Energy Storage Pathways to Meet California’s 2030 Greenhouse Gas Goals

In California, due to solar resources coming online during the day, renewable generation often exceeds demand, leading to curtailment. However, during peak evening hours, California is forced to rely on GHG emitting thermal power plants. This will make it difficult for the state to meet its aggressive GHG reduction target of 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. AB 1405 and SB 338 are two proposed bills that call for a clean peak standard, where utilities are required to meet a certain percentage of peak hour electricity from clean resources. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of utility scale battery storage to achieve the clean peak standard, and aid California's GHG reduction efforts. The study estimated electricity demand and generation profile in 2030, and used an Excel-based optimization model to determine an ideal storage capacity and dispatch strategy. Finally, it investigated the total energy storage cost requirements for different scenarios.