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Energy storage has always been the holy grail that would unlock renewable energy. Hydroelectric power has always been the cheapest and most abundant form of clean energy. Well, Ireland is trying to leverage both of these concepts to store the excess wind energy the country is producing through “pumped storage,” areas along the Atlantic coastline where excess wind power is used to pump seawater up an incline for release as hydropower when needed. Ireland’s economy is struggling and part of the motivation for this project, which will cost over $4 billion dollars, is to become a net energy exporter. Energy rates are much higher in Europe and that is a good thing for renewables since the technology isn’t competing with super cheap coal or natural gas power, as we see in places like the U.S. The proposed project is being called the Spirit of Ireland.