How true with this article. The first 90% or so is a recap of the need for storage and some of the key technologies and players. Electrical Storage 101.

But just when the story gets interesting: “electricity storage depends on four interrelated strategic variables that impact all green technology - political, scientific/climate, economic, and technological.” it ends!

I would have love to read an analysis and discussion of these “factors”.

However, I did find this bit salient for VRB Power:

“Can electricity storage solutions become so inexpensive they can compete with conventional buffering technologies such as quick start natural gas power plants? Probably not.”

VRB “longs” might want to re-read the 2007 annual report where they note an injection molded frame has now been developed at 10% of the previous cost yielding a 50% reduction in the total cost of their 5kW cell stack.

In any biz, managing your costs — reducing labor and material input cost is great management. And a key component in a sustainable competitive strategy. Even more so for a manufacturing firm.

And finally this bit from the very end: “How far electricity storage goes as an industry will depend not just on how storage technology develops, but also to what extent the political decision is made to eliminate dependence on fossil fuel altogether.”

The first part on the technology developing plays well into VRB’s cost reductions. The last part is, IMHO, not precise enough. It’s not politics that will drive this; it’s economics. And the economics of peak oil say fossil fuel prices will stay high and keep rising on an upward trend. High oil prices are the “driver” will put the wind in political sails.

Let alone that T. Boone Pickens is all over TV promoting his $10 billion dollar wind farm project and saying America has got to radically reduce the the $600 billion it sends overseas each year to feed its oil addiction.

Call me “old fashion.” Call me “cynical.” But politicians don’t act; they react.