New Energy Storage Systems Are Killing Trump's Coal Dreams

The article discusses how emerging energy storage technologies, particularly advanced compressed air energy storage (A-CAES), are undermining former President Trump's ambitions to sustain coal power. With the declining costs of wind and solar power, long-duration, non-battery storage solutions like compressed air storage are becoming economically viable alternatives to lithium-ion batteries, which have limitations in duration and rely heavily on critical minerals. Canadian startup Hydrostor is at the forefront of this innovation, developing A-CAES systems capable of delivering electricity for eight hours or more, thus supporting greater integration of renewable energy into the grid. Hydrostor recently signed a 50-megawatt off-take agreement with California Community Power (CC Power), a coalition of community choice aggregators representing millions of ratepayers across California. This deal advances the construction of Hydrostor’s 500-megawatt Willow Rock Energy Storage Center in Kern County, marking a significant step for both the company and the community choice aggregation movement, which empowers local