Energy
Tesla Energy takes part in CA’s record-breaking 2.2 GWh battery storage project
Tesla Energy is poised to participate in California’s initiative to build one of the world’s largest battery systems. After a historic 4-1 vote, California utility regulators approved a proposal put forward by Pacific Gas & Electric, which aimed to replace three natural gas-fired power plants in the state with utility-grade lithium-ion batteries.
When completed, the projects approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) would be among the largest battery installations in the United States. Among these is a 300 MW lithium-ion battery from Dynegy, as well as a 182.5 MW Tesla battery system. Installations from Hummingbird Energy Storage (75 MW) and mNOC (10MW) allow the entire clean energy initiative to reach a total of 567 MW. Considering that all the battery systems have four-hour ratings, the total energy rating of the entire project is an impressive 2.27 GWh.
Among the most notable gas-powered plants that would be replaced by the battery installations is a facility in Moss Landing, CA, located around 15 miles north of Monterey. All the battery systems, particularly Tesla’s 182.5 MW installation and Dynegy’s 300 MW battery, will be located on the site of the outgoing gas-powered plant.
Apart from being impressive in its size, the recently approved battery projects will not only connect to the area’s substation and transmission infrastructure built for the Moss Landing Power Plant; the lithium-ion batteries will replace the entire range of services provided by the plant itself as well. Dynegy, who owns the gas-powered plant, noted back in February that it would likely retire the facility. The CPUC has stated that another plant in Gilroy would probably go offline in the near future as well.
While the benefits of industry-grade batteries are notable, PG&E’s proposal met a notable amount of opposition nonetheless, particularly from gas generator Calpine, the California Direct Access Customer Coalition, and the California Community Choice Association. According to the project’s skeptics, the investment in the lithium-ion battery systems would not be a good use of taxpayer funds. Despite the opposition, though, the large-scale energy storage project was approved nonetheless.
With the project’s approval from the CPUC, California has managed to take a step forward in its efforts to decarbonize its electric system by shifting from natural gas to greener solutions. In a statement to GreenTechMedia, Matt Vespa, staff attorney at Earthjustice, stated that the upcoming battery installations would give several benefits to the state’s residents.
“Not only will this help California integrate solar and reduce the need to ramp up polluting gas plants in the late afternoon, but it will also provide local reliability needs in an area that is currently highly reliant on gas-fired generation. We are getting multiple benefits, pushing gas off the system, and moving a step closer to a decarbonized grid,” he said.
While Tesla’s Energy business usually takes a back seat to its electric car business, the company’s battery storage division continues to grow rapidly. Billionaire investor Ron Baron, for one, stated that he believes Tesla’s energy business could be worth $500 billion on its own by 2030. In a way, part of this projected growth is attributed to the declining price of batteries and the performance of projects such as the South Australia Powerpack farm, which has all but triggered a clean energy movement in the region. In a statement earlier this year, Tesla CTO JB Straubel remarked that battery technology has progressed to a point where it now has the potential to replace inefficient and dirty power plants.
“I think what we’ll see is we won’t build many new peaker plants, if any. Already what we’re seeing happening is the number of new ones being commissioned is drastically lower, and batteries are already outcompeting natural gas peaker plants,” Straubel said.
The emergence of Tesla Energy at this point in time could bode well for the company, particularly since battery storage is expected to grow in the future. A study from GTM Research, for one, estimates that sales of energy storage for both residential and utility markets in America would probably hit $541 million this year, before passing $1 billion in 2019, and eventually reaching $4.6 billion in 2023. If Tesla Energy can ramp its operations in time, and if its batteries prove themselves in the field, the electric car maker could very well position itself strategically in what could, in more ways than one, be a clean energy gold rush.
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.
Energy
Tesla launches Cybertruck vehicle-to-grid program in Texas
The initiative was announced by the official Tesla Energy account on social media platform X.
Tesla has launched a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) program in Texas, allowing eligible Cybertruck owners to send energy back to the grid during high-demand events and receive compensation on their utility bills.
The initiative, dubbed Powershare Grid Support, was announced by the official Tesla Energy account on social media platform X.
Texas’ Cybertruck V2G program
In its post on X, Tesla Energy confirmed that vehicle-to-grid functionality is “coming soon,” starting with select Texas markets. Under the new Powershare Grid Support program, owners of the Cybertruck equipped with Powershare home backup hardware can opt in through the Tesla app and participate in short-notice grid stress events.
During these events, the Cybertruck automatically discharges excess energy back to the grid, supporting local utilities such as CenterPoint Energy and Oncor. In return, participants receive compensation in the form of bill credits. Tesla noted that the program is currently invitation-only as part of an early adopter rollout.
The launch builds on the Cybertruck’s existing Powershare capability, which allows the vehicle to provide up to 11.5 kW of power for home backup. Tesla added that the program is expected to expand to California next, with eligibility tied to utilities such as PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E.
Powershare Grid Support
To participate in Texas, Cybertruck owners must live in areas served by CenterPoint Energy or Oncor, have Powershare equipment installed, enroll in the Tesla Electric Drive plan, and opt in through the Tesla app. Once enrolled, vehicles would be able to contribute power during high-demand events, helping stabilize the grid.
Tesla noted that events may occur with little notice, so participants are encouraged to keep their Cybertrucks plugged in when at home and to manage their discharge limits based on personal needs. Compensation varies depending on the electricity plan, similar to how Powerwall owners in some regions have earned substantial credits by participating in Virtual Power Plant (VPP) programs.
Tesla is updating Cybertruck owners on its timeline of a massive feature that has yet to ship: Powershare with Powerwall.
Powershare is a bidirectional charging feature exclusive to Cybertruck, which allows the vehicle’s battery to act as a portable power source for homes, appliances, tools, other EVs, and more. It was announced in late 2023 as part of Tesla’s push into vehicle-to-everything energy sharing, and acting as a giant portable charger is the main advantage, as it can provide backup power during outages.
Cybertruck’s Powershare system supports both vehicle-to-load (V2L) and vehicle-to-home (V2H), making it flexible and well-rounded for a variety of applications.
However, even though the feature was promised with Cybertruck, it has yet to be shipped to vehicles. Tesla communicated with owners through email recently regarding Powershare with Powerwall, which essentially has the pickup act as an extended battery.
Powerwall discharge would be prioritized before tapping into the truck’s larger pack.
However, Tesla is still working on getting the feature out to owners, an email said:
“We’re writing to let you know that the Powershare with Powerwall feature is still in development and is now scheduled for release in mid-2026.
This new release date gives us additional time to design and test this feature, ensuring its ability to communicate and optimize energy sharing between your vehicle and many configurations and generations of Powerwall. We are also using this time to develop additional Powershare features that will help us continue to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.”
Owners have expressed some real disappointment in Tesla’s continuous delays in releasing the feature, as it was expected to be released by late 2024, but now has been pushed back several times to mid-2026, according to the email.
Foundation Series Cybertruck buyers paid extra, expecting the feature to be rolled out with their vehicle upon pickup.
Cybertruck’s Lead Engineer, Wes Morrill, even commented on the holdup:
As a Cybertruck owner who also has Powerwall, I empathize with the disappointed comments.
To their credit, the team has delivered powershare functionality to Cybertruck customers who otherwise have no backup with development of the powershare gateway. As well as those with solar…
— Wes (@wmorrill3) December 12, 2025
He said that “it turned out to be much harder than anticipated to make powershare work seamlessly with existing Powerwalls through existing wall connectors. Two grid-forming devices need to negotiate who will form and who will follow, depending on the state of charge of each, and they need to do this without a network and through multiple generations of hardware, and test and validate this process through rigorous certifications to ensure grid safety.”
It’s nice to see the transparency, but it is justified for some Cybertruck owners to feel like they’ve been bait-and-switched.
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