The China Energy Storage Alliance (CNESA) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Beijing to strengthen cooperation in the energy storage sector. The signing ceremony was attended by CNESA Chairman Chen Haisheng and NRDC President and CEO Manish Bapna, with CNESA Secretary-General Liu Wei and NRDC Beijing Chief Representative Zhang Jieqing formally executing the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations.
Prior to the signing, Chairman Chen Haisheng provided the NRDC delegation with an in-depth overview of the working principles and technological advancements of compressed air energy storage systems.
During the signing ceremony, Chairman Chen extended a warm welcome to the NRDC delegation, emphasizing CNESA’s role as China’s first nonprofit industry organization dedicated to advancing energy storage policies and technological applications. Since initiating collaboration with NRDC in 2022, the two organizations have achieved significant progress in researching business models and policy mechanisms for energy storage across diverse application scenarios. Joint studies, such as High-Quality Energy Storage Development: Market Mechanisms and Business Model Innovation, have provided valuable insights for policymakers.
The newly signed MOU marks the beginning of a deeper partnership, with both parties committing to address emerging challenges and opportunities in energy storage as renewable energy integration accelerates. Key focus areas include energy storage’s role in supporting the energy transition and enhancing grid resilience.
Manish Bapna highlighted NRDC’s longstanding commitment to supporting China’s low-carbon transformation, added that energy storage technology is pivotal to achieving global energy transition goals and meeting the targets of the Paris Agreement. He also stated that building on strong foundation with CNESA, this agreement will further deepen collaboration in technological innovation and policy alignment, accelerating the development of a robust energy storage ecosystem and advancing power sector decarbonization.
Both organizations affirmed their intent to leverage this partnership to foster international knowledge exchange, support the development of next-generation power systems, and contribute to China’s dual-carbon goals while promoting global clean energy progress.
The event was also attended by NRDC Chief Program Officer Susan Casey-Lefkowitz, Energy Transition Program Director Lin Mingche, Senior Energy Transition Manager Huang Hui, and Energy Transition Officer Wang Yang, alongside CNESA Deputy Secretary-General Yue Fen and International Affairs Manager Wen Mingyuan.