SC Nexus for Advanced Resilient Energy
Lead Agency: South Carolina Department of Commerce
States Served: South Carolina, Georgia
Applicant-Defined Region: Midlands and Upstate (Greenville-Anderson MSA; Columbia; Spartanburg; and surrounding counties), and Augusta-Richmond County GA-SC MSA
Core Technology Area: clean energy supply chain
Contact: Fearn Gupton ([email protected])
Media Contact: Kelly Coakley ([email protected])
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 clean 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 renewable 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, promote decarbonization, 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).
In July 2024, EDA recommended this Tech Hub receive grant funding of approximately $45 million to implement four projects, including:
-
Expanding pilot manufacturing infrastructure to accelerate innovation and commercialization of battery energy storage systems at reduced costs and with improved features;
-
Upgrading an existing grid testing facility for GRTs to create a versatile, reconfigurable, and mobile 25MW test facility and real-time power grid emulator;
-
Developing a full-scale multi-modal grid operations center to conduct cyber-physical assurance on grid hardware and software, and train grid cyber defenders;
-
Raising awareness about GRT careers, provide skills training, and address the lack of critical support services like childcare and transportation which inhibit greater workforce engagement; and
-
Establishing a division within the South Carolina Department of Commerce dedicated to the Hub, granting it full access to the ancillary capabilities of the full agency, including communications, compliance, and legal.
To ensure that the impacts of the Tech Hub projects benefit the entire region, SC Nexus is committed to targeting the region’s five most underserved counties with projects that aim to improve reliability of their power sources, provide accessible skills training, and offer wraparound service support.
Designee Narrative (PDF) (submitted by the designee in its Phase 2 application package)