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 Energy celebrates one decade of sustainability
Tesla Energy has gone far since its early days, and it is now becoming a progressively bigger part of the company.
Tesla Energy recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a dedicated video showcasing several of its milestones over the past decade.
Tesla Energy has gone far since its early days, and it is now becoming a progressively bigger part of the company.
Tesla Energy Early Days
When Elon Musk launched Tesla Energy in 2015, he noted that the business is a fundamental transformation of how the world works. To start, Tesla Energy offered the Powerwall, a 7 kWh/10 kWh home battery system, and the Powerpack, a grid-capable 100 kWh battery block that is designed for scalability. A few days after the products’ launch, Musk noted that Tesla had received 38,000 reservations for the Powerwall and 2,500 reservations for the Powerpack.
Tesla Energy’s beginnings would herald its quiet growth, with the company later announcing products like the Solar Roof tile, which is yet to be ramped, and the successor to the Powerwall, the 13.5 kWh Powerwall 2. In recent years, Tesla Energy also launched its Powerwall 3 home battery and the massive Megapack, a 3.9 MWh monster of a battery unit that has become the backbone for energy storage systems across the globe.
Key Milestones
As noted by Tesla Energy in its recent video, it has now established facilities that allow the company to manufacture 20,000 units of the Megapack every year, which should help grow the 23 GWh worth of Megapacks that have already been deployed globally.
The Powerwall remains a desirable home battery as well, with more than 850,000 units installed worldwide. These translate to 12 GWh of residential entry storage delivered to date. Just like the Megapack, Tesla is also ramping its production of the Powerwall, allowing the division to grow even more.
Tesla Energy’s Role
While Tesla Energy does not catch as much headlines as the company’s electric vehicle businesses, its contributions to the company’s bottom line have been growing. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, Tesla Energy deployed 10.4 GWh of energy storage products. Powerwall deployments also crossed 1 GWh in one quarter for the first time. As per Tesla in its Q1 2025 Update Letter, the gross margin for the Energy division has improved sequentially as well.
Tesla Energy shined in what was a weak delivery report for the first quarter, as the company’s frequently-forgotten battery storage products performed extraordinarily well.
Tesla reported its Q1 production, delivery, and deployment figures for the first quarter of the year, and while many were less-than-excited about the automotive side, the Energy division performed well with 10.4 GWh of energy storage products deployed during the first quarter.
This was a 156 percent increase year-over-year and the company’s second-best quarter in terms of energy deployments to date. Only Q4 2024 was better, as 11 GWh was recorded.
Tesla Energy is frequently forgotten and not talked about enough. The company has continued to deploy massive energy storage projects across the globe, and as it recorded 31.5 GWh of deployments last year, 2025 is already looking as if it will be a record-setting year if it continues at this pace.
Tesla Megapacks to back one of Europe’s largest energy storage sites
Although Energy performed well, many investors are privy to that of the automotive division’s performance, which is where some concern lies. Tesla had a weak quarter for deliveries, missing Wall Street estimates by a considerable margin.
There are two very likely reasons as to why this happened: the first is Tesla’s switchover to the new Model Y at its production facilities across the globe. Tesla said it lost “several weeks” of production due to the updating of manufacturing lines as it rolled out a new version of its all-electric crossover.
Secondly, Tesla could be facing some pressure from pushback against the brand, which is what many analysts will say. Despite the publicity of attacks on Tesla drivers and their vehicles, as well as the company’s showrooms, it would be safe to assume that we will have a better picture painted of what the issue is in Q2 after the company reports numbers in July.
If Tesla is still struggling with lackluster delivery figures in Q2 after the Model Y is ramped and deliveries are more predictable and consistent, we could see where the argument for brand damage is legitimate. However, we are more prone to believe the Model Y, which accounts for most of Tesla’s sales, and its production ramp is likely the cause for what happened in Q1.
In what was a relatively bleak quarter, Tesla Energy still shines as the bright spot for the quarter.
Tesla has chosen the location of its latest manufacturing project, a facility that will churn out the Megapack, a large-scale energy storage system for solar energy projects. It has chosen Waller County, Texas, as the location of the new plant, according to a Commissioners Court meeting that occurred on Wednesday, March 5.
Around midday, members of the Waller County Commissioners Court approved a tax abatement agreement that will bring Tesla to its area, along with an estimated 1,500 jobs. The plant will be located at the Empire West Industrial Park in the Brookshire part of town.
Brookshire also plans to consider a tax abatement for Tesla at its meeting next Thursday.
The project will see a one million square-foot building make way for Tesla to build Megapack battery storage units, according to Covering Katy News, which first reported on the company’s intention to build a plant for its energy product.
CEO Elon Musk confirmed on the company’s Q4 2024 Earnings Call in late January that it had officially started building its third Megapack plant, but did not disclose any location:
“So, we have our second factory, which is in Shanghai, that’s starting operation, and we’re building a third factory. So, we’re trying to ramp output of the stationary battery storage as quickly as possible.”
Tesla plans third Megafactory after breaking energy records in 2024
The Megapack has been a high-demand item as more energy storage projects have started developing. Across the globe, regions are looking for ways to avert the loss of power in the event of a natural disaster or simple power outage.
This is where Megapack comes in, as it stores energy and keeps the lights on when the main grid is unable to provide electricity.
Vince Yokom of the Waller County Economic Development Partnership, commented on Tesla’s planned Megapack facility:
“I want to thank Tesla for investing in Waller County and Brookshire. This will be a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for their Megapack product. It is a powerful battery unit that provides energy storage and support to help stabilize the grid and prevent outages.”
Tesla has had a lease on the building where it will manufacture the Megapacks since October 2021. However, it was occupied by a third-party logistics company that handled the company’s car parts.
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