Cooperative Living October 2020 - 28

CloserLook | by Maria Kanevsky, Contributing Columnist
The Future of
Energy Storage
Cooperatives are exploring ways to stockpile
electric power for when it's needed most
E
nergy storage technology is
extremely versatile -- it's small
enough to fit in your phone, or
large enough to power your entire
home.
Many people are familiar with smallscale
batteries for handheld devices,
but utility-scale batteries take energy
storage to a new level. The ability to
store energy helps to ensure that energy
demand meets supply at any given time,
making electricity available when you
need it.
In 2018, the power capacity from
battery storage systems in the U.S.
more than doubled from 2010. The
most common type of battery chemistry
is lithium-ion because of a high-cycle
efficiency and fast response time.
CO-OPS TAKE THE LEAD
In the Middle Atlantic states,
Rappahannock Electric Cooperative
is exploring the ways in which energy
storage can benefit its members. REC,
which covers portions of 22 counties
in Virginia, has announced the first
grid-scale energy storage project
by a Virginia electric cooperative.
The project, to be located in
Spotsylvania County, has a peak
26 | Cooperative Living | October 2020
capacity of two megawatts and a
duration of eight megawatt-hours, or
enough to power about 1,000 homes
for eight hours.
It's expected to be in operation in
early 2021. It will provide backup
power in case of a transmission system
failure and help the co-op better
manage wholesale power costs.
" With more and more renewable
energy on our system and with battery
costs declining rapidly, energy storage
is now a critical tool for our team as
we work to connect our memberowners
and communities with safe,
reliable, affordable and sustainable
energy solutions, " says REC President
and CEO John Hewa.
While the project, conducted
with East Point Energy, is small at
the moment, lessons learned could
point the way toward deploying
larger efforts.
OTHER STORAGE EFFORTS
Despite advances in large-scale
batteries, pumped hydropower, a form
of mechanical energy storage, remains
the dominant storage technology in
the U.S. It accounts for about 97% of
the country's utility storage capacity.
Energy storage plays a crucial role
in incorporating renewable energy
into the electric grid.
Energy is stored by pumping water
uphill from a lower-elevation reservoir
to store in an upper water basin. When
energy is needed, the water is allowed
to flow through an electric turbine to
generate energy, the same way it flows
through a hydroelectric dam.
This method is less expensive
than large batteries, but it depends on
the surrounding geography and any
potential resulting ecosystem issues.
Beyond pumped hydropower and
batteries, utilities use a few other forms
of energy storage: thermal, hydrogen
and compressed air.
Energy storage plays a crucial role
in incorporating renewable energy into
our electric grid. When energy demand
is low but energy supply is high from
the sun or wind, storing the excess
energy makes it possible to use it at
a later time.
As renewable energy becomes more
prevalent, electric cooperatives will take
a lead role in promoting energy storage
and new solutions for their members. ■
Maria Kanevsky is a program analyst for
the National Rural Electric Cooperative
Association. Casey Hollins of Rappahannock
Electric Cooperative contributed to this article.
co-opliving.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTH
CAROLINA'S ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES
PHOTO BY DENNIS GAINER
http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living October 2020

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