10 Reasons to Love Water Batteries
Every summer, millions of people across the country stay indoors to keep cool and stay healthy. In a summer like 2021’s record-setting heat wave, there’s nothing more satisfying than the feeling of a crisp, air-conditioned room.
But heat is not just inconvenient; it can be dangerous. In the United States, more than 600 people die from extreme heat every year, and that number could climb because of the effects of climate change. If everyone cranks up their air conditioning or turns on fans, the grid — which shuttles our electricity from place to place — can short-circuit, putting millions at risk—from hospitals, grocery stores, to nursing homes, and even our schools.
One of the biggest ways our grid avoids short-circuiting? Water batteries.
(Pumped-storage hydropower is the most dominant form of energy storage on the electric grid today. It also plays an important role in bringing more renewable resources on to the grid.)
Also known as pumped storage hydropower, water batteries are made of two big pools of water, one high above the other, that act like an hourglass to provide power. They’re some of the biggest batteries on Earth, and that’s just one of many reasons we love pumped storage hydropower — and you should too!
In honor of National Hydropower Day on August 24, here are 10 reasons to appreciate how important — and powerful — water batteries are, and why we need to continue investing in these important resources across the country.
- Grid overload? Thanks to water batteries, it’s rare. When other energy sources like solar and wind make more electricity than nearby homes need, that extra power pushes water up into the water battery’s top pool where it waits, “charging” the water battery. Then, when needed—like during a grid-gutting heat wave — the water is released from that top pool and flows down, spinning a turbine that creates electricity to power your lights, refrigerator, or other essentials.
- Mother nature is no problem for water batteries. Renewable energy is crucial for a clean energy future, but sometimes, mother nature makes it challenging. Water batteries can fill energy gaps on cloudy and still days, making sure clean energy is still reliable energy.
- Pumped storage hydropower provides 93% of U.S. energy storage. Pumped storage hydropower projects are some of the biggest long-term energy storage systems around today. You might have yet to see this invisible force, but it’s helping to power the world around you.
- The United States of water batteries — in 2021, 18 states and all major regions of the country use pumped storage hydropower to store energy. California, Virginia, and South Carolina get the most out of these clean energy pools, and three new states have projects in progress (which will bring the total up to 21).
- In the United States, pumped storage hydropower can store up to 553 gigawatt-hours of energy. That could power video gaming across the entire country for about a week. Every year, American video gamers use about as much energy as 85 million refrigerators or 5 million cars.
- Pumped storage is the most efficient large energy storage system currently available — clocking in at 70-80%! Because it takes energy to store energy, no storage system — not even typical batteries — are 100% efficient. Pumping water into a water battery’s top reservoir requires a burst of energy. Still, a good 80% of what goes up, comes back down.
- Hydropower and pumped storage facilities provide 40% of the power needed to jumpstart a grid after a blackout. Ice storms, wildfires, and even hackers could stop the electric grid from powering our homes and offices. When emergencies knock out other energy sources, water batteries can turn on fast to keep people safe and comfortable.
- Natural disasters are no match for hydropower and pumped storage’s flood control and irrigation benefits! Water batteries can save you from those, too — they help absorb that extra water and use it to power your home (or help put out those wildfires that can harm the grid). The pools of water can also give clean water to crops, and you, too, making sure you don’t go thirsty during a heatwave.
- U.S. pumped storage hydropower grew without any new construction. How does that work? Through “capacity increases” or upgrades to facilities that make them more powerful. From 2010 to 2019, upgrades at just six pumped storage facilities led to 1,400 MW in capacity increase for U.S. pumped storage. That means that within the capacity of U.S. pumped storage — without any new construction — pumped storage grew by almost as much as all other types of energy storage combined.
- Water batteries are almost a century old. 90 years in fact. The first U.S. water battery — dubbed the 10-mile storage battery — popped up in Connecticut in 1930. Almost a century later, water batteries still provide energy at a low price. Here’s to the next 90!
Article courtesy of office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy.
Featured Image courtesy of Energy.gov
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Environment
Tesla is now buying ads on Elon Musk’s X to get people to vote for his $1 trillion compensation
Tesla is now buying advertising on Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) to get Tesla shareholders to vote for his CEO compensation package worth up to $1 trillion in stock options.
Tesla, under Elon Musk’s leadership, has famously been against advertising. The CEO is even on the record saying that he “hates advertising” and that “other companies spend money on advertising and manipulating public opinion, Tesla focuses on the product.”
However, that was before he acquired Twitter, now X, which relies heavily on advertising.
After that, he started to push Tesla to do some advertising, but the company quickly stopped or greatly reduced its advertising efforts.
We reported that Tesla’s advertising effort picked back up last week, starting with a few Google ads to encourage Tesla shareholders to vote for Musk’s new unprecedented CEO compensation package worth up to $1 trillion.
The automaker is in a full-on marketing blitz to convince shareholders to vote for the package and to allow Tesla to issue more shares in exchange.
Now, Tesla is even buying social media ads to push shareholders to vote for Musk’s compensation package and they are even buying ads on Musk’s privately owned platform, X:
They are also buying ads on Instagram, Facebook, and Reddit.
