Opinion: Batteries Are the Climate and Affordability Solution We've Been Waiting For

The power grid is built to handle the highest-demand period of the year, often late afternoon during extreme heat. That peak creates strain on transmission and local distribution networks, raising risks of blackouts and brownouts. New York currently responds by running peaker plants on a limited number of days, which are extremely expensive to operate and rely on ratepayer funding. These plants also emit large amounts of CO2 and harmful pollutants that contribute to respiratory illness, with facilities disproportionately located in disadvantaged communities. Battery energy storage systems provide an alternative approach by supporting grid reliability during peak conditions, including nearly 30 operating in New York City.

"The first thing to know about the power grid is that the entire system is designed to deal with "the peak of the peak"-that is, the highest-demand moment of the year, which in the city typically comes on a late afternoon during a brutal heat wave (scenarios that are becoming more frequent and intense thanks to climate change). At this moment, there is a serious strain on both the larger transmission system and on the city's local power distribution networks, threatening blackouts and brownouts."

"Right now in New York, we deal with this threat in two ways. First, we increase the supply of energy through the use of "peaker" plants. These facilities, used only on a select number of days throughout the year, are extraordinarily expensive to operate: an estimated $4.5 billion of ratepayer dollars flowed to owners of peakers over the last decade. They're also extraordinarily high-polluting, emitting not only nearly 3 million metric tons of CO2 per year, but also particulate matter and dangerous chemicals like NOx and SOx which cause respiratory illness."

"And not surprisingly, given our history of environmental injustice, peakers are located disproportionately in disadvantaged communities. The second way we dea"

Read at City Limits