Who owns the valley center storage facility?

San Diego-based renewable energy company Terra-Gen owns and operates the 139-megawatt, 560 megawatt-hour Valley Center Storage Facility that produces enough electricity to power up to 140,000 homes for four hours on a single charge.

What are California's new battery energy storage projects?

The Gateway and Moss Landing projects are just two of the battery energy storage installations being developed across California, a state that has ramped up its use of renewable energy in recent years while phasing out electricity from coal, nuclear, and natural gas-fired power plants.

Does California need energy storage?

Terra-Gen’s Valley Center battery storage project opened in February 2022. A fire at the facility in September briefly shut down operations. If California is going to meet its ambitious goals to transition from electricity using fossil fuels, the state will need energy storage to shoulder a significant amount of the load.

How can energy storage help fill California's energy gap?

Energy storage — particularly from batteries — is seen as a key way to fill the gaps. Storage systems take solar power generated during the day and discharge the electricity later, especially from 4 to 9 p.m. when California’s grid is under the most stress.

What's going on at Kearny energy storage?

A San Diego Gas & Electric employee inspects one of the cubes at the Kearny Energy Storage battery project in Kearny Mesa. The project will deliver 20 megawatts and 80 megawatt-hours of electricity to California’s grid. (Rob Nikolewski / San Diego Union-Tribune )

Where is the largest battery energy storage project in the world?

1. The Gateway Energy Storage project is located in San Diego County, California. At 230 MW of generation capacity, and soon to be at 250 MW, it is currently the largest battery energy storage project in the world. Courtesy: McCarthy Building Companies