Following outages that left millions without power, Texas is getting a massive battery backup thanks to Tesla.
While Tesla may be known for electric vehicles, it’s been using its industry-leading battery technology to help out in other areas as well. In 2017, the company built a 100-megawatt battery to assist South Australia with its power outages.
Now the company is preparing to do the same thing for Texas, in an effort to help the state be better prepared for future outages. The state’s utilities were crippled by uncharacteristically severe weather in February, leaving millions without power and leading to fatalities.
A 100-megawatt batter is currently being constructed in Texas and will come online June 1. The battery will be housed near the Texas-New Mexico Power substation, according to PCMag. The battery will hold enough energy to power up to 20,000 households “on a hot summer day.”
If Tesla’s Texas battery is successful, it likely won’t be the last such battery backup in the US.