A new project to support the electrical grid in North Texas is up and running, and it's powered entirely by Tesla Megapacks, according to Teslarati.
For a long time, the name Tesla was synonymous with electric cars — but that's no longer the company's primary business. In fact, EVs are not even its largest profit maker per sale anymore, Teslarati reported, noting that the energy division has become the highest-margin part of the business and has seen the most growth.
So what's changed? The shift is driven by demand for Tesla's expanding suite of battery storage technology. The latest Powerwalls boost individual residential and commercial power supplies, while Megapacks can offer larger grid support.Â
Teslarati explained that the new Texas installation of Megapacks has a whopping capacity of 125 megawatts of electricity. To put that in perspective, that amount of storage seemingly could power over 100,000 homes, since a single home uses just 1,214 watts on average, according to EnergySage.
The project is one of three large storage sites that Tesla has contracted with Intersect Power.
The site in Texas — a state that has suffered from electrical blackouts — is overseen with help from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, a utility provider that welcomes the extra grid stability and support managing its growing demand, Teslarati reported.
On top of reinforcing electrical grids and providing emergency backup power, battery storage efforts can level up all sorts of energy projects. If paired with solar panels, they can make sure none of the rays that are captured go to waste. The same is true for other clean energy initiatives, such as streamlining EV charging and storing wind power.
The beauty of these energy sources is in their unlimited supply and low environmental impact — as opposed to energy sources that are finite and planet-warming. Yet it doesn't matter how much power from these ubiquitous resources is harnessed if there isn't anywhere to store it all.
That's where companies like Tesla see opportunity.
Its "Megafactory" in Lathrop, California, opened in 2022 and has already built over 10,000 Megapacks. Another "Megafactory" in Shanghai is nearly ready to open and will aim to produce the same volume, per Teslarati.
Tesla is clearly ramping up its energy storage sector with no signs of slowing down. In the first nine months of this year, the company powered on more battery projects than it did in all of 2023, the outlet reported.
These new installations will only increase that total, to the excitement of several Teslarati readers.
"Good on Texas," one affirmed.
"Grid storage [batteries] will save our butts," another wrote.
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