

Energy
Tesla reduces Solar + Powerwall pricing amid CA wildfire power outages
With wildfires blazing through portions of California, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has knocked $1,000 off the price of Solar+Powerwall prices as of today in an effort to provide some assistance to homeowners affected by the power outages resulting from the ongoing fires.
Musk took to Twitter just hours after many residents of Los Angeles were required to evacuate their homes because of wildfires threatening the region. The Tesla CEO tweeted out numerous updates on the advantages of Tesla solar, like its ability to prevent power blackouts in the event of natural disasters. Musk also offered a $1,000 discount to customers in California who are directly affected by the ongoing wildfires.
If you’re directly affected by wildfire power outages, Tesla is reducing Solar+Powerwall prices by $1000 as of today
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2019
The price reduction for its Solar+Powerwall package stands as another gesture from the electric car maker and its CEO. Musk has always maintained that Tesla’s purpose is not simply to make money. Rather, it is determined to accelerate the world’s adoption of sustainable solutions. Electric cars are one thing, but having homes switch to solar power with a battery-based backup is also a key pillar for this vision.
The value of a solar system and home battery unit is emphasized during times of power outages, such as those affecting parts of CA today. Due to the ongoing fires, particularly the Getty and Kincade Fires, portions of the state have been cut off from power. As noted by a recent CNN report, over a million residents across California currently face multiple days without power. It is these homeowners that stand as potential customers for Tesla’s Solar+Powerwall solutions.
Tesla started pushing its Energy business more this third quarter as the company hit its stride in its Model 3 production, and it showed in the company’s Q3 2019 results. Kunal Girotra, Tesla’s Senior Director, Energy Operations, described this rise in the third-quarter earnings call. “Our solar deployments rose by almost 50% over last quarter, and our energy storage deployments, which include Powerwalls and Powerpacks, grew by 15% to an all-time high of 477 megawatt hours,” he said.
We don’t make much money on this product, so $1000 actually means a lot
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2019
These improvements came partly as a result of Tesla revamping his residential solar business, launching an affordable rental system that could cost homeowners as low as $50 a month. The company also took the wraps off its new solar solutions for businesses. These updates were accompanied by transparent pricing that gave customers clear expectations about their solar systems.
That being said, Elon Musk has admitted that Tesla does not really turn much of a profit on Solar+Powerwall installations or orders, adding that the $1,000 price reduction is significant. Musk has offered discounts in the past on Tesla’s solar products, including a nationwide price reduction after Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) announced mandatory power shutoffs in order to prevent wildfires in Northern California.
The fires in Los Angeles are very reminiscent of last year’s wildfires in the same region. The blazes in 2018 were the worst fires ever recorded in California’s history, destroying over 1.89 million acres of land, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Energy
Tesla launches first Virtual Power Plant in UK – get paid to use solar
Tesla has launched its first-ever Virtual Power Plant program in the United Kingdom.

Tesla has launched its first-ever Virtual Power Plant program in the United Kingdom. This feature enables users of solar panels and energy storage systems to sell their excess energy back to the grid.
Tesla is utilizing Octopus Energy, a British renewable energy company that operates in multiple markets, including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States, as the provider for the VPP launch in the region.
The company states that those who enroll in the program can earn up to £300 per month.
Tesla has operated several VPP programs worldwide, most notably in California, Texas, Connecticut, and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. This is not the first time Tesla has operated a VPP outside the United States, as there are programs in Australia, Japan, and New Zealand.
This is its first in the UK:
Our first VPP in the UK
You can get paid to share your energy – store excess energy in your Powerwall & sell it back to the grid
You’re making £££ and the community is powered by clean energy
Win-win pic.twitter.com/evhMtJpgy1
— Tesla UK (@tesla_uk) July 17, 2025
Tesla is not the only company that is working with Octopus Energy in the UK for the VPP, as it joins SolarEdge, GivEnergy, and Enphase as other companies that utilize the Octopus platform for their project operations.
It has been six years since Tesla launched its first VPP, as it started its first in Australia back in 2019. In 2024, Tesla paid out over $10 million to those participating in the program.
Participating in the VPP program that Tesla offers not only provides enrolled individuals with the opportunity to earn money, but it also contributes to grid stabilization by supporting local energy grids.
Energy
Tesla Lathrop Megafactory celebrates massive Megapack battery milestone
The Tesla Megapack is the backbone of Tesla Energy’s battery deployments.

