A team of researchers found 35,000 pairs of existing reservoirs, lakes and old mines in the US that could be turned into long-term energy storage – and they don’t need dams on rivers.
Water rushes through the Carillon Hydro electric dam in Québec.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
The electricity sector is expected to play a key role in Canada’s push to net-zero emissions. Enhancing long-distance transmission can be lower the cost of providing clean and reliable electricity.
The blocks can be used to run steam turbines at power stations as a clean alternative to burning coal, and at a fraction of the price of storing energy in batteries.
Solar and wind can’t deliver power on demand. But overbuilding solar and wind, and simply dumping unneeded energy, would go a long way to smoothing out those bumps, study finds.
The pumped hydro expansion in the Snowy Mountains is expected to be the largest renewable energy project in Australia.
Lukas Coch/AAP
Saving power to use later lets consumers, businesses and utilities generate energy when it’s cheap and deliver it when they need it most. There’s not much of it today, but the industry is growing fast.
Solar and wind compete with coal power plants when it comes to energy storage systems.
AP Photo/Mel Evans
Energy storage, such as big batteries, on the power grid is generally seen as ‘green’ technology but the reality is more complicated, an analysis finds.
A solar and battery-powered microgrid got San Juan’s Children’s Hospital quickly back online after Hurricane Maria.
Alvin Baez/Reuters
Yes, Puerto Rico and any other storm-vulnerable location could benefit from on-site solar and battery backup, but it’s unrealistic to say these microgrids are enough to power the island.
Cultana, South Australia: scene of the nation’s next big hydro scheme?
Roger Dargaville
A planned expansion to the Snowy Hydro scheme is grabbing headlines. But a new plan could build oceanfront hydro power in places without mountains - including South Australia.
With the right mix, the grid can go fully renewable for the same cost and reliability as fossil fuels.
Pixabay/Wikimedia Commons
The Turnbull government is funding energy storage as a crucial missing piece of the electricity grid puzzle. Analysis suggests an affordable, fully renewable grid doesn’t require any heroic assumptions.
The Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in California is closing and the state has committed to replacing it with greenhouse-free sources of electricity.
Doc Searls
As it’s done with its electric cars, Tesla will need to rely on well-heeled early technology adopters and friendly regulations to sell lots of home batteries.