Tesla is building a secret mega-battery in an effort to help shore up a Texas power grid that was rocked by outages last month when a historic winter storm gripped the state.
A Tesla subsidiary has been secretly building the more than 100-megawatt energy storage project in Angleton, Texas, with workers keeping the site under cover while discouraging onlookers from getting a peek. Workers at the site, however, have been spotted wearing hard hats with a Tesla logo, while public records requests have helped reveal that the company is involved in the project.
The revelation comes shortly after Tesla CEO Elon Musk called out the Electric Reliability Council of Texas on Twitter for the power difficulties the state was having last month, quipping that they were not “earning that R.” Musk has also recently moved to Texas, and his companies have continued to expand their operational footprint in the state.
The storage battery could help shore up a power grid that almost collapsed due to last month’s historically low temperatures, with its size being enough to power about 20,000 homes on a hot summer day. The storage system is currently registered with ERCOT, the same nonprofit organization Musk criticized last month.
ELON MUSK RELOCATED TO TEXAS ONLY AFTER LOSING LOBBYING BATTLE TO SELL TESLAS DIRECTLY TO CUSTOMERS
While Tesla is well-known for its line of electric cars, the company has expanded its reach into the energy sector. Its batteries present a lucrative opportunity for the company, storing energy from wind and solar while prices are low and then selling that energy back to the grid during surges in demand.
“Tesla’s energy storage business on a percentage basis is growing faster than their car business, and it’s only going to accelerate,” said Daniel Finn-Foley, head of energy storage at Wood MacKenzie Power and Renewables. “They are absolutely respected as a player, and they are competing aggressively on price.”
Tesla already has a 20-megawatt battery system in Southern California that has been operating since 2016, which helps support the area’s grid operation during peak hours.
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The company’s giant Texas battery could be in operation as early as June 1, according to ERCOT senior director of system planning Warren Lasher.
Tesla did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
