The Coal-Killing Combo Of Hydropower And Energy Storage

The article discusses a recent report from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) highlighting the economic and operational benefits of integrating battery energy storage systems (BESS) with hydropower facilities. This development follows the Trump administration’s 2020 declaration of an “energy emergency,” which granted preferential status to hydropower alongside fossil fuels. The PNNL report emphasizes that even short-duration lithium-ion batteries—such as a 60-megawatt system with two hours of storage—can significantly enhance hydropower’s flexibility and revenue potential by storing excess electricity during low demand periods. Hydropower plants face challenges adapting to the modern grid’s dynamic demands because their turbines, designed in the 20th century, suffer wear and tear from frequent start-stop cycles. While operators can inject compressed air to keep turbines spinning without generating power, this method is limited by downstream water conditions and risks equipment damage. The addition of battery storage offers a practical solution: turbines can continue