Batteries during peak demand provide 43% of the power on California's grid

[Old Rocks]

View attachment 1240475

Of course, something silly is your only answer. Typical MAGAt.

 

[mudwhistle]

Of course, something silly is your only answer. Typical MAGAt.

My response is just geared to the dipshit I'm talking to.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

Coal-fired power plants typically operate at 32–35% efficiency, with modern supercritical and ultra-supercritical plants reaching up to 45–48%.

Typical​

Traditional coal-fired power plants convert the chemical energy in coal into electricity through a series of energy transformations: chemical → thermal → mechanical → electrical energy. Most conventional plants operate at 32–35% efficiency, meaning that roughly two-thirds of the energy in coal is lost as heat during the process.
Bright Hub Engineering+2

Advanced​

Efficiency improves significantly with supercritical and ultra-supercritical technologies. Supercritical plants operate at higher steam pressures (around 220 bar) and temperatures (600/600 °C), achieving efficiencies of up to 42%, while ultra-supercritical plants can reach 45–48% efficiency due to even higher operating pressures and temperatures. Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) plants, which convert coal into syngas and use combined cycle generation, can also achieve higher efficiency, though at greater cost.
Bright Hub Engineering+2

Factors​

Several factors influence coal plant efficiency:

• Steam temperature and pressure: Higher superheat and reheat temperatures improve thermal efficiency.
  
  1
• Coal quality: High-calorific-value coal with low ash and sulfur content enhances energy output and reduces residue buildup.
  
  1
• Maintenance and operation: Regular inspections, servicing, and predictive maintenance help maintain optimal performance.
  
  1
• Emission controls: Installing scrubbers, electrostatic precipitators, and selective catalytic reduction systems can slightly reduce efficiency but are necessary for regulatory compliance.
  
  2
• 
  
  
  
  
  
  3 Sources

Practical​

While coal plants are less efficient than modern natural gas combined cycle plants (up to 60% efficiency), they remain a significant source of electricity worldwide. Efficiency improvements not only reduce fuel consumption and operational costs but also lower greenhouse gas emissions per unit of electricity generated.
PCI Energy Solutions+2
In summary, coal-fired power plant efficiency ranges from 32% in conventional plants to nearly 48% in ultra-supercritical designs, with performance influenced by technology, fuel quality, and operational practices.

I agree, the iron-water batteries have very low efficiency.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

And all that charging electricity is electricity that would not be generated otherwise. But go ahead, demonstrate your love for high electrical bills from gas, coal, and nuclear generation.

Right, your expensive, intermittent "green" power sources generate very expensive power that wouldn't otherwise be generated.
At a high cost.
On the positive side, they'll lose half their power charging up your brilliant iron-water batteries.

 

[Old Rocks]

My response is just geared to the dipshit I'm talking to.

Well now, dear little twink, at least I can site real science for my posts. You seldom site anything, just spew ignorant opinions.

 

[Old Rocks]

Right, your expensive, intermittent "green" power sources generate very expensive power that wouldn't otherwise be generated.
At a high cost.
On the positive side, they'll lose half their power charging up your brilliant iron-water batteries.

First, those intermittent source generate electricity at a far cheaper rate per MWh than coal, gas, or nuclear. Second, at present, the rust batteries do lose 50%, but having no battery would lose 100%. Also, that battery is completely safe, cannot burn or explode. And is scalable up to any size one needs. As the technology evolves, they will increase in efficiency.

Your problem is that you cannot stand change, even when it does you good.

 

[Old Rocks]

I agree, the iron-water batteries have very low efficiency.

And what is the wonderful efficiency of the Carnot Cycle compared to the efficiency of an EV battery?

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

First, those intermittent source generate electricity at a far cheaper rate per MWh than coal, gas, or nuclear. Second, at present, the rust batteries do lose 50%, but having no battery would lose 100%. Also, that battery is completely safe, cannot burn or explode. And is scalable up to any size one needs. As the technology evolves, they will increase in efficiency.

Your problem is that you cannot stand change, even when it does you good.

First, those intermittent source generate electricity at a far cheaper rate per MWh than coal, gas, or nuclear.

As long as you ignore all the other costs, green energy is super cheap.
Sadly, it's more costly, everywhere in the real world where you can't ignore all the other costs.

Your problem is that you cannot stand change, even when it does you good.

Your problem is that you love change, even when it makes things worse.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

And what is the wonderful efficiency of the Carnot Cycle compared to the efficiency of an EV battery?

Better, cheaper, more reliable than your green idiocy.

 

[Moonglow]

I love your way of thinking.

You want to replace oil with something that they need child-slave labor to dig out of the ground.

Should we deny children an opportunity to learn how to get a good start on a hard work ethic in life?

 

[Moonglow]

Better, cheaper, more reliable than your green idiocy.

Untrue. It has its place in society, but there are some applications that work better in a situation in which they are operating.

 

[Hafar1014]

Batteries are becoming a major part of California's grid, replacing expensive gas peaker plants. And the cost of the batteries continues to decline as the cost of solar does the same. A win-win for all.
"A few days ago, the electric grid in California hit a new milestone: At 7pm on March 29, batteries provided 12.3 gigawatts of power—roughly as much as six Hoover Dams, or around 43% of the total demand on the grid.

