Can the grid invest in energy storage

Energy storage technologies have been recognized as an important component of future power systems due to their capacity for enhancing the electricity grid's flexibility, reliability, and efficiency. They are accepted as a key answer to numerous challenges facing power markets, including decarbonization, price volatility, and supply security.

In general, they have not been widely used in electricity networks because their cost is considerably high and their profit margin is low. However, climate concerns, carbon reduction effects, increase in renewable energy use, and energy security put pressure on adopting the storage concepts and facilities as complementary to renewables.

A grid-scale energy storage firm participates in the wholesale electricity market by buying and selling electricity. Energy storage creates private (profit) and social (consumer surplus, total welfare, carbon emissions) returns. Storage generates revenue by arbitraging inter-temporal electricity price differences.

Integrating energy storage within power system models offers the potential to enhance operational cost-effectiveness, scheduling efficiency, environmental outcomes, and the integration of renewable energy sources.

Energy storage technologies are also the key to lowering energy costs and integrating more renewable power into our grids, fast. If we can get this right, we can hold on to ever-rising quantities of renewable energy we are already harnessing – from our skies, our seas, and the earth itself. The gap to fill is very wide indeed.

Bruegel estimates that investment in electricity generation and storage alone may need to double to about 1% of annual European Union gross domestic product, while the European Commission puts the price tag on grid investments alone at €584 billion.