Concurrent Technologies Corporation has received an $18 million contract from the
Air Force Research Laboratory to design, implement and demonstrate a large-capacity energy storage system for the Department of the Air Force.
The five-year award was issued through AFRL’s Energy Office under the Operational Energy and Installation Resilience Program. Contract options could increase the total value to $25 million.
The project comes as defense organizations continue to assess how energy storage can support mission resilience, particularly as installations and operational sites face more pressure from grid disruptions, extreme weather and demanding power requirements.
For the Department of the
Air Force, the focus is not simply backup power. Large-capacity energy storage can help stabilize electrical systems, reduce strain on generation assets and provide more flexible power options when standard infrastructure is limited or unavailable.
Under the contract, CTC will develop and demonstrate a system built around operational mission needs. Following testing, the project is expected to support a transition path for broader Air Force use, including technical documentation and potential policy recommendations to guide future deployment.
Reducing Power Demands in Difficult Operating Environments
A key aim of the program is to reduce the number of power generation assets needed to support resilient mission operations. That could be especially important in environments where heat, cold, distance from infrastructure or limited resources make power delivery more complex.
The demonstration will draw on CTC’s previous work in electrical infrastructure and power resiliency projects at Department of the Air Force locations. The company has worked with AFRL for more than two decades, and this contract extends that relationship into a larger energy storage application.
CTC’s project team is expected to include 12 to 15 employees, mainly based in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The work will involve electrical engineering, controls engineering, CAD design, procurement and project management, alongside subcontractor support.
If successful, the demonstration could give the Air Force a practical model for integrating advanced energy storage into future resiliency planning. It also reflects a broader shift in defense energy strategy, where power systems are being evaluated not just for capacity, but for adaptability, reliability and performance under pressure.
