Underused Energy Technology Could Reduce Power Outages In Storms

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Underused Energy Technology Could Reduce Power Outages In Storms

Hurricane Beryl left 2.6 million Houston customers – homes, businesses, hospitals, and schools – in Texas without power a few weeks ago. Houston’s utility CenterPoint was called out for not preparing for the outage – again. We all remember the images of Houston flooded by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, and of the big freeze in Texas in 2021 that caused 10 million Texans to lose power, some for weeks.

The Texas comptroller’s office reported that outages occur in part because of “a lack of significant long-duration storage and the increasing number of new generators among both traditional and renewable sources.”

Long duration energy storage is key to reliable energy in a net zero emissions economy

The Long Duration Energy Storage Council (LDESC) reports that long duration energy storage technologies – which range from eight hours up – paired with renewables could reduce global industrial greenhouse gas emissions by 65%. They also say the world’s long duration energy storage market could be worth $4 trillion by 2040.

The LDES Council is a nonprofit membership organization that provides guidance to governments and grid operators, as well as education and advocacy on long duration energy storage to achieve net zero electric grids by 2040. “We represent the whole ecosystem. We represent members that are from the four families,” (of technologies), LDESC CEO Julia Souder told me in an exclusive interview on Electric Ladies Podcast. Those are, “electrochemical, chemical, thermal, and mechanical, but we also represent the service providers, utilities, we represent the equipment manufacturers, we represent developers, we represent customers,” as well as financiers, investors, “and traditional energy companies.”

Souder said, “Long duration energy storage can really fill in the gaps when you don’t have wind and solar 24/7. So, we look at days, weeks, months, and even seasons,” and emphasized that the range of types of LDES is critical to fill the diversity of needs.

“Thermal energy storage, these are the rocks, the salts, the bricks, the graphite and carbon that we’re storing as heat, making either heat to heat or heat to electricity.” She explained that electrochemical long duration energy storage is “where batteries fit in,” and a range of “different types of battery systems, which can usually last for “multiple hours, the eight hours, 12 hours, and some are even doing a hundred hours.” The chemical type of long duration energy storage is hydrogen, ammonia, green hydrogen. Mechanical long duration energy storage is “the traditional kind,” which she said has “been around for over a hundred years, in the form of the “pump storage that we are very familiar with.” Including hydropower.

Souder emphasized that the diversity of types of long duration energy storage enables countries, companies and communities to tap whichever one serves their needs best based on their location, economy, and infrastructure. She added that long duration energy storage could save as much as $540 billion a year, by enabling the storage of otherwise unused wind and solar energy.

The Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding support expediting development of long duration energy storage

The Infrastructure Investment Act has $505 million allocated for long duration energy storage technologies, including pilot and demonstration programs. The Department of Energy announced up to $286 million awarded for long duration energy storage in September 2023, and that these “projects will develop LDES systems in 17 states and one Tribal nation.” They also “announced up to $39 million for six projects selected under the LDES Lab Call funding opportunity to demonstrate technology innovations and resiliency advantages in national labs at a range of scales.” These public-private partnerships are critical to expedite scaling LDES and reaching net zero emissions goals, Souder said.

Environment Texas Research and Policy Center reports that the Texas grid operator, ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council Operator of Texas) has sought to benefit from the renewable energy and long duration energy storage incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment Act too. “Since the law’s passage, the amount of new wind, solar and battery storage proposed for the grid has increased significantly. The ERCOT ‘interconnection queue’ now shows over 250 gigawatts of renewable energy and battery projects in some stage of development.” Texas Governor Abbott and other Republicans, including former president-2024 nominee Donald Trump have campaigned against these bills and incentives.

Funding from the Infrastructure Investment Act & Inflation Reduction Act likely to be cut if Trump wins in November

The Trump Administration-staffed Project 2025 plans include slashing all funding for clean energy allocated in the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Act, and eliminating the Dept. of Energy offices related to clean energy. It also calls for abolishing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which houses the National Weather Service.

Scientific American recently wrote, “Project 2025, the sweeping right-wing blueprint for a new kind of U.S. presidency, would sabotage science-based policies that address climate change, the environment, abortion, health care access, technology and education.” They added that, “At least 140 former Trump officials are involved in Project 2025, according to a CNN tally. It’s reasonable to expect that a second Trump presidency would follow many of the project’s recommendations.”

Project 2025 was developed by the far-right Heritage Foundation as a blueprint if Donald Trump wins re-election in November 2024 to “institutionalize Trumpism,” according to the Heritage CEO.

Hurricane warnings saved lives – but are at risk

Project 2025 privatizes the National Weather Service, which could put the early warning systems Texans and the rest of us across the U.S. depend upon at risk. The National Weather Service’s solid basis in science helps Americans evacuate and prepare for extreme weather events like Hurricane Beryl and natural disasters in time to stay safe.

If the NWS is privatized, especially with a conservative, anti-climate change agenda, the weather forecasts and warnings Houston and other communities receive next time may be biased – or accessing them may depend upon one’s socioeconomic status – putting lives at risk.

If long duration energy storage systems are in place fast enough, though, maybe fewer people will lose power.

Listen to the full interview with Julia Souder on Electric Ladies Podcast here.


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