Modern grids need to be reliable as well as low carbon. That’s where energy storage steps in. Image: Wikimedia user Loadmaster (David R Tribble).
The February 2021 energy crisis in Texas was yet another stark reminder of just how broken our national power grid is and how difficult the energy transition will be. The shift to renewable energy will come with unintended consequences such as price spikes from less mining and drilling, or times when the wind doesn’t blow.
Battery storage is the most obvious medium-term solution to help immediately stabilise the grid and act as a catalyst to help enable greater penetration of intermittent renewables generation, writes Andrew Waranch, founder, CEO and president of Spearmint Energy.
Institutional capital and public sentiment, which has finally started to focus on the climate crisis, can help by directing attention and…