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How giant ‘batteries’ in the Earth could slash your electricity bills

Summary

Long-duration energy storage (LDES) technologies, such as pumped hydropower and underground compressed air storage, are emerging as solutions to store renewable energy for extended periods. A recent study highlights that deploying LDES in the Western Interconnection grid could cut electricity costs by over 70% during peak demand. Innovations include Hydrostor’s caverns that store air and water to generate power when needed. These systems complement lithium-ion batteries by providing backup power for more than 10 hours, addressing solar and wind energy intermittency. While implementation costs range from $83 billion to $130 billion, LDES could reduce reliance on costly long-distance transmission lines, increasing grid resilience and maximizing renewable energy use.

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