Pacific Gas power does like to maintain its reputation as the first to try any new technology.
It's usually just some form of renewable energy. -
Wave wheel for space-
Solar, etc.
Today they have a new rotation: compressed air storage for wind turbines.
If this is reminiscent of the image of a turbine filled with a huge balloon, you are not too far away, although the particular balloon being used is not elastic.
Pre-compressed air works best
It has proved to be an existing cave that is well sealed, just like a cave where natural gas is sometimes found.
Whenever the turbine generates excess power, the air is pumped into the cave.
When electricity is needed, heat is applied to inflate and drain the air.
There are already several caves in this way.
One in Germany has been operating since the 1970 th generation, and one in Alabama has been operating since the beginning of 1990.
But it wasn't until recently that the technology received much attention when some entrepreneurs started working to update it.
In reporting the news, San Jose Mercury noted that the American Wind Energy Association is now more willing to skip energy storage and switch to cross-Energy
National Transmission that requires wind power.
Connecticut mom Virginia Beach shooting protesters interrupted Harris PG & E to disagree because it took time to set up the transmission and many projects are still pending.
On top of that, I would also like to make another objection: the United States does not have enough time zones to wind up at one o'clock A. M. in Ohio or Oklahoma, which is useful anywhere else, especially since we built more turbines.
It would be useful if it could be stored economically.
Forecasts suggest that compressed air may only add a few cents to the price of wind power, which is very good considering that night winds are more or less wasteful.
But the project for PG & E will be the first to determine the number.
Currently, they say 300 megawatts of storage in Kern County, California, will cost $0. 356 billion, requiring $25 million in federal initial research funding.
In the blog post on this idea, PG & E did not mention who it might work.
But as far as I know, there is only one important
A startup pursuing air compression.
Last year, unisg Energy Holdings, a subsidiary of utility Public service power and gas in New Jersey, received about $20 million in Energy storage and electricity.
This is a very good sincerity to work with PG & E.