PG&E’s Tesla Megapack Is Now Operational
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Pacific Gas and Electric’s 182-megawatt Tesla Megapack Elkhorn battery is now in operation, the Associated Press has reported. The energy storage system is located in Monterey Bay’s Elkhorn slough in Northern California and was part of a partnership between Tesla and PG&E. Included in the system are a total of 256 Tesla Megapacks on 33 concrete slabs. These have the capacity to store and dispatch up to 730 megawatt-hours of energy to the grid.
The system was approved by California Public Utilities Commission in 2018 and two years later by the Monterey County Planning Commission. It’s one of nine projects that will bring much more energy storage to the utility. PG&E Corporation CEO Pattie Poppe spoke of the need for innovative partners such as Tesla as the utility moves toward a clean energy future.
“We are committed to safely delivering reliable and clean energy in a way that achieves the greatest value for our customers, but we can’t go it alone into this clean energy future. Projects like this require innovative partners, such as Tesla, and PG&E will continue to seek out and work with the best and brightest to provide breakthrough clean energy solutions for our customers.”
Last year, Tesla built a factory specifically for its Megapack batteries. Not only did it create over 1,000 jobs for the San Joaquin County area, but the factory will help Tesla produce more Megapacks to meet the demand for its top-selling battery storage systems.
In a report released by the International Energy Agency (IEA), it was noted that in 2020, battery storage capacity additions rose to a record high of 5 GW — up 50% after 2019. The report also pointed out that the global energy storage market is rebounding, with China, Europe, and the US being the leaders. You can read more here.
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