The US Department of Energy has been eyeballing pumped hydro energy storage for a makeover, and it looks like they have a winner. The Texas firm Quidnet Energy has just won a $10 million grant to put the finishing touches on a new type of “water battery” that deploys underground rock formations instead of having to rely on elevated reservoirs.
Pumped Hydro Energy Storage 101
For those of you new to the topic, pumped hydro is a centuries-old, gravity-based energy storage technology that has gained new relevance in the age of wind and solar power.
The idea is to pump water to an upper reservoir whenever excess wind or solar power is available. When needed, water from the reservoir flows downhill to a power station, where it runs turbines to generate electricity.
Pumped hydro can run on a closed loop system, in which the same water cycles between upper and lower reservoirs….
Underground Water Battery To Bust Open Energy Storage Dam