As we previously reported, Tesla’s board has claimed that voting for the compensation package will determine the future of Tesla.
Musk went even further and linked his compensation package to the future of the world.
Earlier today, the CEO claimed that his compensation plan is not about money, but about control over Tesla:
It’s not about “compensation”, but about me having enough influence over Tesla to ensure safety if we build millions of robots. If I can just get kicked out in the future by activist shareholder advisory firms who don’t even own Tesla shares themselves, I’m not comfortable with that future.
The CEO previously threatened Tesla shareholders not to build AI products at Tesla, despite claiming they were critical to the company’s future, if he doesn’t get 25% control over the company.
Electrek’s Take
The CEO of a publicly traded company threatens shareholders to gain control over the company and uses company funds to purchase ads that benefit his privately held company, with the goal of persuading the shareholders of the publicly traded company to give him more money.
If that’s not late-stage capitalism, I don’t know what is.
Also, I know I won’t shock anyone here, but Elon is lying about this not being about money.
If he wants to increase his percentage of Tesla shares, he could do exactly what his friend Larry Ellison did with Oracle and do long-term buybacks. It would benefit everyone, but it’s not what he wants. He wants the shiny new stock options.
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Voltpost just rolled out the Voltpost Air, its next-gen lamppost EV charger in New York City, and this one comes with a key twist: it’s mounted 10 feet above ground.
The Voltpost Air uses that elevated design with a retractable cable system to protect against weather damage and vandalism, setting it apart from Voltpost’s original curbside charger. It’s also built for faster installation, broader pole compatibility, and better reliability.
It can be installed on both wooden and metal lampposts and utility poles, curbside or in parking lots. Site hosts can deploy one or two chargers per pole, making it a flexible option for cities and property owners. Drivers can pay with the app or by tapping with a credit card. Voltpost Air supports Level 2 charging, up to 9.6 kW per charging port.
Luke Mairo, COO and cofounder of Voltpost, said that “the modular design and quick installation reduce costs and complexity, making it easier than ever to expand charging infrastructure.” Voltpost is already operating chargers in Oak Park, Illinois, and at the American Center for Mobility near Detroit. The company has projects underway in New York, California, Michigan, Illinois, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.
Former US Joint Office of Energy and Transportation executive director Gabe Klein, now a Voltpost board advisor, said, “The transition to renewable transportation requires bold, scalable solutions that can integrate seamlessly into existing urban infrastructure. Technologies like Voltpost’s lamppost chargers are vital because they unlock new opportunities to deploy EV charging.”
The Brooklyn installation is part of New York City Economic Development Corporation’s (NYCEDC) Pilots at Brooklyn Army Terminal (BAT) program, which supports climate-tech companies in scaling new solutions. It’s expected to be available to the public by the end of the year. New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) president and CEO Doreen M. Harris called the model “highly replicable” and said it could be adopted across New York State.
Voltpost Air is now available for deployment at public and private sites.
Read more: Voltpost just flipped the switch on its first public lamppost EV charger
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Environment
Kia’s electric van was spotted in the US again, but this time it looks a little different
Is Kia’s electric van finally coming to the US? The Kia PV5 was caught testing with a unique design, hinting it’s destined for the US.
Is Kia’s electric van coming to the US?
Although Kia has yet to announce it publicly, all signs point to the PV5 launching in the US. In February, the electric van was first spotted charging at a station in Indiana.
A few photos and a video sent to Electrek confirmed it was indeed the Kia PV5. The sighting came somewhat as a surprise, as the only official statement from Kia said the PV5 would arrive in Europe and South Korea this year, followed by “launches in other markets” in 2026, but no mention was made of the US.
After another PV5 was spotted in Arizona, rumors that Kia’s electric van was coming to the US began to surface again.
Kia still has yet to confirm or deny a US launch, but another sighting hints at the PV5’s imminent debut. The latest spotting, by KindelAuto, appears to be of the US-spec 2026 Kia PV5.
It looks about the same as the Kia PV5 Passenger, which is already available in parts of Europe and South Korea. However, although it’s not very clear, Kia’s electric van appears to have added side marker lights, a requirement in the US.
Following its launch in the UK earlier this year, the Kia PV5 Passenger is now being introduced to new European markets.
In the UK, it starts at £32,995 ($44,000) on the road. In Germany, the PV5 Passenger is priced from €38,290 ($45,000) or €249 per month.
Kia’s electric van is available in two variants: Passenger, for everyday driving, and Cargo, for business use. The PV5 Passenger is available with two battery pack options: 51.5 kWh and 71.2 kWh, providing WLTP ranges of 183 miles and 256 miles, respectively. Meanwhile, several more variants are on the way.
During its PV5 Tech Day in July, we learned that Kia plans to launch seven PV5 body types, including a Light Camper, a premium “Prime” Passenger model, and an open bed version.
We’ll have to wait for the official word, but there’s still hope Kia’s electric van will make it to the US. We should find out soon. Can we get the EV5 too? That might be pushing it.
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