It seems that everything we need today costs more and is less reliable.
What’s amazing is that one of our most basic needs – electricity – is actually holding the line on cost and is more reliable. Why? Simply put, batteries.
California generates more and more of our electricity from wind and solar. However, the sun doesn’t always shine, and the wind doesn’t always blow when we most need that power. That is why in the last decade, California has attached large batteries capable of holding immense amounts of energy onto the power grid. Those batteries get charged when electricity is produced and then we use that power when it’s needed. That’s cheap, clean power helping keep your bills down.
In recent decades, California has experienced rolling blackouts during long heatwaves. However, these battery storage facilities ensure that doesn’t happen anymore. That means our air conditioning stays on when we most need it. This also means our local electric utility doesn’t have to buy pricy electricity from out of state when we all use more power, which again keeps costs lower and stable.
For us in Solano County, we can be part of this important change with the Corby Battery Energy Storage System, which would be located on 40 acres of private agricultural land northeast of Vacaville, less than a mile off I-80. The project, which would resemble an array of shipping containers, would store enough power to run 300,000 homes for four hours. Importantly, it would also pay millions of dollars a year in property taxes to benefit our community.
Communities up and down California are enjoying the benefits of this battery storage. As Solano County continues to evolve into a vibrant community linking the San Francisco Bay Area to the Sacramento Valley, we have the opportunity to make sure we get the advantage of the most advanced, safest forms of this storage.
In September of 2022, California experienced a savage heatwave, with temperatures in our area reaching over 110 degrees several days in a row. The only way to get through that – and frankly to get any sleep at night – was to run our air conditioners.
The trouble was, the heatwave covered nearly the entire state, meaning everyone was using a LOT of electricity. What saved us from rolling blackouts to manage that? Battery storage.
The newest battery storage facilities are built not just to store power, but also to ensure your safety. Breaks between batteries, better cooling systems, and smarter construction standards ensure you and your family’s safety.
As more of our families buy electric cars and switch to cheaper, cleaner water and home heaters run by electricity, we will need these facilities. The great thing is that one built in our community will be there for us – conflicts thousands of miles away won’t increase our costs or limit our supply.
It’s time for Solano County to take a good look at our best options for what we need to keep our homes comfortable, our lights on, and our bills lower and more consistent. It’s time we adopt battery storage in a big way.
Jeremy Peconom is the business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 180, representing Solano and Napa counties.
