Excerpt from smart-energy.com
The most popular forms of renewable energy cannot flexibly increase or decrease production to meet demand like fossil fuel-fired power plants can. Supply is unable to meet demand in areas with major renewable energy development. The emergence of “duck curves,” already happening in states like California, could become a problem in much of the country as renewable energy becomes more popular.
New, grid-scale battery projects may be the best available solution to this problem.
How renewable energy has begun to strain the grid
Governments worldwide have good reason to fast-track the transition to renewable energy — and accelerating the pivot from fossil fuels is possible with existing technology. However, to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy, grid operators will need to have a solution to its overproduction problem.
The most popular forms of renewable energy are, by nature, intermittent. Because power generation by solar or wind farms can vary significantly over time — and without regard to energy demand — the introduction of renewable power can cause significant grid strain.