Since Governor Newsom took office, California’s battery storage has increased 1,944% – and just achieved a major milestone
What you need to know: California’s battery storage capacity now exceeds 15,700 megawatts, an unprecedented milestone that reflects the Newsom administration’s continued leadership in building the grid of the future.
SACRAMENTO — California continues to rapidly expand its energy storage statewide, adding 2,300 megawatts (MW) since last September for a total of 15,763 MW of battery storage capacity, according to new data released today. This reflects a 1,944% increase since the start of the Newsom Administration – up from 770 MW in 2019.
Energy storage – particularly battery storage – has become a key resource in the state’s energy transformation. Battery systems capture power produced by wind and solar resources and discharge the energy back to the electric grid during times of peak demand – creating a safer and more reliable power grid.
California is adding battery storage at a pace never seen before as we continue our work to build the grid of the future. The key to a cleaner, more reliable power grid is batteries – and no other jurisdiction on the planet, save China, comes even close to our rapid deployment.
Governor Gavin Newsom
On a smaller scale, tens of thousands of residential and commercial battery systems provide backup power and flexibility to homes, schools and businesses. They make up about 2,500 MW of total storage statewide, or about 16% of the battery storage total.
The state projects that more than 48,000 MW of battery storage and 4,000 MW of long duration storage will be needed by 2045. Long duration energy storage systems are especially important, as they can provide up to 10 hours of power–more than double the four hours of power provided by traditional battery storage technology.
As California builds out the grid of the future, it is focusing efforts on proactively addressing safety for utility-scale battery storage systems through comprehensive state level collaborations and regulatory updates. Building battery storage is a critical part of the Governor’s build more, faster agenda delivering infrastructure upgrades and creating thousands of jobs across the state.
Governor Gavin Newsom recently convened a state-level collaborative to find opportunities to improve safety as the technology continues to evolve. Last month, the California Public Utilities Commission implemented new safety standards for battery storage facilities. Other key initiatives include an update to the California Fire Code happening this year, expected to include enhanced BESS safety standards.
California’s climate leadership
Pollution is down and the economy is up. Greenhouse gas emissions in California are down 20% since 2000 – even as the state’s GDP increased 78% in that same time period.
The state continues to set clean energy records. Last year, California ran on 100% clean electricity for the equivalent of 51 days – with the grid running on 100% clean energy for some period three out of every five days.