New York's Vision for Clean Energy Innovation

Catalyzing Investment and Collaboration to Accelerate New York’s Clean Energy Transition

The clean energy transition requires developing and commercializing new technologies and scaling existing solutions for the power system, transportation network, buildings, and industry. At the same time, it’s critical that clean energy innovation enables energy affordability and enhances electric grid reliability for customers, communities, and businesses.

In New York State, this work is being advanced by NYSERDA’s Innovation & Research Program. NYSERDA’s Vice President of Innovation, Brandon Owens, joins us to discuss efforts to grow New York’s innovation ecosystem and develop a broad portfolio of technologies needed to achieve a clean energy future.

How would you describe the work of the Innovation and Research team at NYSERDA?

The Innovation and Research team at NYSERDA is a source of ingenuity and action. It is central to New York’s clean energy transition. Our work is about immediacy and impact and is focused on transforming the market and helping New York State achieve its climate goals. We’re focused on technology research and commercialization across four key areas: grid modernization, advanced fuels, power generation and storage, and end-use applications, which includes buildings.

How does NYSERDA support energy innovation to benefit New York businesses and consumers?

We support energy innovation in couple of ways, starting with leveraging funding. For every dollar that we spend, we get ten dollars from public and private sources that are flowing into the State of New York, catalyzing a larger amount of investment. In fact, we've brought in $3.5 billion of leveraged investment through the end of 2023.

The other important piece here is about energy affordability. And as we move into this new era, we need to develop new ways to bring down technology costs for consumers, communities, and businesses as we transition and transform the energy system. Our research is focused on closing the cost gap between new, alternative technologies and the incumbent energy technologies, some of which we’ve been using for over 100 years.

So, the Innovation Program at NYSERDA is laser-focused on how we can make energy more affordable for consumers and businesses. One way we do this is by targeting technologies that can potentially reduce cost through innovation. Additionally, we invest in pilot programs, such as advanced heat pump technology and grid optimization technologies, that reduce the risks associated with early-stage technologies to help ensure their success.

Another essential piece of energy affordability is everything we're doing around grid modernization, which is primarily focused on increasing the utilization of renewables and the reliability of the electric grid. Not only do consumers benefit from a more reliable energy system bringing them low-cost power, but it also helps utilities avoid new transmission and distribution investments that are expensive. So we are helping to avoid capital costs, which puts dollars back in ratepayers’ pocketbooks.

What does creating a robust clean-tech ecosystem here in New York State accomplish?

New York’s clean-tech ecosystem is a catalyst for transformation. It’s about collaboration and accelerating impact by creating an environment that enhances and increases the probability of success around innovation.

This ripple effect extends beyond innovation. By supporting accelerators and incubators, NYSERDA empowers local entrepreneurs, shortens time-to-market for critical technologies, and cultivates a workforce aligned with emerging clean energy industries. This synergy of innovation, talent, an investment strengthens New York’s competitive edge as a global clean energy hub.

Bringing together startups, established companies, research and academic institutions, and investors has helped catalyze growth and action. We've put a lot of effort into bringing the right stakeholders to the table to create that type of innovation ecosystem in New York State and drive the clean energy transition.

What are the priority technologies that NYSERDA focuses on to commercialize in the near- and long-term?

We have several research areas, including grid modernization, power generation, and storage. This includes everything from renewables to nuclear power, as well as long-duration energy storage, short-duration energy storage, advanced fuels, and end-use applications such as buildings.

We intentionally have a broad portfolio, rather than one particular technology that we're focused on. Because what we're doing is creating optionality, so New York State has more options and more low-cost clean energy technologies and solutions. In the short term, decarbonization technologies like advanced heat pumps, building envelope systems, and grid modernization initiatives are prioritized to yield rapid emission reductions and cost savings.

That being said, a specific class of technologies that I’m very excited about is energy storage. This includes battery technologies like lithium-ion, which is short-duration storage, as well as long-duration energy storage technologies like hydrogen. We've seen energy storage costs come down significantly in the last decade. When I started my career at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, we were essentially waiting for energy storage as the magic bullet solution to enable intermittent resources. Battery costs have since come down by ninty-nine percent. Further cost gains will enable energy storage will enable renewables to be able to be deployed all over the world. It’s exciting to see over the last several years where these technologies have arrived, and the research that NYSERDA is doing to help bring those costs down even further and develop additional solutions.

Who are the people, companies and investors that you and your team would like to engage with?

We aim to engage diverse stakeholders – entrepreneurs, startups, established businesses, research organizations, fanciers, and academic institutions across the board. We’re trying to create an ecosystem, or clean energy community, that fosters collaboration and accelerates growth, especially in key areas like hydrogen, advanced storage, and renewable integration.

One example of collaboration that we’re particularly proud of is our incubator programs, which have brough in $1.85 billion in innovation investment to New York. Startups benefit from incubator programs that help scale their innovations, while partnerships with seasoned companies and investors bring their expertise and the capital necessary for large-scale deployment.

We’re also very focused on partnerships, especially research partnerships, to take lessons learned and leverage our impact. Our partnerships with national laboratories, such as Brookhaven and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, allow us to draw on the best knowledge and resources across the nation and bring it to the State of New York.

What are some past innovation success stories that the clean energy industry could learn from and adopt to achieve greater success?

NYSERDA’s track record demonstrates the power of strategic investment and collaboration. One standout example is the development of cold-climate heat pumps, achieved through partnerships with companies like Ice Air and Gradient, which were scaled effectively to meet specific regional needs. Similarly, breakthroughs like Kilfrost’s geothermal fluid innovation illustrate how targeted research and development can dramatically cut costs and improve system efficiency.

This success underscores the importance of pilot programs and real-world demonstrations to validate technologies and foster investor confidence. These cases highlight critical lessons: align innovation with market demands, de-risk early-stage development, and emphasize iterative learning. Collectively, they offer a blueprint for accelerating clean energy adoption and driving meaningful impact.

I think one other thing that's important to underscore is the power of partnerships to accelerate transformation. For example, we’re taking the lessons learned four national research laboratory partners and rolling them into all the work that we do in New York State.

What drew you to NYSERDA and how does your leadership experience help accomplish our vision and mission?

I have had a long career in renewable energy, and you could say that clean energy innovation is in my DNA. NYSERDA’s bold vision and track record of impact resonated deeply with me. NYSERDA’s work to harness innovation for tangible benefits – economic growth, job creation, and energy accessibility – aligns with my career-long focus on bridging technical expertise with strategic executive.

I talked earlier about the importance of leveraging funds. There are dollars flowing in and there's innovation happening here. I view this as an opportunity to get involved where the rubber meets the road. It’s exciting to be part of NYSERDA as we move through this energy transformation at the vanguard of what's happening in clean energy today.

From my background in energy economics to hands-on roles at national labs and leading firms, I’ve honed a knack for navigating complexity and aligning investments with meaningful outcomes. Combining a data-driven approach with a steadfast commitment to innovation, I aim to amplify NYSERDA’s mission and position New York as a clean energy leader.