![]() ![]() But it is also a missed opportunity, at minimum. In one sense it is a sign of a system that is properly functioning. March 2022 set an all-time record, with curtailment that one month exceeding all of 2018.Ĭurtailment is not a problem per se. Since 2014, the California Independent System Operator has curtailed more wind and solar power each year than in previous ones, following a seasonal pattern peaking in late spring. In the same hour last week that renewables hit 99.87% of demand, more than 2,900 megawatts of solar energy were “curtailed,” meaning that output was deliberately reduced to balance the grid.Ĭurtailment is not a new function for the state’s grid operator, but it is used more and more frequently. However-and this is a big “however”-California’s battery capacity is not enough to absorb every wind and solar electron the state is capable of producing. Batteries play an integral role in maintaining grid stability. ![]() Then they charge throughout the sunny midday and discharge again as solar generation quickly falls off. Batteries charge at night when demand is low and wind power is available they discharge back to the grid as wind tapers before solar begins ramping up. ![]() Now, if we zoom in on just wind, solar, and batteries, the interplay among these three resources becomes clear. All of these technologies work in harmony to ensure the supply of electricity meets demand and that it is as reliable and low-emission as possible. Its recent milestone points to a future full of zero-carbon power, with a great deal of variability there will be new technologies and business models as well as room for further innovation.Īs well as wind and solar, California’s power system draws on natural gas, large hydropower plants, nuclear plants, electricity imported from neighboring states, and batteries, which charge and discharge to maintain system stability. We should think of California the same way but on a much larger scale. Last year, I described South Australia as a glimpse of the power industry’s future. But California’s main grid, which serves 80% of the state, is far bigger than those examples. have reached this target before (Denmark with wind power and South Australia with solar alone last year). On the last day of April, California hit a milestone - for a brief spell during a sunny Saturday afternoon, renewable sources met 99.87% of electricity demand. ![]()
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