This Planet Money episode, a collaboration with The Indicator, explores the rapid growth of grid-scale battery storage in the US, focusing on California and Texas. The episode begins by recounting the legislative efforts in California that laid the groundwork for this growth, despite initial skepticism. It then details a visit to a massive California battery storage facility, explaining its operation and the role of companies like Apple and PG&E in its success. Finally, the podcast contrasts California's proactive approach with Texas's more free-market strategy, highlighting a real-world example of how Texas batteries prevented blackouts during a period of high demand and low generation. The episode concludes by emphasizing the significant increase in battery storage capacity in both states and the growing global demand driven by factors such as data centers and electric vehicles. For example, California's battery storage capacity increased from enough to power 10 million homes to 13 million homes in just six months.
