Partnership between Tesla and PG&E to replace Monterey County power plant with largest battery in the world

Tesla is partnering with disgraced Californian power utility PG&E to replace an outdated peaker plant with a new battery facility, making it the largest in the world.

Peaker plants are normally natural gas-powered power plants which only ramp up during short periods to supply peak power (hence peaker plants) and they are normally the most expensive suppliers of electricity on any grid, costing millions per day.

Replacing them with batteries (like Tesla’s Megapack pictured above) will mean an even more responsive grid that will likely save the PG&E millions of dollars, in the same way the Australian Hornsdale battery, also supplied by Tesla, saved utilities millions there.

The approval was granted yesterday by Monterey County officials, and the packs will be placed at the site of an existing power plant and will be able to use the existing grid connections. The massive battery is expected to store renewable energy from solar and wind, and  Tesla expects to have the plant up and running before the end of the year.

Via NBCBayArea