Ben Airth and Sachu Constantine of the Center for Sustainable Energy explain how solar plus storage can strengthen California’s electric grid — and the importance of good government policy in helping it do so.

When it comes to solar electric power, California has a good thing going – perhaps too good. Too much clean, affordable, abundant energy? It’s true because high levels of solar production from utility-scale facilities and widely distributed rooftop installations occur during daytime hours when demand may not be at its peak and grid-supplied electricity is plentiful.

Seasonally, and under certain conditions, this leads to an oversupply of energy on the grid and requires curtailment of generation resources, including wind and solar. We should see this as an opportunity to further reduce fossil fuel generation and to build a more robust, resilient and efficient grid.

When pairing solar with battery storage systems on a wide scale, Californians can not only save money, but also reduce strain on the grid and mitigate the Duck Curve. With nearly instantaneous response time, battery storage can smoothly ramp up and regulate supply, displacing peaker plants while simultaneously decreasing intermittency (power that is not continuously available). Energy storage also enhances resiliency, and defers utility transmission and distribution upgrades — all of which will save ratepayers in the long run. The potential social benefits are substantial, including cost savings, expanded consumer choice, a cleaner environment and robust clean-tech market and job growth.