Critics of a global transition to clean, renewable electricity argue no wind- or solar-dominated grids exist and solar and wind’s variabilities cause blackouts. This paper uses data from the world’s 5th-largest economy to show no blackouts occurred when wind-water-solar electricity supply exceeded 100 % of demand on California’s main grid for a record 98 of 116 days from late winter to early summer, 2024, for an average (maximum) of 4.84 (10.1) hours/day. Compared with the same period in 2023, solar, wind, and battery outputs in 2024 increased 31 % 8 %, and 105 %, respectively, dropping fossil gas use by an estimated 40 %. Batteries, which shifted excess solar to night, supplied up to ∼12 % of nighttime demand. Wind-water-solar is not the cause of high California electricity prices; to the contrary, most all states with higher shares of their demand met by wind-water-solar experience lower electricity prices. Thus, data support models: a reliable wind-water-solar-dominated large grid appears feasible.
One of the biggest myths about renewable energy is that it isn’t reliable. Sure, the sun sets every night and winds calm down, putting solar panels and turbines to sleep. But when those renewables are humming, they’re providing the grid with electricity and charging banks of batteries, which then supply power at night.
A new study in the journal Renewable Energy that looked at California’s deployment of renewable power highlights just how reliable the future of energy might be. It found that last year, from late winter to early summer, renewables fulfilled 100 percent of the state’s electricity demand for up to 10 hours on 98 of 116 days, a record for California. Not only were there no blackouts during that time, thanks in part to backup battery power, but at their peak the renewables provided up to 162 percent of the grid’s needs — adding extra electricity California could export to neighboring states or use to fill batteries.
“This study really finds that we can keep the grid stable with more and more renewables,” said Mark Z. Jacobson, a civil and environmental engineer at Stanford University and lead author of the new paper. “Every major renewable — geothermal, hydro, wind, solar in particular, even offshore wind — is lower cost than fossil fuels” on average, globally.
Yet Californians pay the second highest rates for electricity in the country. That’s not because of renewables, but in part because utilities’ electrical equipment has set off wildfires — like the Camp Fire started by Pacific Gas and Electric’s power lines, which devastated the town of Paradise and killed 85 people — and now they’re passing the costs that come from lawsuits and burying transmission lines to their customers. While investigators don’t know for sure what sparked all of the wildfires that have ravaged Los Angeles this month, they’ll be scrutinizing electrical equipment in the area. Power lines are especially prone to failing in high winds, like the 100-mile-per-hour gusts that turned these Southern California fires into monsters.
Even with the incessant challenge of wildfires, California utilities are rapidly shifting to clean energy, with about half of the state’s power generated by renewables like hydropower, wind, and solar. The study compared 116 days in 2024 to the same period in 2023 and discovered California’s output from solar was 31 percent higher and wind 8 percent. After increasing more than 30-fold between 2020 and 2023, the state’s battery capacity doubled between 2023 and 2024, and is now equivalent to the juice produced by more than four nuclear power plants. According to the study, all that new clean tech helped California’s power plants burn 40 percent less fossil fuel for electricty last year.
Those batteries help grid operators be more flexible in meeting demand for electricity, which tends to peak when people return home in the early evening and switch on appliances like air conditioners — just when the grid is losing solar power. “Now we’re seeing the batteries get charged up in the middle of the day, and then meet the portion of the demand in the evening, especially during those hot summer days,” said Mark Rothleder, chief operating officer of the California Independent System Operator, the nonprofit that runs the state’s grid.
Another pervasive myth about renewables is that they won’t be able to support a lot more electric vehicles, induction stoves, and heat pumps plugging into the grid. But here, too, California busts the myth: Between 2023 and 2024, demand on the state’s grid during the study period actually dropped by about 1 percent.
Why? In part because some customers installed their own solar panels, using that free solar energy instead of drawing power from the grid. In 2016, almost none of those customers had batteries to store that solar power to use at night. But battery adoption rose each of the following years, reaching 13 percent of buildings installing solar in 2023, then skyrocketing to 38 percent last year. (That is, of the 1,222 megawatts of solar capacity added last year, 464 megawatts included batteries.) That reduces demand on the grid because those customers can now use their solar power at night.
Batteries also help utilities get better returns on their investments in solar panels. A solar farm makes all its money selling electricity during the day. But if it has batteries attached to the farm, it can also provide energy in the evening, when electricity prices rise due to increased demand. “That evening battery contribution is very key to the economics working out well,” said Jan Kleissl, director of the Center for Energy Research at the University of California, San Diego, who wasn’t involved in the new paper.
KERA (Dallas, Tx NPR Station):
Texas’ energy grid is becoming more reliable now — three years after millions of Texans lost power during a deadly winter storm. But energy experts say the grid still faces challenges as providers transition to clean energy sources.
Industry experts came together at The University of Texas at Arlington on Friday for GridNEXT DFW, a discussion forum focused on the future of energy solutions in the state.
“I think the grid that you see in five years is going to be very different than the one we have today,” said Woody Rickerson, Chief Operating Officer for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). “Even though we’ve seen a lot of changes in recent years, that change is going to continue.”
Rickerson gave a keynote speech during the forum. He spoke about the growing availability of energy resources, including solar, wind, natural gas and battery storage.
“I think there are more wind and more solar units than we’ve ever seen before, so there’s more access to that type of energy, but we also have to deal with the variability that comes with those,” Rickerson said.
Rickerson added that battery storage will also play a huge role in keeping up with the growing demand for power.
But some of the batteries just went up in flames. How much diesel fuel and gasoline is being used to produce these batteries, panels and windmills? Now the governor of California has created a reduction in solar payback for panel owners.
the Moss landing battery storage facility that just had a fire relied on now-obsolete lithium ion batteries,
in an open array in a single large room – something that also is no longer being done.
New batteries are lithium iron phosphate, much more fire resistant, and are deployed in
shipping container sized pods, each with its own redundant fire-suppression system.
Technology gets better.
I remember when Apple MacBooks were bursting into flame on the assembly line, back around
1999-2000. Wish I had bought 10,000 dollars in Apple stock the week that happened….
California Public Utilities Commission did that—stupidly, insanely, & politically. Arguing for 1 whole set of stupid insane acts by citing another—is that really a smart strategy? But at least place the blame in the right place. Even California is still ruled by fossil fueled right wing lunatics.
Windmills pump water & grind grain. Wind turbines generate electricity. You didn’t need to use the wrong word just to evil-signal; we already know you’re a right wing climate denying delayalist & ARF (anti-renewable fanatic).
Here’s 1 for you: how many times have I debunked that other stupid argument? (#2)
Of course you don’t know that. How could you? Just because you say a lot of other things you don’t know doesn’t mean … but I guess it does.
Anyway, a lot. A LOT! Hundreds of times!
We use fossil fuels to do most things, now. On average in the US we also use about 20%+ renewable electricity & 19% nuke e.. Other countries where most of those things are made are higher in renewables, plus, since the people making them typically like them, they often use onsite solar, PPAs, EVs, heat pumps, etc. to raise the percentage of RE used to make solar, wind turbines, EVs, heat pumps, etc.. The more RE we build, the less fossil fuels are used to make everything, especially renewable stuff, EVs, heat pumps, induction cookers, clotheslines, etc.
One way or another, eventually everything will be made & done with 100% renewable energy. The more right wing ARFs & climate denying delayalists lie, JAQ off, manipulate, bribe, bully, smear, intimidate, destroy democracy, drive us toward fascism, & worse, to delay the transition to renewable energy & a sustainable civilization, the longer that takes, the more fossil fuels are used, & the less chance civilization has of surviving. So congrats on a job well done.