The Tesla Lathrop Megafactory recently achieved a new milestone. As per the official Tesla Megapack account on X, the Lathrop Megafactory has produced its 15,000th Megapack 2 XL battery.
15,000 Megapack Batteries
Tesla celebrated the milestone with a photo of the Lathrop Megafactory team posing with a freshly produced Megapack battery. To commemorate the event, the team held balloons that spelled out “15,000” as they posed for the photo.
The Tesla Megapack is the backbone of Tesla Energy’s battery deployments. Designed for grid-scale applications, each Megapack offers 3.9 MWh of energy and 1.9 MW of power. The battery is extremely scalable, making it perfect for massive energy storage projects.
More Megafactories
The Lathrop Megafactory is Tesla’s first dedicated facility for its flagship battery storage system. It currently stands as the largest utility-scale battery factory in North America. The facility is capable of producing 10,000 Megapack batteries every year, equal to 40 GWh of clean energy storage.
Thanks to the success of the Megapack, Tesla has expanded its energy business by building and launching the Shanghai Megafactory, which is also expected to produce 40 GWh of energy storage per year. The ramp of the Shanghai Megafactory is quite impressive, with Tesla noting in its Q1 2025 Update Letter that the Shanghai Megafactory managed to produce over 100 Megapack batteries in the first quarter alone.
Tesla Energy’s Potential
During the first quarter earnings call, CEO Elon Musk stated that the Megapack is extremely valuable to the energy industry.
“The Megapack enables utility companies to output far more total energy than would otherwise be the case… This is a massive unlock on total energy output of any given grid over the course of a year. And utility companies are beginning to realize this and are buying in our Megapacks at scale,” Musk said.
Energy
Tesla Megapacks powers the xAI Colossus supercomputer
Tesla Megapacks step in to stabilize xAI’s Colossus supercomputer, replacing natural gas turbines. Musk’s ventures keep intertwining.

Tesla Megapack batteries will power the xAI Colossus supercomputer in Memphis to ensure power stability. The collaboration between Tesla and xAI highlights the synergy among Elon Musk’s ventures.
The artificial intelligence startup has integrated Tesla Megapacks to manage outages and demand surges, bolstering the facility’s reliability. The Greater Memphis Chamber announced that Colossus, recently connected to a new 150-megawatt electric substation, is completing its first construction phase. This transition addresses criticism from environmental justice groups over the initial use of natural gas turbines.
“The temporary natural gas turbines that were being used to power the Phase I GPUs prior to grid connection are now being demobilized and will be removed from the site over the next two months.
“About half of the operating turbines will remain operating to power Phase II GPUs of xAI until a second substation (#22) already in construction is completed and connected to the electric grid, which is planned for the Fall of 2025, at which time the remaining turbines will be relegated to a backup power role,” the Chamber stated.
xAI’s rapid development of Colossus reflects its ambition to advance AI capabilities, but the project has faced scrutiny for environmental impacts. The shift to Megapacks and grid power aims to mitigate these concerns while ensuring operational continuity.
The Megapack deployment underscores the collaboration among Musk’s companies, including Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and The Boring Company. Tesla appears to be the common link between all of Musk’s companies. For example, The Boring Company built a tunnel in Giga, Texas. In addition, Musk has hinted at a potential collaboration between the Tesla Optimus Bot and Neuralink. And from January 2024 to February 2025, xAI invested $230 million in Megapacks, per a Tesla filing.
Tesla Energy reported a 156% year-over-year increase in Q1 2025, deploying 10.4 GWh of storage products, including Megapacks and Powerwalls. Tesla’s plans for a new Megapack factory in Waller County, Texas, which is expected to create 1,500 jobs in the area, further signal its commitment to scaling energy solutions.
As xAI leverages Tesla’s Megapacks to power Colossus, the integration showcases Musk’s interconnected business ecosystem. The supercomputer’s enhanced stability positions xAI to drive AI innovation, while Tesla’s energy solutions gain prominence, setting the stage for broader technological and economic impacts.
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