Nearly all of that battery storage was built in the last five years. “Until 2020 or 2021, battery storage was still quite expensive, but we’ve seen huge price drops over the last few years,” says Nicolas Fulghum, senior energy and climate data analyst at Ember, a global energy think tank. When it’s paired with solar power, it can “bring some of that excess generation in the middle of the day to where it’s really needed, which is during the peak demand in the evening and morning,” he says.

The cost of batteries has dropped 99% over the last three decades. Over the last few years alone, the cost fell by about a third. The cost of solar panels has also fallen by more than 90%. By 2024, new solar projects were an average of 41% cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives.

By using batteries to make use of extra solar power in the middle of the day in the evening, California’s grid, called CAISO, can rely less both on energy imported from other states as well as “peaker” gas plants that are used to meet peak demand. Those gas plants “are usually quite expensive,” says Fulghum. “And batteries can reduce the impact of those high power prices during that time, especially when you have a heat wave like we had a few weeks ago. That’s where they’re most effective at keeping prices down.” Gas electricity generation in the state is responsible for around 30 to 40 million metric tons of CO2 emissions a year. Around half of the peaker plants are in low-income communities of color, where the air pollution contributes to health problems like asthma."

MSN

Batteries only last 10 years and lose capacity over time. Then they have to be replaced and toxic waste stored. Manufacturing them needs mining which pollutes and destroys land. LNG and Small Modular nuclear dont need batteries. CA is run by idiots

 

[justoffal]

At 7pm on March 29, batteries provided 12.3 gigawatts of power—roughly as much as six Hoover Dams, or around 43% of the total demand on the grid.

For how long?

2 minutes and 27 seconds

 

[justoffal]

Batteries only last 10 years and lose capacity over time. Then they have to be replaced and toxic waste stored. Manufacturing them needs mining which pollutes and destroys land. LNG and Small Modular nuclear dont need batteries. CA is run by idiots

It requires huge diesel engines to drive the mining

 

[justoffal]

And look at that: California has by far also the highest electric rates in the country!

View attachment 1239428
In fact, one might say the bluer the state, the higher the electric rates.
Here's a little news for ya, Boobala--- you're an environmental wannabe pretend climatologist, whereas I worked for years as an actual electrical engineer, and I can tell you that if as demands goes up, CA switches over to more "green energy" (environmentally-derived battery-stored DC power), then I can assure you that CA is headed for a major meltdown. That arrangement makes for a very unstable power grid and so far, their main saving grace has been that peak demand so far generally occurs during daytime.


And the biggest reason for that is after several years of Biden ramping up battery production, demand for them has fallen off because no one wants them forcing suppliers to drop prices trying to stay competitive.


Meaningless. Not only were no one buying EVs in 1991 paying $600,000 for their car battery but the data is a fraud, first charting prices from $2000 to $5000 in the same unit demarcation as a mere $100 jump at bottom in order to make the rate of falling prices look bigger than it really is.

And that still doesn't address the matter that all products drop in price as manufacturing quality and volume efficiency go up, especially when the government is trying to MAKE sales of EVs go up, not due to some magical change in the batteries themselves.

KASPOOOOSH!!!!!

That's the sound of a bag of bullshit
Exploding as it hits the ground!.

Man You just kicked the crap out of that op!

Jo

 

[Old Rocks]

At 7pm on March 29, batteries provided 12.3 gigawatts of power—roughly as much as six Hoover Dams, or around 43% of the total demand on the grid.

For how long?

Of course you could have looked that up. But that would not agree with your biased opinion, so you did not.

1. 
   
   
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   Utility-Scale Battery Support Duration for California’s Grid on March 29, 2026​

   Publicly available data does not specify the exact number of hours utility-scale batteries in California discharged to support the grid on March 29, 2026. However, based on California’s operational standards and industry norms, we can estimate the likely support duration.
   
   Typical utility-scale battery performance in California
   
   • Most large-scale lithium-ion battery installations in the state are designed for 4-hour discharge cycles at peak capacity CleanTechnica+1.
   • This means that if a 1 GW battery system was fully discharged at a given moment, it could theoretically supply that 1 GW for up to 4 hours before needing to recharge.
   • In practice, discharge events are often shorter than the full 4 hours, depending on grid demand, market signals, and the need to recharge before the next cycle.
   Context for March 29, 2026
   
   • California’s battery fleet on that date would have been part of a much larger capacity base — over 16,900 MW of total battery storage, with about 13,880 MW from utility-scale projects California Energy Commission.
   • These systems are used to balance renewable generation, meet peak demand, and provide ancillary services, often in rapid charge/discharge cycles.
   • While the March 29 event is not documented in the provided sources, the state’s operational patterns show that batteries frequently discharge for several hours during high-demand periods, sometimes in multi-hour events when paired with solar and wind generation pv magazine USA.
   Estimated support duration
   If the March 29 discharge was a typical large-scale event, it likely involved several hours of continuous discharge — possibly 2–4 hours at peak capacity — with the exact duration depending on the specific system, its state of charge, and the grid’s instantaneous demand.
   
