"Large batteries that store electricity have revolutionized power grids and car markets. Now some start-ups are betting that “heat batteries” could be just as transformative."
"Nestled in the cornfields of eastern South Dakota, a new type of battery is running, and some companies are betting the idea could transform the global energy system.
Most big batteries store electricity and discharge it as needed, and they have already revolutionized power grids and ushered in an era of electric vehicles. But this battery array, built over the past year by a start-up called Antora Energy, stores large amounts of blistering heat.
To charge up, Antora draws surplus electricity from nearby wind farms that would otherwise go to waste, using it to heat carbon blocks to as much as 4,352 degrees Fahrenheit. The blocks stay hot for days, releasing heat on demand to produce steam for a nearby biofuel refinery, replacing the need to burn natural gas and coal.
Only a smattering of these large heat batteries exist today. But experts say the technology, also known as thermal storage, has the potential to unlock vast amounts of low-cost clean energy."
Brad Plumer reports for the New York Times October 29, 2026.
