California Exceeds Battery Storage Milestone Amid Concerns Over Lithium Battery Safety

Wind turbines and solar panels in Palm Springs, Calif., on March 27, 2013. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

California has increased its battery storage capacity by nearly one-third in the past six months, as the state strives to reach its clean energy goals, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Oct. 15.

The state has continued its push for more electric battery storage, although some local and state lawmakers have sounded alarms about lithium battery safety after multiple fires in the state.

The increased battery power is among the resources the state needs more of as heat waves become hotter and longer, Newsom added.

“We’re cutting pollution by adding more clean power to our grid,” Newsom said in a statement Tuesday. “That means rapidly expanding battery storage to capture more of this clean energy that’s produced during the day, like solar, for when it’s needed when the sun goes down.”

California has grown its battery storage by more than 15 times, from 770 megawatts in 2019 to 13,391 megawatts this month, which is about one-quarter of its goal, according to Newsom’s office.

One megawatt is equal to one-million watts, which can power between 400 to 900 homes in a year, depending on energy use, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The state’s goal is to reach 52,000 megawatts of storage by 2045.

Currently, nearly 11,500 megawatts of the storage are captured by utilities, about 1,400 megawatts are stored by residents, and commercial entities hold about 575 megawatts.

Battery storage is a critical component of the state’s climate agenda, according to Newsom’s office. Increasing storage allows the state’s grid to store energy from solar during the day and use it during peak demand times in the evening.

The California Energy Commission reported that the state generated enough energy from renewable sources between January and September this year to meet 45 days of demand with 100 percent clean energy.

The use of lithium battery technology in the state, however, has caused concern among lawmakers after a handful of battery fires closed highways and put public safety at risk.

Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a battery storage and solar facility in Winters, Calif., on April 25, 2024. Newsom announced the state's progress in clean energy energy storage on Oct. 15, 2024. Office of Gov. Gavin Newsom

In the latest incident, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved adding more requirements to building codes to ensure new battery energy storage systems go “above and beyond” current regulations.

The decision was made last month after a lithium battery fire scorched an Escondido storage facility and prompted evacuations.

Another lithium battery fire in Northern California on Aug. 19—sparked by the crash of a Tesla semi truck—closed Interstate 80 for several hours in Placer County, about 19 miles northeast of Nevada City.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the California Highway Patrol have opened safety investigations into the incident.

California legislators also asked Newsom to put the brakes on a plan to ban combustion engines in favor of electric vehicles, after a truck carrying six lithium batteries burst into flames in July, prompting officials to close all lanes of Interstate 15 in San Bernardino County for two days.