Blackouts looming, California speeds battery deployment after southland gas leak

Peter Maloney, UTILITY DIVE
If there is a silver lining to California’s massive Aliso Canyon methane leak, it could be for energy storage projects.
The leak has led to plans for the fast track authorization of two energy storage projects totaling 37.5 MW (150 MWh) that are being built by AES Corp. for San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E).
The projects would be put up in about six months, about a third of the time it would take to build a gas-fired power plant.
“In our world, this is nothing short of incredible,” Alex Morris, director of policy and regulatory affairs at the California Energy Storage Alliance, said.
The project is a demonstration of the “rapid procurement potential” of energy storage, said Matt Roberts, executive director of the Energy Storage Association. It also shows that given the right mix of policies and circumstances, batteries can serve major bulk power system needs typically reserved for traditional power plants.
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