In order to rely on renewable energy sources like wind and solar power, the world is going to have to find efficient ways to store electricity, saving it up for times when the wind is not blowing and the sun is not shining.
One of the leading contenders for large-scale storage at the moment is the lithium ion battery. Elon Musk has promised to build a 100MW batteryin Australia, and energy company AES is constructing a facility of the same size in LA.
Currently, most of the lithium used in these batteries comes from Australia and Chile. But the lithium supply needed to provide large-scale battery storage could come from an unexpected place, according to a new study. Supervolcanoes
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Abigail Beall 