🔋 The U.S. has installed batteries equivalent to 20 nuclear power plants in four years

• The US has installed batteries with a capacity of over 20 gigawatts to the power grid, of which 5 gigawatts were added during the first seven months of this year.
• The batteries have already proven effective in preventing power outages in states like California during intense heat waves.
• According to the US Energy Information Administration, capacity could double to 40 gigawatts by 2025.

Rapid expansion of battery storage

The US is now implementing extensive installation of large-scale batteries to support the power grid. Over the past four years, the country has installed battery capacity equivalent to the production of 20 nuclear power plants. During just the first seven months of 2024, 5 gigawatts of new battery capacity were added, reports The Guardian.

California and Texas are leading the development and have recently seen record levels in battery-powered electricity supply. In California, the batteries helped avoid power outages during summer heat waves, when air conditioning was used intensively.

Support for renewable energy

Battery storage smooths out variations in production from solar and wind power. When the wind isn't blowing or the sun isn't shining, stored energy can be delivered to the grid. "Storage gives us a time machine to deliver electricity when we need it," says John Moura from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation.

According to the US Energy Information Administration, total battery capacity could double to 40 gigawatts by 2025. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that batteries will account for about 40 percent of the short-term flexibility in the world's electricity systems by 2050.

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