This report is available at no cost from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at www.nrel.gov/publications. U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) reports produced after 1991 and a growing number of pre-1991 documents are available free via www.OSTI.gov.Cover Photo by Dennis Schroeder: NREL 46494.NREL prints on paper that contains recycled content.
Solar and wind energy are being rapidly integrated into electricity grids around the world. As renewables penetration increases beyond 80%, electricity grids will require long-duration energy storage or flexible, low-carbon electricity generation to meet demand and help keep electricity prices low. Here, we evaluate the costs of applicable technologies based on current technology status and future projections. We show which technologies have the lowest costs and identify opportunities for each to help decarbonize the electricity grid.
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