Energy Unplugged by Aurora EP.258 Ben Guest on Batteries, Flexibility and the Future of the UK Grid
Oct 7, 2025
Ben Guest, Managing Director of Gresham House Energy Transition, shares his two decades of expertise in battery storage and renewable energy. He discusses how storage is key to decarbonization and stabilizing the grid by firming intermittent power. Ben explains the economic advantages of batteries over costly network upgrades and the potential of long-duration storage to address prolonged low renewable generation. He also highlights the need for policy changes to support optimal storage solutions and the evolving landscape of investment in energy storage.
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Storage Firms Up Renewables
- Battery storage makes renewable power dispatchable by storing energy and releasing it when needed.
- This firms up intermittent renewables and helps balance supply and demand on the grid.
Location Multiplies Storage Needs
- The national storage need depends on renewable intermittency and network limits, not just total demand.
- Locational constraints multiply storage requirements because generation sits where the network can't always deliver it.
Prefer Storage Over Overbuilding
- Use storage as a substitute for some network upgrades to avoid overbuilding transmission capacity.
- Favor deflationary, mass-manufactured assets like batteries where they can replace inflationary network spend.