The Blue-Sky Training Program (BSTP) aims to enhance community safety for utilities with existing energy storage system (ESS). As storage technologies continue to be deployed, it is critical that communities are “storage ready” and that necessary stakeholders are brought to the table to ensure a new or ESS will operate safely and reliably. In localities across the country, uncertainty over proper response procedures to cyber or physical security threats and unanticipated failures of ESS can delay or even prevent deployment.

Program Goals and Objectives

The BSTP will educate and train first responders, law enforcement agencies, local communities, utilities, authorities having jurisdictions (AHJs), and others on how to respond to unanticipated ESS failures including those caused by cyber threats, physical threats, and other unanticipated operational failures.

Expected Performance Goals

Anticipated major objectives and outcomes include but are not limited to:

1. Provide resources to bring community stakeholders to the table that may traditionally not be involved in decision making around ESS deployment, operation, and safety planning.
2. Development of emergency response plans and trainings that participating community stakeholders, including first responders and AHJs, will walkthrough at an ESS site.
3. Development of a safety validation report which describes site-wide criteria that will need to be met to verify that the needed safety measures/functions are incorporated into the ESS site.
4. Conduct tabletop exercise and on-site boots-on-the-ground drills that is anticipated to bring stakeholders together to address safety, emergency response, and security concerns in deploying and operating energy storage technologies.

Eligibility

Eligibility will be restricted to prime applicants that, as of the closing date for this NOFO, are one of the following:

• owners/operators of a utility scale ESS or a facility sited ESS that is 100 kW or greater in size, such as those used to support commercial, industrial, and public service facilities,
• a host site entity with access to a utility scale or facility sited ESS that is 100 kW or greater in size,
• an entity with an agreement that grants an appropriate level of access a utility scale or facility sited ESS that is 100kW or greater in size needed to conduct in person site visits and exercises described in this notice.