California Grid Sees Tenfold Spike in Battery Storage in 3 Years
- Batteries are keeping the lights on during extreme weather
- Large-scale batteries play key role in state’s solar push
The Crimson Battery Energy Storage Project in Blythe, California
Photographer: Bing Guan/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
California has, in just three years, seen a tenfold increase in batteries plugged into its grid as solar and wind installations take the place of aging gas-burning power plants.
The state now has enough large-scale batteries to supply 5,600 megawatts of electricity, up from 500 megawatts in 2020, the California Independent System Operator reported Tuesday. That’s enough to power 3.8 million homes for about four hours before the batteries need to be recharged, according to the operator.