The sleeping giant that is Tesla Energy is showing signs that it is waking up. This became quite evident in Texas as Tesla filed an application with the Texas Public Utility Commission to sell power in the state. Tesla’s application came as the company pursues a number of high-profile battery storage projects in the state, such as a 100 MW system in Angleton, TX, and a 250 MW battery near Giga Texas.
The flings, which were initially reported in Texas Monthly, were filed in mid-August by a new Tesla subsidiary called Tesla Energy Ventures. In classic Tesla fashion, the public details about the initiative are pretty scarce, though individuals familiar with the matter have noted that if the filings are approved this November, Tesla Energy Ventures may very well stand out among the state’s crowded, deregulated retail energy market.
Texas is home to numerous electricity companies, and Tesla, which has made a name for itself as a premium brand, would likely not fight it out with the state’s bargain power retailers. Tesla could have an edge against its competitors, however, as the company could sell power that is either drawn from the grid or pulled from residential Tesla batteries in the event of a blackout. Tesla may even allow Texans with solar panels to earn money by sharing their excess power with the grid.
Tesla Energy’s entry into the Texas energy market comes at the perfect time. The state, after all, just experienced massive blackouts earlier in February due to winter storms, which triggered widespread power outages across Texas. The state’s power providers took a massive hit following the blackouts, with five electric retailers exiting the market since February. But with these departures came opportunities for other energy providers like Tesla, as 13 different companies have filed applications to sell electricity in the state since the blackouts.
Interestingly enough, Tesla already started making preparations for its energy play in the state even before it filed for its recent applications. As of June, Tesla had installed over 1 GW of solar panels in Texas, as per federal energy data. That’s a lot of new residential customers with solar panels and Powerwall batteries. It also represents the pieces of a budding virtual power plant, which could end up functioning like a massive battery system capable of supporting the grid when needed.
Tesla seems to be ensuring that its energy initiatives in Texas could bring it some solid profits as well. Filings indicate that Tesla Energy Ventures’ President is Ana Stewart, the company’s director of regulatory credit trading. Ultimately, the Texas project could help Tesla Energy achieve its full potential, which Musk has hinted at in the past. “I think long-term Tesla Energy will be roughly the same size as Tesla Automotive,” Musk said.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to tips@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
News
Ford embraces Tesla-style gigacastings and Cybertruck’s 48V architecture
Ford Motor Company’s next-generation electric vehicles will adopt technologies that were first commercialized by the Tesla Cybertruck.
Ford Motor Company’s next-generation electric vehicles will adopt technologies that were first commercialized by the Tesla Cybertruck, such as the brutalist all-electric pickup’s 48-volt electrical architecture and its gigacastings.
The shift is expected to start with a roughly $30,000 small electric pickup that is expected to be released in 2027, which is part of Ford’s $5 billion investment in its new Universal EV platform, as noted in a CNBC report.
Ford confirmed that its upcoming EV platform will move away from the traditional 12-volt system long used across the auto industry. Instead, it will implement a 48-volt electrical architecture that draws power directly from the vehicle’s high-voltage battery.
Tesla was the first automaker to bring a 48-volt system to U.S. consumers with the Cybertruck in 2023. The architecture reduces wiring bulk, lowers weight, and improves electrical efficiency. It also allows power to be stepped down to 12 volts through new electronic control units when needed.
Alan Clarke, Ford’s executive director of advanced EV development and a former Tesla engineer, called 48-volt systems “the future of automotive” due to their lower costs and smaller wiring requirements. Ford stated that the wiring harness in its new pickup will be more than 4,000 feet shorter and 22 pounds lighter than that of its first-generation electric SUV.
Apart from the Cybertruck’s 48-volt architecture, Ford is also embracing Tesla-style gigacastings for its next-generation EVs. Ford stated that its upcoming electric vehicle will use just two major structural front and rear castings, compared with 146 comparable components in the current gas-powered Maverick.
Ford CEO Jim Farley has described the effort as a “bet” and a “Model T moment” for the company, arguing that system-level innovation is necessary to lower costs and compete globally. “At Ford, we took on the challenge many others have stopped doing. We’re taking the fight to our competition, including the Chinese,” Farley previously stated.
Energy
Tesla meets Giga New York’s Buffalo job target amid political pressures
Giga New York reported more than 3,460 statewide jobs at the end of 2025, meeting the benchmark tied to its dollar-a-year lease.
Tesla has surpassed its job commitments at Giga New York in Buffalo, easing pressure from lawmakers who threatened the company with fines, subsidy clawbacks, and dealership license revocations last year.
The company reported more than 3,460 statewide jobs at the end of 2025, meeting the benchmark tied to its dollar-a-year lease at the state-built facility.
As per an employment report reviewed by local media, Tesla employed 2,399 full-time workers at Gigafactory New York and 1,060 additional employees across the state at the end of 2025. Part-time roles pushed the total headcount of Tesla’s New York staff above the 3,460-job target.
The gains stemmed in part from a new Long Island service center, a Buffalo warehouse, and additional showrooms in White Plains and Staten Island. Tesla also said it has invested $350 million in supercomputing infrastructure at the site and has begun manufacturing solar panels.
Empire State Development CEO Hope Knight said the agency was “very happy” with Giga New York’s progress, as noted in a WXXI report. The current lease runs through 2029, and negotiations over updated terms have included potential adjustments to job requirements and future rent payments.
Some lawmakers remain skeptical, however. Assemblymember Pat Burke questioned whether the reported job figures have been fully verified. State Sen. Patricia Fahy has also continued to sponsor legislation that would revoke Tesla’s company-owned dealership licenses in New York. John Kaehny of Reinvent Albany has argued that the project has not delivered the manufacturing impact originally promised as well.
Knight, for her part, maintained that Empire State Development has been making the best of a difficult situation.
“(Empire State Development) has tried to make the best of a very difficult situation. There hasn’t been another use that has come forward that would replace this one, and so to the extent that we’re in this place, the fact that 2,000 families at (Giga New York) are being supported through the activity of this employer. It’s the best that we can have happen,” the CEO noted.
News
Tesla avoids California sales suspension after DMV review
The agency confirmed Tuesday that Tesla has taken “corrective action.”
Tesla will not face a 30-day sales suspension in California after the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) stated that the company has come into compliance regarding the marketing of its automated-driving features.
The agency confirmed Tuesday that Tesla has taken “corrective action” following a prior ruling over how it promoted Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD), as noted in a Bloomberg News report.
The California DMV had previously given Tesla 90 days to address concerns that were raised by an administrative judge. Regulators had alleged that Tesla overstated the capabilities of its driver-assist systems, which were branded as Autopilot and Full Self-Driving.
A potential 30-day suspension of vehicle sales in California was on the table if Tesla had failed to comply. On Tuesday, however, the DMV stated that Tesla had met the requirements to avoid that penalty, though it did not provide detailed specifics about the changes that were made.
That being said, Tesla did discontinue its standalone Autopilot product in January and has ramped the marketing of its most advanced driver-assistance package available to consumers today, Full Self Driving (Supervised). From its naming, FSD (Supervised) clearly emphasizes that the system, despite its advanced features, still requires driver attention.
Following reports of a potential sales ban in California, Tesla clarified the matter on X, stating that the issue “was a ‘consumer protection’ order about the use of the term ‘Autopilot’ in a case where not one single customer came forward to say there’s a problem.” Tesla also noted that “Sales in California will continue uninterrupted.”
Tesla has not issued a comment about the matter as of writing.
Ford embraces Tesla-style gigacastings and Cybertruck’s 48V architecture
Tesla meets Giga New York’s Buffalo job target amid political pressures
