Could California’s old oil fields become part of the state’s clean energy future? In this episode, we meet Mike Umbro, a California native testing a new approach to long-duration energy storage.

With support from federal labs and the Department of Energy, his team is working to store solar heat deep underground—potentially generating zero-emission electricity for up to 42 days. While the science behind it is established, the project still faces long permitting delays.

We take a closer look at how this unconventional idea might help California meet its energy goals—and what stands in the way.

Views expressed in this video are the opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.