Clean Energy 101: How Batteries Can Support Grid Reliability

This briefing by RMI argues that battery energy storage systems (BESS) are a cleaner, more flexible, and often more cost-effective alternative to fossil fuel resources for maintaining electric grid reliability. It details how batteries can manage variable renewable energy, provide critical stability services, and support grid restoration, while urging utilities to adopt all-source procurement processes to identify the most cost-optimal reliability solutions.

• Battery energy storage systems can replace the need for new gas-fired power plants and the continued operation of uneconomic coal plants to meet reliability needs, often at a lower cost.
• Batteries support grid health through three primary functions: balancing variable renewable energy supply and demand, providing stability services (such as frequency, voltage, and reactive power regulation), and performing 'black start' services to re-energize the grid after a blackout.
• Real-world examples demonstrate battery effectiveness: in December 2023, batteries in the California electric grid (CAISO) provided over 8 GW over 5 hours, and on September 6, 2023, batteries provided stability support during a level two Energy Emergency Alert in the Texas utility grid (ERCOT).
• To optimize reliability, RMI recommends that utilities conduct analytical studies to identify specific service needs and then use all-source procurement. This approach was used by the UK's National Grid ESO, where advanced batteries provided the most cost-competitive bids for stability services, sometimes beating synchronous condenser technologies.
• Maintaining up-to-date inverter software is critical for battery performance; this follows two battery energy system disturbances in 2022 that led generator owners to implement software updates.

APA

RMI (2024). Clean Energy 101: How Batteries Can Support Grid Reliability. https://rmi.org/resources/clean-energy-101-how-batteries-can-support-grid-reliability/

Chicago

RMI. Clean Energy 101: How Batteries Can Support Grid Reliability. 2024. https://rmi.org/resources/clean-energy-101-how-batteries-can-support-grid-reliability/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Clean Energy 101: How Batteries Can Support Grid Reliability |date=31 July 2024 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/clean-energy-101-how-batteries-can-support-grid-reliability/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2024clean, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Clean Energy 101: How Batteries Can Support Grid Reliability}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2024}, month = jul, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/clean-energy-101-how-batteries-can-support-grid-reliability/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }