Are Ancient Bugs the Key to Storing Wind and Solar? [Special Content From NREL]
Energy Gang15 Okt 2019

Are Ancient Bugs the Key to Storing Wind and Solar? [Special Content From NREL]

This is a branded podcast made in collaboration between the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and GTM Creative Strategies.

As grids get saturated with wind and solar electricity, there’s pressure to find new ways to store that energy across daily, monthly or seasonal variations.

Could the answer be a billion-year-old microbe?

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory and SoCalGas are currently testing a new bioreactor that could turn renewable electrons into renewable methane -- allowing excess generation to be “stored” in existing natural gas pipelines.

The system relies on an ancient microorganism that ferments hydrogen and carbon dioxide and turns it into methane. By feeding the bugs hydrogen from renewable resources and CO2 from industrial sources, companies like SoCalGas could harness a new supply of renewable natural gas.

NREL has been testing the process in the lab for years. And it finally built a larger-scale version of the bioreactor.

We sent producer Catherine Jaffee to NREL’s lab in Golden, Colorado to check it out. We’ll learn how it works in the first part of the episode.

In the second half of the episode, we talk with NREL’s Kevin Harrison and SoCalGas’ Ron Kent about how the system is performing so far.

Learn more about all the world-changing research on clean energy happening at NREL.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episoder(566)

The mother of all disruptions. What the war with Iran means for energy.

The mother of all disruptions. What the war with Iran means for energy.

The world changed forever on February 28th, 2026. The consequences of the Iran war will take many years to play out. But one fact already seems clear: we are not going back to the world that existed b...

31 Mar 1h 12min

A power producer’s view of keeping the lights on. What does rising electricity demand from data centers mean for the US grid?

A power producer’s view of keeping the lights on. What does rising electricity demand from data centers mean for the US grid?

Energy bills are rising, data centers are multiplying, and the grid is straining to keep up. What happens next? For two decades, electricity prices in the United States barely moved. Demand was flat, ...

17 Mar 1h 10min

The war with Iran: what does the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz mean for global energy?

The war with Iran: what does the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz mean for global energy?

Tanker traffic dries up, oil, gas and fertilizer prices soar, and the world holds its breathThe Strait of Hormuz has long been discussed as one of the single greatest vulnerabilities in global energy ...

10 Mar 1h 11min

Are VPPs really a viable solution for easing strain on the grid? Tesla say yes, and they have big plans

Are VPPs really a viable solution for easing strain on the grid? Tesla say yes, and they have big plans

VPPs – virtual power plants – continue to spark heated debate. Are they genuinely a fast, affordable way to add capacity to the grid? Or are they an overhyped concept that falls apart when electricity...

3 Mar 57min

Data centers are adding an extra 220 gigawatts of electricity demand in the US. How can the grid cope? A second special episode from the ACORE Policy Forum

Data centers are adding an extra 220 gigawatts of electricity demand in the US. How can the grid cope? A second special episode from the ACORE Policy Forum

New analysis from Wood Mackenzie shows that 220 gigawatts of additional power demand from data centers is in the pipeline in the US, and 183 GW of that is already backed by firm commercial commitments...

27 Feb 52min

How are energy supply chains changing as electricity demand surges? A special episode from the ACORE Policy Forum in Washington

How are energy supply chains changing as electricity demand surges? A special episode from the ACORE Policy Forum in Washington

ACORE, the power and renewables industry group, is this week hosting its annual Policy Forum in Washinton DC. It’s an event where industry leaders and experts discuss how the changing landscape of US ...

26 Feb 48min

A solution to the problem of paying for data centre power? Unpacking AWS’s recent 3 gigawatt deal with NIPSCO

A solution to the problem of paying for data centre power? Unpacking AWS’s recent 3 gigawatt deal with NIPSCO

Data centres have become one of the most contentious issue in US power markets. The question of who will pay for the new generation and grid upgrades needed to keep them running has been soaring up th...

17 Feb 41min

Energy storage steps up: the growing role of batteries on the grid, and the challenge from winter storms

Energy storage steps up: the growing role of batteries on the grid, and the challenge from winter storms

It’s the hottest sector in the global energy industry right now, driven by rising power demand, the need to back up variable renewable generation, and escalating threats to grid resilience. It is of c...

10 Feb 1h 1min

Populært innen Business og økonomi

stopp-verden
dine-penger-pengeradet
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
e24-podden
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
rss-borsmorgen-okonominyhetene
pengepodden-2
finansredaksjonen
tid-er-penger-en-podcast-med-peter-warren
livet-pa-veien-med-jan-erik-larssen
utbytte
morgenkaffen-med-finansavisen
rss-markedspuls-2
lederpodden
pengesnakk
rss-pa-konto
liberal-halvtime
rss-fa-makro
rss-investering-gjort-enkelt
boligbobla