage systems (BESS).  

EDA awarded this Tech Hub grant funding of approximately $45 million to: 

• Expand pilot manufacturing infrastructure to accelerate innovation and commercialization of battery energy storage systems at reduced costs and with improved features; 
• Upgrade an existing grid testing facility for GRTs to create a versatile, reconfigurable, and mobile 25MW test facility and real-time power grid emulator; 
• Develop a full-scale multi-modal grid operations center to conduct cyber-physical assurance on grid hardware and software, and train grid cyber defenders;  and
• Raise awareness about GRT careers, provide skills training, and address the lack of critical support services like childcare and transportation which inhibit greater workforce engagement.