Energy experts argue that batteries are not a perfect renewable energy solution. In light of this, Texan generation of renewable energy has gone up considerably in the past several years and Texas' anticipated solar generation capacity increases through 2023 are going to outpace California's additions.
Californian projects nearly all have batteries attached to them, while only a sampling of Texan projects have the same. Californians also pay far greater prices for their energy than Texans do.
California's energy mix is created by its Integrated Resource Plan, which mandates that utilities contribute 10-year plans for reliability and the energy transition, Austin Journal previously reported. Texas' market is more decentralized and does not have such a plan. ERCOT does release a Long-Term System Assessment, however, though it lacks the binding nature of the Californian IRP.
Energy Expert Brian Gitt argued in a Twitter thread that batteries are an unsustainable solution that people falsely believe will be the cure.
"People falsely assume batteries will save us," Gitt said on March 28. "Batteries would need to store enough energy to provide reliable power for weeks of uncooperative weather. Germany needs to overcome 61 days of scare wind and sun and build ~24 DAYS (36 TWh) of energy storage to go 100% renewable."
Gitt went on to discuss the high prices of batteries.
"Not only are they [batteries] expensive to buy, but they also end up doubling the size of the solar and wind farms," Gitt said. "You need one set of solar panels and wind turbines to provide power to homes, and another to recharge the batteries."
Gitt put continued emphasis on the cost of batteries to drive his point home.
"All of this explains why we see the cost of energy increase in places with solar and wind mandates," Gitt said. "American households in California pay 80% more, and 11% more in 28 other states with mandates."
California has long been the renewable energy leader of the United States, but Texas is mounting a challenge, the Austin Journal reported. Texas has been and will continue to focus on increasing solar generation, if transmission constraints are not addressed then solar and wind generation will likely start a decline. Storing generated energy in batteries has been seen as an answer to macro scale transmission problems.
The differences in the cost of energy in Texas and California are real world examples of the cost differences described by Gitt. According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the average price of electricity to residential customers in Texas in January of 2022 was 12.24 cents per kilowatt hour. During the same month in California, the cost was 23.58 cents per kilowatt hour. A similar pattern was found with industrial customers as well. EIA data revealed that industrial customers in Texas in January of 2022 paid 5.72 cents per kilowatt hour, while industrial customers in California paid 13.83.