California Wine Town to Fight Blackouts With Batteries, Hydrogen
Backup system in Calistoga will keep lights on for 2 days during emergency power shutoffs.
Traffic moves past a 76 gas station during a blackout in Calistoga, California, U.S., on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/BloombergA California wine country town plagued by wildfires and blackouts could soon get a backup power supply capable of running most of its homes and businesses for two days on batteries and green hydrogen.
Utility giant PG&E Corp. and Energy Vault Holdings Inc. plan to create a microgrid covering most of Calistoga, a small town of restaurants, tasting rooms and shops at Napa Valley’s northern end. During disruptions on the region’s electrical grid, the microgrid would use a mix of lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells running on hydrogen to supply the town, with no greenhouse gas emissions.