a number of technical options need to be developed; their characteristics differ and the various criteria will be important in determining which candidate technologies will be used for various applications. A quantification of the technical and economic criteria for new energy storage technologies relative to the present methods of peak electric generation is given in Exhibit 67. Except for the present technologies, all costs are best approximations, consistent on a relative basis, and are expressed in constant 1970 dollars. The cost estimates are fairly consistent with the JPL results presented earlier and, again, are considerably higher than the EPRI estimates. Each of the technologies can become a viable option occupying a unique place in the energy system in connection with stationary or transportation applications of energy storage. At this time all options listed above merit some measure of support commensurate with the potential application and the current state of development. In all cases, technical feasibility is proven or is obvious. However, technical breakthroughs and innovation will have an important impact since ultimate costs and practical applications are uncertain. Already, major progress in ERDA programs has been made with the lithium/ sulfur battery and hydrogen storage. Key technical and economic aspects of magnetic energy storage are being investigated at the laboratory level. The role of thermal storage, flywheels, and underground compressed air storage is being assessed through detailed systems/application studies. The R&D program will be guided by these studies. The current assessment of the various technologies is as follows: a. Batteries (1) Applications and Goals The goal in this program is to develop high performance cost-effective batteries for use by electric utilities, by the automobile industry, and with intermittent energy sources, such as the sun and the wind. Electric storage batteries for utilities have high potential for use before 1985. Secondary batteries, particularly the high temperature systems which are expected to have a high specific energy of about 150 Wh/kg, have
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTU5NjU0Mg==