Well, it really depends on the kind of battery. I don't understand why these utilities are not creating a centralized battery in the form of, for example, pump

Well, it really depends on the kind of battery. I don't understand why these utilities are not creating a centralized battery in the form of, for example, pumped water. Use excess energy in the day to pump the water up, and let it down when the current energy demand exceeds standard production rates. Pumped water is not the only possibility either, there are plenty of alternatives which are not terrible for the environment. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_storage https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_storage