Breakthrough Science Primer: Electric Grid and Energy Storage
The National Academy of Engineering named electrification as the most important achievement of the 20th century for its impacts on the quality of life in the developed world.
The impact of electrification will only grow in the 21st century because the grid is the backbone of a clean energy future.
Electrification and carbon-free energy generation require a stronger electricity grid — one that can move more power over longer distances while also supporting new loads like electric vehicle charging and energy-intensive industrial processes, and providing reliable service through more extreme and variable weather conditions.
Decarbonization models suggest that the US transmission system will need to double in capacity or more — not necessarily twice as many lines, but twice as much capability of carrying power over distance. More high-power lines would mean fewer miles added, and existing electrical lines can be upgraded to get many more times the power through the same or similar land footprint.
The existing grid system has been built around one-way flow — from power generation to load. It needs widespread deployment of sensing and control systems for managing two-way flow — where power could come from a rooftop solar power or home battery system just as easily as from utility-scale power plants.
At Prime Movers Lab, we have a deep interest in addressing the global challenge of climate change. The grid is at the intersection of two of our verticals — energy and infrastructure. We recognize that transforming the electricity grid is a linchpin for clean, abundant energy access. To understand what the grid needs and where the solutions are, we have spent time speaking with numerous companies developing grid hardware technologies and software services as well as investment and policy experts. To learn more about our take on emerging trends and technologies that could transform the electric grid, check out our latest white paper by Research Fellow Liza Reed and our latest predictions from the Breakthrough Science Roadmap.
White Papers
Breakthrough Science Roadmap Predictions
2023: 12-hour energy storage at low cost
2025: Next-generation mining for lithium and other clean energy metals
2027: Smart transmission lines shut off to avoid sparking fires
2028: Battery energy density doubles
2029: 3-D wireless power grid
2030: Ultra-low-cost electric vehicle batteries
2033: Smart buildings integrate renewables, storage, AI, and efficiency
2034: Multi-day / seasonal energy storage
2038: Battery energy density triples
2048: Battery energy density 5x that of 2020
Webinars
- Opportunities for the Electric Grid
- Large-Scale Energy Storage
- Is Hydrogen The New Green Battery?
- Portable Batteries
Blogs
- The Electric Grid is THE Bottleneck to Decarbonizing Energy by 2050 by Liza Reed
- Prime Movers Lab Webinar Preview: Opportunities for the Electric Grid by Liz Stein
- Prime Movers Lab Webinar Recap: Opportunities for the Electric Grid by Liz Stein
- Why We Invested in Energy Vault
Breakthrough Science Summit Keynotes
Prime Movers Lab invests in breakthrough scientific startups founded by Prime Movers, the inventors who transform billions of lives. We invest in companies reinventing energy, transportation, infrastructure, manufacturing, human augmentation, and agriculture.
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