DC Department of Energy and Environment Notice of Request for Information (RFI): Distributed Battery Storage Systems to Address Grid Needs

The District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) issued this Request for Information (RFI) to gather market intelligence on deploying distributed battery storage systems that can provide key grid services within the District. As part of the Clean Energy DC 2.0 plan — which targets a 60% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 2006 levels by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2045 — DOEE identifies distributed batteries as a critical component, particularly when sited in low-to-moderate income (LMI) and environmental justice communities to enhance equitable access to clean energy, strengthen local resilience, and reduce energy burdens. The RFI is interested in systems ranging from 100 kW to 30 MW of capacity per location.

DOEE seeks responses from battery manufacturers, installers, the local utility, academic institutions, engineering firms, and other parties on several specific topics. These include deployment approaches for providing grid services; prioritization of services such as peak shaving, demand response, frequency regulation, voltage regulation, black start, and system capacity under N-1 scenarios (where a substation or feeder is unavailable); cost data for various use cases including substation-level N-1 capacity for 4+ hours at 20 MW, peak shaving to reduce the top 5 demand days below the 360th-highest demand day, and 24-hour resilience support for at least 10 critical infrastructure sites with daily loads of 100–250 kWh; compensation frameworks involving PJM capacity markets, DC locational T&D values, and ancillary services; ownership structure pros and cons; mobile battery deployment for urban demand events; and siting, permitting, and safety challenges in a dense urban environment including building codes, fire safety regulations, and interconnection queue timelines.

Key dates include an informational session on July 24, 2026 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time (registration via WebEx), and submission of responses by August 15, 2026 via email to 2026BatteryRFI@dc.gov with the subject line "Distributed Battery RFI – [Primary Respondent Name]". This RFI is for information gathering only and does not constitute a solicitation for proposals or a promise to issue a future RFP. DOEE may reissue the RFI to collect further input.