California is adding massive amounts of battery energy storage and its project pipeline shows no signs of slowing down. Batteries are playing an increasingly dominant role on the electricity grid, taking solar energy in the middle of the day and moving it to the evening peak, where they have become the largest single supplier.
At 10,379 MW, California has increased its battery capacity by 1,250% over the past five years – up from 770 MW in 2019. The state is expected to need 52 GW of energy storage to meet its ambitious goal of 100% clean electricity by 2045.
Developers plan to add 6,813 MW of battery power storage capacity this year in the California Independent System Operator’s (CAISO) domain, dominated by four-hour lithium-ion systems, which is about double their additions in 2023, according to an analysis from S&P Global Market Intelligence data.
“In just five years [since the beginning of the Newsom Administration]California has increased its battery storage capacity more than tenfold,” said California Governor Gavin Newsom. “Our energy storage revolution has arrived, and it couldn’t come at a crucial time as we transition from an electrical grid powered by dirty fossil fuels to an electrical grid powered by clean energy.”
The ever-expanding battery energy storage fleet is becoming critical for California to maintain a clean and reliable electric grid – storing energy from renewable sources such as solar during the day for use when solar power fades in the evenings.
Just a few weeks ago, battery energy storage became the largest source of supply to the grid for the first time ever, as its discharge exceeded 6 GW. During this milestone, battery storage overtook gas, nuclear, hydro and renewables as the largest source of supply for a period of approximately two hours during the evening peak.
In what appears to be the new normal, battery storage was again the largest supplier on the electricity grid during the evening peak last weekend. According to data collected by CAISOs Grid statusa new record discharge of 6.52 GW was registered this weekend. On April 30, peak battery discharge rose to 6.76 GW, breaking the previous record.
Five years ago, the record yield for battery storage was only 120 MW, the data tracker shows.
In its latest annual transmission plan, CAISO proposes to invest $6.1 billion in 26 grid improvements to connect new renewable energy projects by 2035. This would pave the way for 38 GW of new solar capacity, most of which would be accompanied by battery storage.
CAISO’s latest plan aims to improve access for battery projects co-located with solar or wind, as well as for standalone systems near major load centers in the Los Angeles Basin, the Greater Bay Area and San Diego.
U.S. installed battery capacity will double to 30 GW this year thanks to investments in California and Texas, the Energy Information Agency said in January.
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