Not All Drilling in Texas Is About Oil

Gravity batteries can store excess renewable energy in abandoned mine shafts, offering coal-dependent communities economic and environmental benefits. This energy storage tactic is being used in various iterations around the globe.

Localized, distributed energy systems are popping up around California. As the larger electricity system becomes less reliable in the face of wildfires, more individuals are turning to microgrids and solar energy with help from organizations like Clean Coalition and Stone Edge Farm Microgrid. While still happening on a small scale, such energy systems may become more popular as its sustainability in a changing climate shows to be more resilient.

Solar power is an important renewable energy in Germany, but when the sun is out, it can overpower the grid. Likewise, when the sun is not out, the reception of solar power decreases. Germany has piloted battery installations that store solar energy for use when the sunlight is not plentiful and has successfully incentivized citizens to use them to lower costs.

The Nigerian Conservation Foundation donated two solar-powered freezers (and a private business investment in additional solar freezers) to the off-grid coastal community of Ayetoro. Now, affordable and sustainable alternatives to the (previously generator-powered) cold storage can meet the community's needs to preserve fish and reducing post-harvest losses.

The SunZia project (a 916-turbine, 550-mile transmission wind energy system in New Mexico) now delivers up to 3.65 gigawatts of clean electricity to Arizona and California. Since testing began in April 2026, it's already driven record-breaking wind power generation five times on California's grid.

The KilimoAI app uses artificial intelligence to help Tanzanian smallholder farmers identify crop diseases through their smartphones, enabling thousands farmers to reduce unnecessary pesticide use. Using the app has lowered operational costs and improved yields by catching crop infections early instead of relying on agro-input shops that often oversell chemicals.

GPS collars create virtual fences, allowing Wyoming ranchers to remove miles of barbed wire and enabling wildlife migration. This reduces fence maintenance costs and improves ecosystem management through flexible grazing patterns, though the technology faces challenges including high upfront costs, connectivity issues, and cultural resistance.

Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology allows electric vehicles to send stored battery power back to utilities during peak demand periods. Early pilot programs in Maryland and California have demonstrated reduced grid stress, lower electricity costs, and the potential to transform millions of parked EVs into a distributed energy storage network.

Microgrids, small-scale energy systems that can operate either independently or as part of the larger electric grid, are growing in popularity and effectiveness. In one example on tribal land in California, a microgrid saves 25 percent of electricity costs and reduces Blue Lake Rancheria's carbon footprint by hundreds of tons of carbon annually.

A pilot program in New Hampshire provided residents with home batteries that can be charged during lower-cost electricity hours and used later during higher-cost hours to reduce energy costs. Stored energy could also be sent back to the grid for use during peak hours.