California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced April 25 that the state has increased its battery storage capacity by more than 10-fold since 2019, reaching a crucial milestone on its path to 100 percent electricity reliance by 2045.
The governor said increasing battery storage is a crucial part of achieving the ambitious goal of full electricity reliance, as it strengthens the state’s capacity to store energy from renewable sources like solar power during the day for use when solar generation decreases in the evening hours.
“Battery storage is foundational,” Mr. Newsom said during a press conference in Yolo County, alongside state officials at a battery storage and solar facility. “In fact, the excess generation has gone to other states and has gone into more battery storage.”
Announced during Earth Week, the installation of over 10,000 megawatts (MW) of battery storage—enough to power 252,000 households for a day on average—enhances the state’s ability to maintain a clean and reliable power grid, the governor’s office reported.
The Golden State needs to reach a 52,000 MW capacity by 2045 to meet its targets, according to the office.
Additionally, the governor highlighted a series of recent records set by the state’s power grid, including 40 out of the last 48 days operating entirely on clean energy.
“This is simply unprecedented,” he said. “The fifth largest economy in the world, and 11 days straight [running entirely on clean energy], breaking all records.”
However, the governor told reporters that this achievement doesn’t guarantee immunity from blackouts but could be a safety net for the state.
“Storage saved us last year,” he said. “It literally was ‘the thing’ that kept us from those episodic blackouts last year. So it will be a huge part of the solution going forward.”
Mr. Newsom also pointed to Texas’s 2021 blackout due to an unprecedented winter storm, noting the challenges of maintaining oil and gas-powered systems during extreme weather conditions.
“Our energy storage revolution is here, and it couldn’t come at a more pivotal moment as we move from a grid powered by dirty fossil fuels to one powered by clean energy,” Mr. Newsom said in a statement following the announcement. “We’re in the midst of one of the biggest transformations of our time—and California is once again leading the way.”
