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This story is supported by the Pulitzer Center and is part of the “Texas Energy Crossroads” project, a partnership between The Hill and Nexstar Texas stations examining the oil and gas industry and the politics surrounding it following President Trump’s second inauguration.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Backup batteries are now available for Austin homes through a new partnership between Austin Energy and Austin-based startup Base Power.
Austin Energy opened customer signups for the systems last week. The batteries are designed to keep homes powered during outages while also helping support the electric grid during periods of high demand.
David Young points to a newly installed Base Power home battery at his Austin residence. (Eric Henrikson/KXAN)
For Austin resident David Young, recent severe weather reinforced a decision he had already been considering for years.
“If you’ve lived in Austin for the last five years, you’ve probably experienced some rolling blackouts this time of the year. But especially the freezes. When the trees fall, the neighborhood loses power. We’ve lost power several times. It’s not fun,” Young said.
Young has lived in Austin for 35 years and said flooding, extreme heat and repeated outages all played a role in his decision to sign up.
“I think I was already there with the trees falling and the losing power for days at a time, but the floods and the additional heat just add on to that decision process,” Young said.
Looking for an alternative to solar
Young said he had explored other backup energy options before deciding on Base Power’s system.
“So I’ve looked at solar many times. I literally looked at solar again six months ago, but (it costs) $50,000 and (that) just helped make the decision, he said. “This seems like a much cleaner, easier solution for power loss for me.”
A Base Power backup battery installed at an Austin home as part of a new partnership with Austin Energy. (Eric Henrikson/KXAN)
He was also one of the earliest customers to sign up after the Austin launch.
“They said I’m number two,” Young said.
How the batteries work during outages
Base Power co-founder Zach Dell said customers receive backup power when outages affect their area.
“When the grid goes out, when there are distribution grid outages, all the homeowners with those batteries on their home will get all the benefits of backup power,” Dell said.
The company designs and installs the battery systems on homes across Texas, connecting them to the grid. The batteries are manufactured in Austin, at the old Statesman facility near the Congress Ave. bridge.
A Base Power home battery is shown at the company’s Austin headquarters in Austin, Texas. (Eric Henrikson/KXAN)
Dell said severe weather is one reason the company believes demand for backup power systems is growing.
The company said its batteries are tested to withstand Texas weather.
“As Texans, we know that that can be dicey. It can be really hot. It can be really wet. There can be high winds. And so you have to test these systems in all of those different environments,” Dell said.
First installations already underway
Just days after the program launched, installations are already taking place at Austin homes.
Young said the process was quick.
“They literally plugged in the two units here a couple hours later, the battery shows up, put the case on and turned it on. It was that simple,” Young said.
Dell said the partnership with Austin Energy is expected to provide about 4,000 systems across Austin.
A Base Power home battery is displayed at the company’s Austin headquarters. (Eric Henrikson/KXAN)
Austin Energy leaders say the partnership fits into the utility’s Resource Generation and Climate Protection Plan.
“We have a goal of 125MW [of storage] by 2027,” said Lisa Martin, Austin Energy’s deputy general manager and chief operating officer, when the partnership was announced earlier this year.
“(With the batteries) we can store power, especially when prices in the market are low, and then release that power or discharge the battery when prices are high,” Martin said.
Base Power said that the batteries are “basically always charged”, but can be discharged in certain windows to support the grid.
During an outage, the battery can not discharge power back into the grid for safety reasons.
The system requires a $695 upfront payment and a $19 monthly subscription.
David Young checks the Base Power app after becoming one of the first Austin Energy customers to install a home backup battery system. (Eric Henrikson/KXAN)
Young said he hopes the batteries will ultimately help both homeowners and the broader electric grid.
“I just think that long term, this is just the next generation of how to help support our energy needs as humans in Austin, Texas,” Young said.
Company expanding beyond Texas
Base Power already has deployments in major Texas markets, including the Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio and El Paso areas.
The company recently announced its expansion into the Chicago area, marking its first move outside Texas.
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