By Leon Stille – Dec 25, 2025, 4:00 PM CST Lithium-ion batteries dominate headlines, but most global energy storage relies on simpler methods. These methods include pumped hydro, compressed air, gravity, and thermal storage using sand or rock. These low-tech systems offer cheap, long-duration storage with minimal degradation, using abundant materials and basic physics rather than complex chemistry. When we talk about energy storage today, lithium-ion batteries tend to dominate the conversa...