Batteries
Good news from Batteries in California
Until we get to nuclear fusion, it has been said to me (in casual conversation) that the future of energy is solar and storage. We have already documented some of the breakthroughs in solar tech, but today let's bask in the glory of energy storage.
In a remarkable milestone for renewable energy, the great state of California's utility-scale batteries have shattered records for the amount of power discharged into the state's electrical grid. This portends a new paradigm in terms of grid stability.
CAISO is the independent entity responsible for operating most of California's high-voltage transmission grid infrastructure and energy markets in a reliable and non-discriminatory manner. It manages about 80% of California's electric flow and about 26,000 miles of transmission lines.
CAISO is important because they just released data showing a staggering 7 gigawatts of energy storage discharged recently. This number represents more than a 200% increase from just a year ago and a monumental achievement from 2020 when battery contributions were virtually nonexistent.
This near-exponential growth is a game-changer, helping to defeat the wonderfully named "duck curve" (named for its shape when solar production ramps up during the day and then drops off in the evening). This has been a longstanding serious challenge in integrating solar power into the grid, and I think we have answered that challenge.
What is driving this feat is the same force that's driving solar panel tech, the rapid advancement and adoption of cutting-edge technologies. Costs of storage (like panel costs) continue to decline as performance increases.
This is a real milestone, but I don't think it's a peak. There's still room for further advances. It's needed too, because California has set out some very ambitious climate goals.
More than that, though, this is yet another demonstration of how innovation and determination can pave the way for achievements. In this case, green achievements.