Energy Storage

The document examines various energy storage solutions, including pumped-storage hydropower, batteries, and compressed air, highlighting their capacity to mitigate the intermittency of solar and wind power. It details the dominance of pumped-storage hydropower in the U.S. utility-scale market and the rapid growth of lithium-ion batteries. The text also outlines specific state-level storage targets in the U.S. and global projections for storage capacity needed to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius.

• To limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius, the International Energy Association (IEA) estimates a global requirement of 266 GW of energy storage by 2030, increasing from 176.5 GW in 2017.
• Pumped-storage hydropower (PSH) is the primary utility-scale storage method in the United States, representing 95 percent of such storage. As of 2015, the U.S. had 22 GW of PSH integrated into the grid.
• Lithium-ion batteries dominate the global grid battery storage market with over 90 percent share. Their costs have declined significantly, with electric vehicle battery costs falling 73 percent between 2010 and 2016.
• Various U.S. states have established specific energy storage targets: New Jersey aims for 2,000 MW by 2030, New York targets 1,500 MW by 2025, and Massachusetts seeks 1,000 MWh by the end of 2025.
• Energy storage improves grid resilience by providing backup power during interruptions, as evidenced by the slow restoration of electricity in Puerto Rico due to a lack of storage and flexibility.
• Electric vehicles (EVs) can support the grid through vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology or by repurposing retired batteries for stationary storage, such as a project in Elverlingsen, Germany, using 2,000 Mercedes Benz EV batteries to hold nearly 9 MW.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2019). Energy Storage. https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Energy_Storage_0219.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Energy Storage. 2019. https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Energy_Storage_0219.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Energy Storage |date=February 2019 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Energy_Storage_0219.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2019energy, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Energy Storage}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2019}, month = feb, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Energy_Storage_0219.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }