New Scientist: Single-celled organisms that can convert electricity into methane could help solve one of the biggest problems with renewable energy âEUR” its unreliability compared to the steady output of polluting fossil-fuel power stations. Wind power is capricious, while solar cell output drops off at night or on cloudy days. That fluctuating output poses big problems for electricity grids that rely on steady levels throughout the day. Proposals to deal with the ups and downs of green power …