   Summary
   There is no published figure for March 29, 2026, but given California’s 4-hour design standard for most utility-scale batteries, the March 29 discharge likely lasted 2 to 4 hours at peak capacity, with the actual duration determined by real-time grid needs and battery availability.
   Read less
   
   CleanTechnica
   California Has Over 15,000 MW Of Energy Storage - CleanTechnica
   https://cleantechnica.com/2025/06/01/california-has-over-15000-mw-of-energy-storage/
   
   pv magazine USA
   California batteries dominate evening grid with 10 GW/40 GWh of ...
   https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/04/30/california-batteries-dominate-evening-grid-with-10-gw-40-gwh-of-capacity/
   Show All
   

1. 
   eticaag.com
   https://eticaag.com

 

[Old Rocks]

2 minutes and 27 seconds

Another low life MAGAt idiot that just has to lie.

1. 
   
   
   Like
   Dislike
   
   

   Utility-Scale Battery Support Duration for California’s Grid on March 29, 2026​

   Publicly available data does not specify the exact number of hours utility-scale batteries in California discharged to support the grid on March 29, 2026. However, based on California’s operational standards and industry norms, we can estimate the likely support duration.
   
   Typical utility-scale battery performance in California
   
   • Most large-scale lithium-ion battery installations in the state are designed for 4-hour discharge cycles at peak capacity CleanTechnica+1.
   • This means that if a 1 GW battery system was fully discharged at a given moment, it could theoretically supply that 1 GW for up to 4 hours before needing to recharge.
   • In practice, discharge events are often shorter than the full 4 hours, depending on grid demand, market signals, and the need to recharge before the next cycle.
   Context for March 29, 2026
   
   • California’s battery fleet on that date would have been part of a much larger capacity base — over 16,900 MW of total battery storage, with about 13,880 MW from utility-scale projects California Energy Commission.
   • These systems are used to balance renewable generation, meet peak demand, and provide ancillary services, often in rapid charge/discharge cycles.
   • While the March 29 event is not documented in the provided sources, the state’s operational patterns show that batteries frequently discharge for several hours during high-demand periods, sometimes in multi-hour events when paired with solar and wind generation pv magazine USA.
   Estimated support duration
   If the March 29 discharge was a typical large-scale event, it likely involved several hours of continuous discharge — possibly 2–4 hours at peak capacity — with the exact duration depending on the specific system, its state of charge, and the grid’s instantaneous demand.
   
   Summary
   There is no published figure for March 29, 2026, but given California’s 4-hour design standard for most utility-scale batteries, the March 29 discharge likely lasted 2 to 4 hours at peak capacity, with the actual duration determined by real-time grid needs and battery availability.
   Read less
   
   CleanTechnica
   California Has Over 15,000 MW Of Energy Storage - CleanTechnica
   https://cleantechnica.com/2025/06/01/california-has-over-15000-mw-of-energy-storage/
   
   pv magazine USA
   California batteries dominate evening grid with 10 GW/40 GWh of ...
   https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/04/30/california-batteries-dominate-evening-grid-with-10-gw-40-gwh-of-capacity/
   Show All
   

1. 
   eticaag.com
   https://eticaag.com

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

Of course you could have looked that up. But that would not agree with your biased opinion, so you did not.

There is no published figure for March 29, 2026,

DURR

 

[justoffal]

Batteries are becoming a major part of California's grid, replacing expensive gas peaker plants. And the cost of the batteries continues to decline as the cost of solar does the same. A win-win for all.
"A few days ago, the electric grid in California hit a new milestone: At 7pm on March 29, batteries provided 12.3 gigawatts of power—roughly as much as six Hoover Dams, or around 43% of the total demand on the grid.

Nearly all of that battery storage was built in the last five years. “Until 2020 or 2021, battery storage was still quite expensive, but we’ve seen huge price drops over the last few years,” says Nicolas Fulghum, senior energy and climate data analyst at Ember, a global energy think tank. When it’s paired with solar power, it can “bring some of that excess generation in the middle of the day to where it’s really needed, which is during the peak demand in the evening and morning,” he says.

The cost of batteries has dropped 99% over the last three decades. Over the last few years alone, the cost fell by about a third. The cost of solar panels has also fallen by more than 90%. By 2024, new solar projects were an average of 41% cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives.

By using batteries to make use of extra solar power in the middle of the day in the evening, California’s grid, called CAISO, can rely less both on energy imported from other states as well as “peaker” gas plants that are used to meet peak demand. Those gas plants “are usually quite expensive,” says Fulghum. “And batteries can reduce the impact of those high power prices during that time, especially when you have a heat wave like we had a few weeks ago. That’s where they’re most effective at keeping prices down.” Gas electricity generation in the state is responsible for around 30 to 40 million metric tons of CO2 emissions a year. Around half of the peaker plants are in low-income communities of color, where the air pollution contributes to health problems like asthma."

MSN

The peaker plants will often run simple cycle (about 30%E) .... not a good profile either for cost or emissions.