California’s Grid Being Saved by Batteries, PG&E CEO Says

(Bloomberg) -- California’s solar-heavy electrical grid has been able to keep the lights on this summer during extreme heat waves in large part because of the rapid battery deployment, the head of the state’s biggest utility said. 

“We can leverage that stored energy and dispatch it when we need it,” PG&E Chief Executive Officer Patti Poppe said in an interview on the sidelines of the RE+ conference in Anaheim, California. 

California’s main grid operator hasn’t asked customers to conserve power this summer despite multiple periods of triple-digit temperatures, according to a state report.  That’s in stark contrast to four years ago when the state resorted to brief, rotating outages during an extreme heat wave. 

The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning for the Los Angeles area this week with dangerously hot conditions and temperatures soaring up to 102F (39C).

The state’s grid now has about 10 gigawatts of utility-scale batteries, which charge during the day when solar power is plentiful and and then provide power when the sun sets. California required installation of batteries to help make its energy system 100% zero-carbon by 2045. 

PG&E so far has connected to more than 3.5 gigawatts of battery capacity, Poppe said. One gigawatt can provide enough power about 750,000 homes and businesses.  

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