My answer has always been: Haven't you heard? They've invented batteries. Store the energy in batteries for when the wind isn't blowing, and store the energy for when the sun is up, and everything will be all right.
Today, I found out I was wrong. The large-project batteries can only store energy for a limited amount of time, say, four hours. I did read of one grid battery operation in New York that is to store for up to eight hours, but that still isn't enough to meet our needs.
Enter what is called pumped storage. You pump water from a lower level to a higher level. The water stays there as long as you don't need more energy, and, when you do, you release it through the hydro power station, and, viola, you have the energy you need when solar power is lost to the night and wind power is lost to no wind.
I don't believe a single pumped storage plant has been built in more than 30 years. Why not? It may be that so many hydro power plants are facing decommission that it doesn't make sense to put new pumped storage facilities behind them.
We should save more hydro stations, and then build the pumped storage stations behind them. True, hydro cannot be the only thing in our energy mix, as in times of drought, you lose it. But it should remain a large component.
And, what is called "floating solar," should also be placed behind the dams. But, that is a story for tomorrow.
(Index -- Climate change info)
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