Seating himself at the coffee shop counter, Will ordered his usual.  Then turning around, he immediately regretted his choice of location.  Alas, the “Complaint Dept.,” a clutch of weekday regulars, was sitting directly behind him.  The grumbling had already begun…
             “Nobody wants one of those huge wind things near them.  They say ya can’t even hear some of their subsonic noises, but they are there!” Yannitah Flickerless complained. “How about all those solar panels covering up perfectly good cropland – shameful!” Corrin Field added. “And they string ‘em together with ugly power lines crisscrossing all over creation,” Manny Bigpoles lamented “Well, them coal and gas plants ain’t any better.  Been dirtying our air for decades.  They’re just not so obvious about it ‘round these parts.” groused Les Sootiaire.”  
            Having heard enough, Will Saveatonn turned and scolded, “Quit yer belly-aching! Every one of us can do something about those towers, panels, wires and soot.  But just complaining won’t help!” Grabbing his coffee mug, Will sidled up to their table. “Betcha didn’t know that most of us could reduce our utility costs by about 25% according to the U.S. Dept. of Energy. That’s a cool $2,200 or so a year.  If we all used less energy, we’d need fewer turbines, solar farms, and power lines.  So listen up!” Will advised.
            “Wow! Twenty-two hundred bucks!? I’m all ears!” Manny exclaimed.
           Will went on to explain that Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy (FOE) (focusonenergy.com) program is a highly rated, easy-to-use resource for lowering energy costs.  In 2021, FOE helped Wisconsin homeowners, businesses and non-profits save about $900 million over the lifetime of their efficiency improvements!  Not only is FOE chockfull of information, it has millions of dollars in direct cash incentives to disperse and tax credit advice concerning efficiency projects.  Improvements can range from relatively simple LED lighting upgrades to major heating/cooling overhauls or insulation expansion.
             “Now I get it!” Manny exclaimed. “Improving energy efficiency reduces the need for massive infrastructure projects, decreases damaging emissions AND saves us money too!  I’m through with being part of the Complaint Department and waiting for somebody else to act.”  Then he turned to his friends at the table. “Each one of us needs to step up and do what we can.  And there’s no time to dilly-dally because this is the only home we’ll ever know.  It’s where we’re all forever…Earthbound.”

              “But Mom,” Kyle O. Watt complained, “who wants to see a bunch of boring old batteries? Do we have to?”
“Oh Sweetie,” Meg A. Watt coaxed, “just come with me.  I think you’ll be surprised!”  So through the Energy Storage Expo doors they zipped.
            “Hey look!  It’s the ‘A’ triplets – they're so tiny!” Meg gushed. “But here’s the section I think you’ll really like,” she remarked pointing to the Hall of Energy Innovations. “These days there’s so much more to energy storage than lead-acid or even lithium batteries.  You know, energy storage is a key component to a clean energy future.” 
             Meg went on to explain why. “Energy storage can provide backup power during disruptions.  That makes the grid more flexible helping to ensure uninterrupted power.  And, large-scale energy storage saves money by stockpiling inexpensive clean energy so it can be used later when and where it’s needed.  That reduces the need for operating pollution-emitting peak-power plants.  Finally, energy storage can smooth out variable and intermittent power sources like wind and solar for a more reliable and resilient electrical grid,” she concluded.
            Walking in, Kyle expected to see complex arrays and strings of containers that looked more-or-less like a bunch of batteries joined together.  To be sure, there were some of these using advanced lithium-ion technology or zinc-air batteries.  He learned that zinc’s abundant supply, inherent stability, and low toxicity make this a promising new technology.
           But beyond batteries, the next display showed how flywheels and resources such as molten salts, and phase-changing materials store heat energy for use as needed.  Hydrogen storage technology is advancing quickly also.  It could be used as a clean fuel for cars or for portable power supplies for buildings.  Another storage innovation isn’t a “thing” at all; it’s a system.  Distributed storage systems, like electric vehicles (EVs) and microgrids, allow individual facilities to produce energy on-site and save it for personal use as needed.
          “Wow!” Kyle marveled, “someday I might be stored in one of these cool new ways!  I’ll be all juiced up with economical, clean energy for some deserving family.”  
          Meg smiled and added, “These humans have the huge challenge of transitioning to a clean energy economy as quickly as possible.  I know they’ll make it happen because this is the only home they’ll ever know.  It’s where they’re all forever…Earthbound.”