A hybrid compressed air energy storage system, comprising: a compressor responsive to a driver to generate a compressed air during a charging mode of the hybrid compressed air energy storage system; a first heat exchanger configured to receive the compressed air by the compressor, extract thermal energy from the compressed air by the compressor, and generate a cooled compressed air, wherein the cooled compressed air by the first heat exchanger is conveyed to an air storage reservoir for storage; a carbon-neutral thermal energy source; a second heat exchanger coupled to the carbon-neutral thermal energy source configured to transfer thermal energy supplied by the carbon-neutral thermal energy source to cooled compressed air that, during an electric power generation mode of the hybrid compressed air energy storage system, is conveyed from the air storage reservoir to the second heat exchanger to generate a heated compressed air; a first expander solely responsive to the heated compressed air by the second heat exchanger configured to produce power and generate an expanded air; a recuperator arranged downstream of the first expander configured to receive the expanded air by the first expander and establish thermal transfer between received expanded air and an expanded exhaust gas received by the recuperator, the thermal transfer by the recuperator effective to transfer thermal energy from the received expanded exhaust gas to heat the expanded air by the first expander and in turn cool the received expanded exhaust gas to generate a cooled exhaust gas; a first combustor (152,172) arranged to receive the heated expanded air by the recuperator and generate an exhaust gas; and a second expander (160,180) responsive to the exhaust gas by the first combustor (152,172) to produce further power, the second expander (160,180) being the source of the expanded exhaust gas received by the recuperator, wherein the first expander being solely responsive to the heated compressed air by the second heat exchanger is effective to reduce a temperature of the expanded air by the first expander, and thereby the transfer of thermal energy from the received expanded exhaust gas to heat the expanded air by the first expander is effective for reducing waste of thermal energy in the cooled exhaust gas by the recuperator. a compressor responsive to a driver to generate a compressed air during a charging mode of the hybrid compressed air energy storage system; a first heat exchanger configured to receive the compressed air by the compressor, extract thermal energy from the compressed air by the compressor, and generate a cooled compressed air, wherein the cooled compressed air by the first heat exchanger is conveyed to an air storage reservoir for storage; a carbon-neutral thermal energy source; a second heat exchanger coupled to the carbon-neutral thermal energy source configured to transfer thermal energy supplied by the carbon-neutral thermal energy source to cooled compressed air that, during an electric power generation mode of the hybrid compressed air energy storage system, is conveyed from the air storage reservoir to the second heat exchanger to generate a heated compressed air; a first expander solely responsive to the heated compressed air by the second heat exchanger configured to produce power and generate an expanded air; a recuperator arranged downstream of the first expander configured to receive the expanded air by the first expander and establish thermal transfer between received expanded air and an expanded exhaust gas received by the recuperator, the thermal transfer by the recuperator effective to transfer thermal energy from the received expanded exhaust gas to heat the expanded air by the first expander and in turn cool the received expanded exhaust gas to generate a cooled exhaust gas; a first combustor (152,172) arranged to receive the heated expanded air by the recuperator and generate an exhaust gas; and a second expander (160,180) responsive to the exhaust gas by the first combustor (152,172) to produce further power, the second expander (160,180) being the source of the expanded exhaust gas received by the recuperator, wherein the first expander being solely responsive to the heated compressed air by the second heat exchanger is effective to reduce a temperature of the expanded air by the first expander, and thereby the transfer of thermal energy from the received expanded exhaust gas to heat the expanded air by the first expander is effective for reducing waste of thermal energy in the cooled exhaust gas by the recuperator.