California hosts the world’s biggest battery storage system
S. Himmelstein | August 24, 2020The Gateway Energy Storage project recently launched in San Diego County, California, has been crowned as the largest battery energy storage system in the world. Built and operated by grid infrastructure developer LS Power, the project is designed to improve grid stability and reliability while reducing energy costs for consumers.
After connecting the first phase of the project to the grid, which serves about 80% of California along with a 
The project is designed to improve grid stability and reliability while reducing energy costs for consumers. Source: LS Powersmall portion of Nevada, available storage capacity sat at just over 216 MW of energy in July 2020. Battery capability has since been increased, enabling the Gateway system to charge or discharge 230 MW for one hour. This capacity is expected to increase to 250 MW, superseding the Tesla-operated Hornsdale Power Reserve in South Australia, capable of storing 150 MW/193.5 MWh, as the previous record holder.
The system uses lithium-ion batteries from NEC Energy Solutions and includes 98 SMA inverters in a 70,000 ft2 facility. As part of a 15-year contract with Pacific Gas & Electric, LS Power will deliver 50 MW/200 MWh starting October 1, 2021. The company also pledged 100 MW/400 MWh from Gateway to Southern California Edison, effective August 1, 2021.
And yet they still are not capable of supplying the state with its power needs. No need to replace Diablo Canyon, right?
In reply to #1
Why would they care? They get bragging rights for having the world's biggest battery! Never mind that it doesn't come anywhere near meeting the needs of the entire state. Cuz people in California don't matter. Only the politicians matter. Oh and Hollywood ... hollyweird.
In reply to #2
And they are reducing energy costs for consumers. Rolling black-outs help keep consumers' electric bills lower.
In reply to #3
Shoot, I forgot about that. That ought to make the voters MORE likely to vote for them don't you think? So, I guess the strategy works. And I guess the results of all the past elections prove it also.
In reply to #4
Maybe it's that old saying that Albert Einstein probably never said.
Or Dr. Ryan Howes quotes this in his blog:
https://www.psycholo
"Insanity. n. mental illness of such a severe nature that a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality, cannot conduct her/his affairs due to psychosis, or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behavior."
Hmmmmmmm . . . .
In reply to #5
Yeah. Yeah. Well as I remember, you live in Maryland within an hour and a half or so of Washington DC, correct me if I'm wrong, I live in Northern Virginia, within an hour and a half of Washington DC, so you and I have the dubious advantage of being able to watch that particular quote played out on a daily basis from a very close perspective. Of course, everyone in Governor newsom's California, not only gets to watch it, but gets to live it. It's kind of like the old adage about the difference between commitment and involvement. Consider bacon and eggs. The chicken was involved, but the pig was committed. And I suppose that makes Californians at least (guinea) pigs, anyway.
In reply to #6
You are correct.
And I look forward to the day when I no longer have to work and can get out of the rat race around here in the D.C. area. I am sick and tired of all the people (and it is not all the people, but enough of them to be really annoying) who are always in such a rush to get wherever they are going, that they are rude, drive aggressively so they can wait at the next traffic signal, pull right out in front of you because their mission is so much more important than yours, and basically don't give a damn about anyone else than themselves.
Life is too short to be in such a rush.
California will be an example to the rest of the country. It's unsustainable. The voters there must be the largest example of Stockholm Syndrome ever.
Portland, Oregon is another example the rest of us can learn from. Some people seem to think that it is O.K. to let those who yell the loudest set the agendas. Those will go into the ash bins of history.
I sincerely hope that 2020 sends the message that many failed to hear in 2016. There are many reasons why the people elected a president who couldn't win the election. One was to repudiate the insular media who said he couldn't win. The mass media is deaf and blind. All they can hear is themselves and live in houses of mirrors. They don't even pretend to be objective anymore.
Second, the people wanted a president with the courage to turn over the apple carts on BOTH sides of the aisle. The rank-and-file voters of this country are sick of the status quo in Washington D.C. and don't really care if the current president doesn't speak with a sliver tongue. He speaks for the people in refreshingly blunt even if inarticulate terms. You don't have to guess what he is thinking, he tells you. And, he is even capable of stringing two coherent thoughts together without a teleprompter. The debates cannot happen soon enough.
The people need to see that.
In reply to #7
Yep. Yep. We're going to need a lot of popcorn for that one!