Pumped storage accounts for more than 99% of bulk storage capacity world-wide and “definitely has a role to play in balancing the large-scale generation of electricity from renewable sources,” science and land use writer Stephanie Matteson reports in a post on The Energy Collective.
“Pumped storage hydroelectricity facilities have been called the world’s biggest batteries,” Matteson writes. “For this reason, the United States is committing millions in technical and financial assistance to pumped storage projects to help meet peak electricity demand.”
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Pumped storage is already in use in Germany, where solar has achieved much greater market penetration, and it can be used to balance sudden shifts in electricity demand: “Unlike coal-fired or nuclear plants, which are limited in their ability to respond quickly, pumped storage plants can respond to demand spikes with a flick of a switch.”
