#grid-reliability

#grid-reliability

PG&E's Elkhorn battery storage system, comprising 256 Tesla megapack batteries, automatically disconnected from the electrical grid when the nearby Vistra battery storage system ignited in January. The Elkhorn system remained inactive until June, when Tesla, which maintains the system, began a series of operational and safety checks in hopes of resuming operations that month. During its tests, a clamp failure in one of the megapacks caused a coolant leak.

The Diablo Canyon nuclear plant is in the midst of a relicensing process that, if successful, will keep it running for another 20 years. California's last source of round-the-clock, carbon-free nuclear power is undergoing a rigorous review to gauge whether it can operate in a safe and cost-effective manner without taking a major toll on the local environment. While the review is ongoing, keeping the plant running has become vital with tech companies desperately searching for power and the grid feeling the increasing strain.