Many of us typically do not give much thought to the batteries that power our electronic devices other than when our cell phones, laptops, or EVs run out of juice. Fewer still associate them with our power supply since they tend to be tucked away from sight and are not nearly as imposing as the towering smokestacks of fossil fuel power plants. Yet, the humble lithium-ion battery is beginning to threaten coal and natural gas power plants as utilities everywhere increasingly plug them into the electric grid. Indeed, there’s an unfolding trend whereby cheap grid-scale batteries are beginning to replace fossil fuel power plants as the more economical option for supplying extra power during times of peak usage thanks to falling costs. The trend is gaining serious momentum as the transition to renewables shifts into higher gear. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has reported that there were 125 […]