Batteries Taking Charge of the California Grid
Batteries have taken a huge leap forward in CAISO this spring, shifting from a noteworthy trend into a major force impacting operations of the grid
Battery storage has been a standout performer in California ISO this spring. After years of growth, batteries have reached a level of operations where they now play a newly impactful role on the grid.
Driven by an acceleration in deployment as the industry broke through supply-chain struggles that plagued projects during the pandemic, data provided by CAISO shows just how stark the difference has been this year:
This graph shows how battery operations have greatly expanded throughout the day. Perhaps most impressively, batteries discharged over 5GW at peak times, marking a 100% increase over the average in just one year.
This intensification of previous trends has had a series of knock-on effects in CAISO, most notably manifesting in the operations of natural gas.
