The Indispensable Role of Storage in Our Clean Energy Future

It is truly encouraging to see leaders like Manohar Lal emphasize the crucial role of storage systems in achieving our clean energy targets. His recent statement resonates deeply with perspectives I have been sharing for years, highlighting a critical component often overlooked in the broader conversation about renewable energy. It brings a sense of validation to see these ideas gain prominence on the national stage.

For a long time, I have underscored the fundamental challenge of intermittency that comes with renewable sources like solar and wind. The sun doesn't always shine, and the wind doesn't always blow. This inherent variability means that even with abundant clean generation capacity, a stable and reliable power supply cannot be guaranteed without robust energy storage solutions.

Back in 2023, when discussing India's plans to link its power grid with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, I explicitly pointed out the strategic advantage of energy storage. I wrote, "We can buy power from SA / UAE during day-times ( periods ) when they offer it at the cheapest rates and store it in GRID-SIZE STORAGE Batteries, for use at night" Power Play: Day or Night. This wasn't just about domestic generation; it was about thinking globally and locally about energy security and cost-effectiveness. The concept was simple yet profound: harness cheap renewable power when available, store it, and dispatch it when needed, particularly during peak demand hours or at night.

Indeed, in that same piece, I highlighted how a robust storage infrastructure could "Help us avoid running our 50+ very old, coal-based power plants… We can avoid Rs Lakhs of crore of investment in numerous new coal-based plants… By avoiding to produce power which uses fossil fuels, we can reduce local warming / air pollution" Power Play: Day or Night. The vision was clear: energy storage is not merely a technical add-on; it's an economic and environmental imperative that paves the way for a rapid and complete transition from fossil fuels.

This conviction was further elaborated in other writings, such as my thoughts on "Unlimited Power: and round the clock?" back in 2016, which implicitly argued for the necessity of storage to achieve uninterrupted clean power. The foresight that storage would become the lynchpin for truly sustainable and round-the-clock clean energy has, regrettably, taken time to be universally recognized.

Today, seeing how things have unfolded, it's striking how relevant these earlier insights still are. The challenge of meeting escalating energy demands while simultaneously decarbonizing our grid underscores the urgency to revisit and vigorously implement these ideas. The financial viability of postponing the retirement of old coal plants until storage becomes more widespread, as noted in a 2023 power policy draft amendment cited in my blog, further emphasizes this crucial link.

Manohar Lal's statement is a vital step in acknowledging this truth. We are not just talking about adding more solar panels or wind turbines; we are talking about building a resilient, intelligent grid that can balance generation and demand seamlessly, fueled entirely by clean energy. This requires significant investment in diverse storage technologies—from pumped hydro and grid-scale batteries to emerging solutions—and a comprehensive policy framework to support their rapid deployment. This renewed urgency is exactly what we need to propel India towards its ambitious clean energy goals.

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Regards,
Hemen Parekh