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California is awash in renewable energy — except when it’s most needed

The Washington Post · Erica Werner · last updated

The state has moved quickly to build up solar power, but has not yet figured out how to store it for when demand peaks or to avert blackouts.

Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: solar

State of Play

Declining costs and government encouragement have resulted in a rapid increase in solar energy production in the United States over the past 10 years, although solar’s share remains small: 1.6 percent of all electricity generation in 2018. That rapid growth is projected to continue.

More informationabout ENERGY BASICS: solar

Related Knowledge Center: Energy storage

State of Play

A key to the adoption of renewable energy is the development of economical ways to store energy, in the form of batteries or other technologies. 

More informationabout Energy storage