If I’m reading the numbers right, this is the year battery storage will leapfrog pumped hydropower as the largest source of utility-scale energy storage in the U.S.
Just four years ago, pumped storage, which is accomplished by strategically moving water uphill and downhill at hydroelectric power plants, accounted for more than 90% of the nation’s storage capacity at just over 19 gigawatts.
Pumped storage hydropower is a method of storing energy by pumping water uphill to a higher-elevation reservoir when there is low demand and electricity is cheaper, and then releasing the water back down through the power station to generate electricity when there is high demand and energy is more expensive.
As of July of this year, battery storage capacity has swelled to 20.7 gigawatts, and that number is expected to be 30 GW by year’s end. Over the last few years, pumped hydro has hovered at around 16.5 GW.
Globally, battery storage is expected to overtake worldwide pumped hydro capacity of nearly 200 GW in 2025.
Utility-scale battery storage has become more important for reliability over the last few years as the power grid transitions from fossil fuel to clean, renewable energy resources, such as wind and solar.
These resources, unlike coal or gas-fired generation, fluctuate because they depend on the sun to be shining or the wind to be blowing. Storing renewable energy in batteries for later use—when it’s cloudy or the wind dies down—smooths fluctuations and helps to ensure these resources are not wasted.
Currently there are more than 40 pumped storage facilities in the U.S. and about 500 battery energy storage facilities, according to the latest data I could find.
California has the highest battery storage capacity in the U.S., followed by Texas.
:pg
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