Much of the attention in Clean Energy these days goes to consumer products and energy generation. This is well deserved because the contribution to global warming energy generation has made and consumers wanting to learn more about how to reduce their impact. The complicated reality of going to 100% renewables is not just energy generation or changing our lifestyles but also updating the grid and adding storage to it. Storage is things like Lithium-ion Batteries, SPIN’s flywheel, and pumped hydro.

 In passing SB 100 the State Government made California a world leader with an ambitious goal to operate 100% on renewables by 2045.  Successes in solar, utility-scale and rooftop we have reduced our emissions but also changed the energy demand profile of the electric grid. A perfect example of this is the duck curve of energy demand.  The complications of meeting energy supply and demand is a very real obstacle in maintaining grid reliability as we move to 100% renewables. To manage an ever more complex grid we need storage.

 Policies contributing to the success of solar should be expanded to promote storage.  We are seeing the California Energy Commission invest in the commercialization of more storage projects and companies like Electrify America are investing in grid storage to avoid impact cost of Electric Vehicle Chargers on the grid.  But we can do more. Net Metering, the policies that helped build a fledgling rooftop solar industry, needs to be adopted to promote home storage solutions. Like the early adopters of EVs and Solar, we need to incentivize private investment in storage. There are companies like Empower Energy and Off the Wall Energy, who are gearing up to provide small storage solutions to business and residential companies.  

 Supporting the 100% Renewables in California to fight climate change means supporting Storage.