Big batteries smash records in biggest oil and gas state in US

The big battery records continue to tumble around the world, the latest coming in Texas – the biggest producer of oil and gas in the US – where the output record from the growing number of big batteries in the local grid was smashed earlier this week.

According to Grid Status, the output of battery storage in the evening peak reached a new high of 3.2 GW, some 47 per cent more than the previous peak of 2.2 GW reached last year. Energy analysts noted that conditions were tight, with unusually hot weather and over 20GW of unforced thermal outages. Prices were also high.

The new benchmark for big battery output in Texas comes after a spring of new records in California, where battery storage has often become the biggest supplier of power in the evening peaks, and has accounted for up to 28 per cent of instantaneous demand. That, in turn, has led to a dramatic reduction in the use of gas in the evening peaks.

On Wednesday, local time, California set a new battery output record of 7.2 GW, up from the new 7.05 GW peak set a week earlier.

The same pattern is now occurring in Texas, although battery storage is still limited to a peak market share of around 5 per cent in what is a much bigger grid. But with the state expected to double its battery storage capacity in the coming year to more than 11 GW, it is likely to follow down the path of California quickly enough.

In Australia, battery storage is also making its mark, particularly in South Australia where the high share of wind and solar (75 per cent average in the past 12 months) has seen batteries regularly deliver more than 10 per cent of the supply in the evening peak.

That share is expected to grow dramatically as more big batteries are added to the local network – there are currently only four operating batteries in South Australia – and as the storage capacity of the battery fleet grows from its current average of one to two hours to around four hours.