by Katie Liu | March 23, 2026
Binghamton acts as the center hub of multiple federal and state-funded battery initiatives
Binghamton University, which turns 80 years-old this year, has experienced major growth in its research. With state-of-the-art labs and research equipment, it is also the only university in the U.S. to lead three federally designated initiatives — Build Back Better Regional Challenge (known as New Energy New York (NENY)), which brought in more than $100 million in federal and state funding alone, a Tech Hub designation, and the U.S. National Science Foundation Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York.
“Binghamton University took the forefront and became the trailblazer to make sure that all the funding received was deployed properly, as well as to ensure the economic impact of it was continuously measured,” said Bandhana Katoch, associate vice president of technology commercialization and economic development at Binghamton. “Binghamton University has taken a tremendous amount of responsibility to ensure that all the funding and the programs proposed in the proposal are successfully implemented and executed throughout all the sub-awardees and coalition partners.”
Batteries powered by Binghamton
The dream to transform Binghamton into a center hub for battery innovation and development started even before NENY received its Tech Hub designation in 2023. The effort started with the establishment of the Northeast Center for Chemical Energy Storage (NECCES) on campus, an open-user facility with a state-funded dry room and advanced cell testing equipment.
As companies wanted more, and bigger, the effort steamrolled into a state and federally funded ecosystem.
NENY was awarded the Build Back Better Regional Challenge in 2022, bringing in a combined total of $113 million from the federal government and New York state. The foundation of its mission comes from the work of M. Stanley Whittingham, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2019 for his work co-creating the lithium-ion batteries that have become a basis for powering our lives. Whittingham is also a Professor of Chemistry at Binghamton.
“The Build Back Better Regional Challenge initiative was launched with the intention to pick up regions of the country where specific sectors could develop to enhance the domestic supply chain and manufacturing in the region,” Katoch said. “This was to empower those regions, which have traditionally been low and middle income communities, and to also have various options available for them for workforce development.”
A team effort
While Binghamton University leads the NENY initiative, it is far from a lone effort. The work is only possible thanks to teams and entities throughout the upstate New York region who have come together to strengthen the region’s economic and innovative growth. NENY, Katoch said, has 16 sub-awardees that span the spectrum of economic and workforce development, from innovation to supply chain.
“Under each of these pillars, we have multiple sub-awardees that are helping us to amplify the economic impact and access to programs, not just within Broome County, but also the eight counties that are in the geographical service area of this initiative,” Katoch said.
This includes major universities such as Cornell and the Rochester Institute of Technology, the latter which holds free battery education seminars each year, as well as workforce training programs under SUNY Broome and SUNY Corning Community College. Partners such as NY-BEST and the Alliance for Manufacturing & Technology (AMT) help lead NENY’s supply chain efforts, while organizations such as IncubatorWorks in Elmira, N.Y. support up-and-coming entrepreneurs.
Meanwhile, Binghamton’s own Koffman Southern Tier Incubator is a key player in programs such as the ChargeUp Accelerator, which is the only accelerator program in the U.S. to focus solely on battery and energy storage startups, and has become home base for many companies who have decided to relocate to or establish themselves in New York state.
“You can’t do anything at just one level. You need to think about the end users, the people who need batteries, and then the people who research and make the batteries,” Whittingham said.
Each of NENY’s partners has been essential for its growth, Katoch added. A full list of its coalition partners can be found under NENY’s ecosystem page.
Successful program growth
Three years since its inception, NENY is continuing its work in expanding battery innovation as well as education. NENY’s flagship project, Battery-NY, is set to begin operations by the end of this year, with all its equipment already ordered and readying for installation. Meanwhile, its free Battery Academy online courses, which were developed in-house at Binghamton University, have reached around 1,000 enrollments since 2023 — enabling anyone to upskill and succeed in the battery sector, without requiring degrees.
Beyond virtual courses, Binghamton has also helped fund other in-person outreach and education programs such as classes at Broome-Tioga BOCES and SUNY Broome Community College’s battery technician labs.
“These courses can teach you how to do calculations or work out what the energy density of a battery is. It goes from basic levels like that, all the way to what RIT is doing, which is really hands-on work for people,” Whittingham said. “It could be scientists, secretaries, CEOs of companies, who are attending seminars like RIT’s.”
On the other hand, NENY’s Student Startup Experience has awarded close to $1.3 million in student stipends to support paid internships through multiple promising clean energy startups.
“The SSE has grown into a critical bridge between emerging clean energy companies and the next generation of talent. Since the start of the grant, we’ve expanded both the scale and diversity of participants — engaging students across multiple institutions and disciplines, while supporting startups that are actively shaping the future of battery and energy storage,” said Epiphany Muñoz, program manager of SSE. “What makes SSE especially impactful is that it removes barriers from both sides: students gain paid, hands-on experience in high-growth environments, and companies can bring on talent at no cost, allowing them to focus on innovation and growth.”
The program places students into internships from multiple community colleges and SUNY colleges throughout New York state, not just Binghamton alone.
“As the program continues to evolve, we’re seeing not just internship placements, but meaningful pathways into the clean energy workforce,” Muñoz added.
Beyond education, NENY has also supported a key database of more than 250 suppliers through its supply chain pillar, led by NY-BEST.
“That really makes us one of the greatest hubs for any company that is in the battery sector, and we have now started seeing a lot of them move from other parts of the country to Binghamton to access the level of these collective resources we have,” Katoch said.
Charging ahead
Binghamton aims to continue its momentum in the battery sector, as the needs for effective energy storage and stable grids only grow. In a region with such a storied history for industry growth, Binghamton University has the potential to bring technological advancements to the grassroots.
“What this initiative — not just in what we have been able to do through New Energy New York, but also other Build Back Better regional initiatives throughout the country — has really successfully done is we have been able to bring this programming to the community,” Katoch said. “Not just at an awareness level, but at the level where they could actually get their hands dirty and engage in an experiential learning experience.”
Tying an initiative like NENY to the work of multiple research universities across the state has been key to its success, allowing NENY’s team to nurture the future’s talent while also accelerating the latest innovations from lab to prototype to market.
“Through our work at NENY over the past three years, one of the most important lessons has been understanding both the dynamic nature of the battery industry and the stability of long-term investment in this space,” said Emily Marino, deputy director of NENY. “While the sector continues to evolve rapidly, demand is accelerating across applications, from electric vehicles to battery energy storage systems supporting data centers and grid infrastructure. This creates a strong opportunity for investors who are prepared for a longer time horizon. I am proud of the role that Binghamton University and the NENY coalition have played in strengthening New York state’s battery and energy storage ecosystem.”