Where we need to be

Using any one or combination of the technologies discussed in the How We Get There section, we need to have enough storage to incorporate renewable energy technologies in large amounts, we need to be able to get by the minimum number of total power plants, be able to handle peaks without standby power, and have power plants either on at their most efficient levels or off.

This future is likely to involve a combination of systems that store power throughout the course of a day or even over many days in anticipation of large demands, much in the same way a grocery store stocks up on items before a big demand is expected to hit. This will be tied to increases in the usage of solar, wind, and possibly nuclear energy sources as well as a price on carbon that will discourage our current wasteful practices.

There is a reason why storage mechanisms tend to be tied to systems that have variable supply or demand. It is time that the systems we have for generating the power for most of our lives take advantage of storage as well.