California added 1,200 megawatts of battery energy storage to its electrical grid over the last six months, further building on its nation-leading capacity and pushing the state closer to its clean energy goals, officials said Thursday. <\/p>\n
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the latest milestone while making the rounds at the United Nations Conference of the Parties climate summit in Bel\u00e9m, Brazil, where he is touting the state\u2019s international climate leadership<\/a> amid the notable absence of officials from the Trump administration. <\/p>\n With the latest additions, the Golden State has reached 16,942 megawatts of available battery storage \u2014 about one-third of the estimated capacity needed to reach its goal of 100% clean energy by 2045<\/a>. <\/p>\n Battery energy storage systems capture excess wind and solar power and push it onto the grid during hours of peak demand, or when the sun isn\u2019t shining or the wind isn\u2019t blowing. <\/p>\n Newsom used the announcement as an opportunity to swipe at President Trump, who has focused heavily on the growth of fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal while simultaneously slashing funding for renewable energy projects in California and across the U.S. <\/p>\n \u201cDonald Trump\u2019s reckless energy agenda puts China first and America last \u2014 letting Beijing seize the global clean energy economy and the good-paying jobs, manufacturing, and economic prosperity that come with it,\u201d the governor said in a statement. \u201cCalifornia won\u2019t stand by and watch.\u201d<\/p>\n While China continues to burn fossil fuels, the country is breaking global records with its investments in renewable energy and battery storage. In 2024, China commissioned 37 gigawatts of battery storage, more than the combined additions of the U.S. and Europe, according to the energy think tank Ember<\/a>. <\/p>\n But battery storage has also been transformative for California<\/a>, helping the state avoid rolling blackouts and urgent calls for energy conservation<\/a>, known as Flex Alerts, in the last several years. California now has more installed battery capacity than any other jurisdiction on the planet except for China, according to Newsom. <\/p>\n \u201cWe now dominate,\u201d he said at a climate investors event in S\u00e3o Paulo on Monday before heading to Bel\u00e9m.<\/p>\n Experts say the state\u2019s gains are impressive. The U.S. has about 37 gigawatts of total operating battery capacity, nearly half of which is in California, said Maia Leroy, founder of the energy consulting firm Lumenergy LLC. <\/p>\n \u201cCalifornia is claiming a huge victory here,\u201d Leroy said. She said the state\u2019s capacity of 16,942 megawatts \u2014 or 16.9 gigawatts \u2014 is enough to power about 13 million homes for four hours, the typical duration of a battery. <\/p>\n The surge in storage is meeting with even faster growth of solar in the state. Together, solar plus batteries have eliminated more than 37% of fossil gas use on the state\u2019s main grid, the California Independent System Operator, in just the last two years, according to Mark Z. Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University. <\/p>\n \u201cThat is an enormous amount of batteries,\u201d Jacobson said. <\/p>\n Energy storage is one of many ways California is hoping to stand out at this year\u2019s COP summit. Representatives from the state \u2014 including Newsom, California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot and Air Resources Board Chair Lauren Sanchez \u2014 have also entered into several partnerships and agreements with other regions and nations this week.<\/p>\n