Resilient Energy, Water and Infrastructure

Grid-Scale Subsurface Energy Storage

Illustration depicting compressed air energy storage (CAES) in porous media systems. Illustration by W. Denn.

Understand and develop effective and affordable grid-scale energy storage in the deep subsurface, such as porous media compressed air energy storage, thermal energy storage, or hydrogen storage. Carry out research on capacity assessment, design of systems, performance analysis, assessment of risks, and specialized analysis of site-specific issues.

Overview

Grid-Scale Subsurface Energy Storage is an Energy Geosciences Division initiative within the Resilient Energy, Water and Infrastructure Program Domain.

Featured Projects

News & Events

Geothermal energy pioneer Paul Witherspoon would have been 100 this month

February 8, 2019

Paul Witherspoon is considered the “father” of the Earth Sciences Division here at Berkeley Lab. On Saturday, February 9, 2019, Witherspoon would have been 100 years old. He is widely remembered for having raised awareness of the potential for hydrogeological research to help address energy and environmental challenges that were beginning to emerge in…

Dark Fiber Lays Groundwork for Long-Distance Earthquake Detection and Groundwater Mapping

February 6, 2019

In traditional seismology, researchers studying how the earth moves in the moments before, during, and after an earthquake rely on sensors that cost tens of thousands of dollars to make and install underground. And because of the expense and labor involved, only a few seismic sensors have been installed throughout remote areas of California, making…

Eleven EESA Researchers Receive Fiscal Year 2019 LDRD Funding

January 22, 2019

Berkeley Lab has funded 89 LDRD projects for FY19 at a total value of $22.2M. Proposals have been accepted from 11 EESA research scientists as part of the FY19 LDRD program. Eight of these project teams were awarded renewal funds to continue work begun during the previous fiscal year, and there are three new projects.…

CouFrac Conference Focused on Advances in Coupled Processes in Fractured Media

November 29, 2018

The International Conference on Coupled Processes in Fractured Geological Media: Observation, Modeling, and Application (CouFrac) was held in Wuhan, China, November 12-14, 2018. Berkeley Lab Senior Scientist Jonny Rutqvist initiated the new conference with the objective of focusing on exciting advances in all areas of coupled processes associated with fractured geological media. The conference was…

New Research Shows How Surface Roughness Affects Subsurface Rock Micro-Fractures

October 17, 2018

Mineral surface area largely controls the interactions of minerals with fluids and microbes, and the rate of chemical reactions, including mineral dissolution, precipitation, and oxidation-reduction which involves a transfer of electrons between two species. New research from EESA explores the impact of surface roughness on mineral dissolution rates in micro-fractures within rocks deep underground.…

How Drought and Other Extremes Impact Water Pollution

October 15, 2018

This Q and A article appeared first on the Berkeley Lab News Center. Previously, the work of the Watershed Function SFA Research team was featured during a podcast for News Deeply. You can hear Bhavna Arora talk about her research here. One in 10 Americans depends on the Colorado River for bathing and drinking.…