New energy storage offerings from Tesla and other manufacturers are widely expected to enhance the attractiveness of rooftop solar power and other renewables . However, recent analysis from the Brattle Group shows that even with rapid cost reductions, grid-independence will remain beyond the reach of most consumers . Last month’s Annual Energy Conference of the US Energy Information Administration included speakers and panels on topics such as crude-by-rail, potential US oil exports, and the role of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, all of which should be familiar to my readers here. However, the topic that really caught my interest this year was energy storage. Storage has been in the news lately, particularly since the launch of Tesla’s new home and commercial energy storage products . In fact, Tesla’s Chief Technology Officer spoke on the first morning of the conference. Much of his talk (very large file) focused on Tesla’s expectations […]