Proceedings of the 2025 Thermal-Mechanical-Chemical Energy Storage (TMCES) Workshop
The 2025 TMCES Workshop took place July 30-July 31 at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI).
Workshop Overview
Thermal, mechanical, and chemical energy storage technologies are viable alternatives to batteries for a range of energy storage applications including long duration energy storage. Specifically, technologies such as compressed air, flywheel, liquid air, pumped heat, pumped hydro, thermal heat, hydrogen, etc. storage methods are advancing rapidly toward commercialization and compete with batteries to cover a broad range of electric grid needs. This joint industry-government-academia TMCES workshop will provide an open information and networking session with the primary goal to advance non-battery electric storage technologies. Researchers, industry partners, and end-users will meet in this workshop to discuss state-of-the-art technology and application requirements, identify technology gaps and research needs, and develop guidance to coordinate and direct future pre-competitive R&D activities related to thermal, mechanical, and chemical energy storage technologies. Open discussion sessions will be held to solicit input from workshop participants on the direction of energy storage research funding. This 1.5-day event is jointly organized by members from the industry, academia and the US Department of Energy.
Day 1
Welcome
Klaus Brun, Ebara Elliott Energy and Tim Allison, SwRI – Welcome
Keynote Speakers
Benjamin Ethridge, CPS Energy – Evolving Generation Plans
David Sanchez, University of Seville – Who Turned off the Light? Storyboard of the Total Blackout in Spain
Technical Presentations
David Bellman, All Energy Consulting/Skylar Capital – Insights into Datacenters
Natalie Smith, SwRI – Multiphase – Tolerant Turbine Development for an sCO2 PTES System
Pedro Giorni, Sumitomo SHI FW – LAES – Liquid Air Energy Storage
Anoop Mathur, Terrafore Technologies – Automatic Restoration of Degradation of Thermocline for Thermal Energy Storage
Andrew Maxson, EPRI – Columbia Energy Storage Project Update
Tim Held, Echogen Power Systems – Project POLAR Status – Long Duration Energy Storage for Alaska
Mike Umbro, Premier Resource Management – Geologic Thermal Energy Storage Demonstration in California Oil Fields
Chris Fraughton, AtmosZero – Modular Heat Pumps: A Tool for Enabling Low-Temperature Heat Sources
Todd Carlson, Mitsubishi Power Americas – Advanced Clean Energy Storage (ACES) Project – The First Step Towards the Realization of Integrated Hydrogen Technologies from Production to Power Generation
Panel Session – End User
Lead:Scott Hume, EPRI
Arthur Butcher, CPS Energy
Sam Bayham, TVA
Matthew Morgan, APS
Max Reis, Petrobras
Dave Galarowicz, Alliant Energy
Panel Session – University/Labs
Lead: Natalie Smith, SwRI
Lead: Henk Laubscher, Sandia National Labs
Ty Neises, NREL
Lee Aspitarte, NETL
Luke McLaughlin, Sandia National Labs
Lightning Talk
Lead: Karl Wygant, Ebara Elliott Energy
Lead: Rob Pelton, Ebara Elliott Energy
Jason Mortzheim, GE Vernova
James Berry, Just In Time Energy Company
Eric Severson, University of Minnesota
Wayne Bliesner, ADI Solar Corporation
William Conlon, Pintail Power
Zhiwen Ma, NREL
Shaun Sullivan, Brayton Energy
Closing
Klaus Brun, Ebara Elliott Energy
Day 2
Keynote Speaker
Gary Thorn, Con Edison – Con Edison Steam Decarbonization Plans
Eric Watson, Energy Dome – Construction, Commissioning, and Operation of the First Full-Scale CO2 Battery
Technical Presentation
Rob Pelton, Ebara Elliott Energy – Compression Challenges in Energy Storage Applications
Jason Mortzheim, GE Vernova – Hybridization of Gas Power Plants with TES for Lower Fuel Costs, Enhanced Operability, and Grid Resiliency
Guangdong Zhu, NREL – Geological Thermal Energy Storage (GeoTES) for Seasonal Dispatching and its Hybridization with Solar Thermal, Carnot Batteries, and Data Center Cooling
Renaud Le Pierres, Parker FES – Optimization of Compact Heat Exchanges for Thermal Energy Storage
Russel Goldfarbmuren, Rebound Technologies – Agile Cooling: How We Connect Thermal Energy Storage to Customers’ Changing Cooling Demands
Charles Forsberg, Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Long-Duration Hot-Air Supply from Electrically – Heated High Temperature (1800°C) Firebrick
Panel Session – Industry
Lead: Rob Pelton, Ebara Elliott Energy
Lead : Renaud Le Pierres, Parker FES
Pedro Giorni, Sumitomo SHI FW
Jaap VanKampen, Siemens Energy
Brandon Kruse, Magaldi Technologies
Mobola Dosumu, Everllence
Eric Watson, Energy Dome
Closing
Klaus Brun, Ebara Elliott Energy
Tim Allison, SwRI