Extreme heat is becoming a bigger test for the electric grid. California just offered an important example of how battery storage can help.
California recently made it through the hottest August on record without rolling power outages or widespread calls to conserve electricity. That’s a big change from August 2020, when a severe heat wave strained the grid and hundreds of thousands of households lost power in rolling outages.
One major difference: battery energy storage.
According to a recent Los Angeles Times article, California’s grid had less than 100 megawatts of battery storage available during the 2020 heat wave. Today, it has more than 17,000 megawatts available.
That growth is helping California use more of the solar energy it produces during the day by storing it and sending it back to the grid when demand peaks in the evening and morning. That gives grid operators more options during hours when demand is high and available electricity is tighter.
Washington faces its own set of energy challenges, but the same basic issue applies here. The amount of electricity being produced and the times when people need it don’t always line up, especially as we work to meet rising electricity needs, continue the transition to clean energy, and prepare the grid for more extreme weather.
Storage does not replace every other energy resource or eliminate the need for other investments in Washington’s grid. But it adds flexibility, helps manage peak demand, and supports increased use of clean energy resources. Projects like the proposed Cascadia Ridge Resiliency Energy Storage Project are a crucial part of the larger energy infrastructure conversation.
California’s experience shows what is possible when battery storage is built at scale. Washington should take that lesson seriously as it plans for a more reliable, cleaner energy future.