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Storing excess renewable resources, such as solar and wind, is vital in securing an energy-efficient future. To understand just how vital energy storage is, consider this. Fossil fuel, such as coal and oil, are forms of stored energy, always ready when society needs it. Solar and wind are forms of “real” energy, coming and going irregularly. If we want to replace the value that fossil fuels afford our society, we have no choice but to add storage to intermittent renewable energy to make it readily available.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA — China's demand for iron ore, copper, coal and aluminum will increase dramatically during the next 15 years before India takes the lead in its need for those commodities, global miner Rio Tinto Ltd. predicted in its annual report released Tuesday.

n 2010, thermal energy displaced hydro as the major source of energy generation for the Chilean Central Interconnected System.  Coal, natural gas, and diesel supplied over 50% of energy consumed while hydropower accounted for 48%.  This trend is expected to continue in 2011 if current water shortage conditions persist. (El Mercurio, 1/4/11)  Last year’s drought created a 26% increase in thermal generation as compared to 2009.

The Regional Energy Efficiency Strategy initiative led by Bun-ca has reported an energy savings of 9368 MWh over the past six years, equivalent to 4992 tons of carbon dioxide, by working with 190 companies in the industrial and commercial sectors to become more energy efficient.   Recently UNEP’s En.lighten study estimated that Costa Rica could save 276,000 MWh and $27.6 million per year if they changed all light bulbs to CFLs.  The cost of this change was estimated to be $22.63 million.  (El Financiero CR, 1/3/11)

The Mexican government is planning to invest four billion dollars to build a one thousand megawatt renewable energy storage facility in Northern Mexico.   The facility will use a special kind of sodium sulfide batteries for the project which is expected to be completed in the next six years.  (Clean Techies, 1/6/11)

Teck Resources Ltd., Canada’s largest base-metals producer, said its partnership with China’s sovereign wealth fund will win the company more coal, copper and zinc sales and provide financing for future acquisitions.

All this while crews try to figure how to drill pass the mantle of ice covering 99% of the continent, which is over 2 miles thick, but it stores an abundance of highly sought resources, including coal, iron ore, manganese, copper, lead, uranium, diamonds and billions of barrels of oil reserves.

India has to hugely expand nuclear power along with its entire power system to bring electricity to 300 million people and move away from coal, according to a study by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

BHP’s focus is on a narrow range of coal, copper, petroleum and iron ore businesses that generate most of its profits at the highest margins.

Electric Dreams: The battery revolution and commodity markets As leading carmakers move to electrify their fleet and companies like Alphabet and Uber work on self-driving cars, the commodity industry is being forced to grapple with some difficult questions. EV’s have the potential to reduce oil demand considerably, but how fast and how soon remains a subject of fierce debate. Equally, utility scale battery technology could have a devastating impact on the coal industry if it is able to provide storage for renewable energy. In contrast, EV’s could be a boon to the metals industry and materials like copper, lithium and cobalt that are the key elements of the modern battery. Executives from mining, energy and commodity trading will discuss these topics and others.