NC needs to ‘supercharge’ energy storage technologies
Energy expert and Carolina chemistry professor Alex Miller recommends how to harness renewable energy in a recent report.
A 48-page report funded by the North Carolina Collaboratory provides critical research for how North Carolina can bridge the gap between renewables and the state’s growing energy demand and position itself as a leader in renewable energy storage. The project is part of the Collaboratory’s research portfolio on Next Generation Energy, which is supported by appropriations from the North Carolina General Assembly.
One of the lead authors of “Supercharging Energy Storage Innovations in North Carolina” is Alex Miller, professor in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences’ chemistry department and director of the UNC Sustainable Energy Research Consortium. The consortium team worked in collaboration with the Center for Regulatory and Industrial Studies in the College’s economics department to develop the report, published by the Collaboratory and the UNC Institute for Convergent Science in October 2025.
Miller provides insight into the findings from the report and his perspective on the future of renewable energy storage in North Carolina.
What are some of the key findings in this report on energy storage in North Carolina?
I think the big picture is that renewable energy sources have been growing in North Carolina, and that to take full advantage of those, we need energy storage technologies. The economics study clearly illustrates the need for both the implementation of existing technologies and research and development. The cost of those technologies must come down if we are going to keep up with the pace of renewable energy sector growth, so one key finding is the need for energy storage technology advances. The other finding is that there’s an amazing network of R&D in the state that can help fill that gap. There is both academic research in areas like batteries, alternative fuels and supercapacitors, and companies that are active in R&D in these areas, and that’s an exciting opportunity.
Why is energy storage so critical for a successful shift to a renewable energy future?
The simple answer is that if you have a large fraction of your electricity in a state or region coming from, for example, solar panels and solar energy, when the sun goes down, that source of electricity will stop flowing. In the middle of a sunny day, the state can generate more electricity than it needs; if it can store that energy, at night, when the sun goes down, it can be fed it back into the grid.
Do you think North Carolina could become a national leader in this field?
I think the capability and the potential are there. North Carolina is already one of the top producers of solar electricity, and with that comes the need for energy storage. As solar energy production increases, the need for and deployment of energy storage will also increase. North Carolina has the right combination of companies in the area, natural resources that are driving investment and amazing research, and universities that can drive new technology development.
What research is happening at Carolina to help develop energy storage technologies?
There are two main projects where collaborative teams are making an impact. One is a research center, the Center for Hybrid Approaches in Solar Energy to Liquid Fuels. The goal of CHASE is to understand how we can harness the technology of solar panels to capture sunlight, but instead of directing it towards electricity, direct it towards the synthesis of liquid fuels that can impact the transportation sector or be used for long-duration energy storage. The other is a project funded by the Creativity Hub program on advanced lithium-ion batteries. As a collaborative team, they are looking at ways to make batteries that are safer, work longer and don’t have as many toxic materials in them.
