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Mahelet G Fikru's avatar

Thomas. It’s very unfortunate news. Thank you for the excellent analysis here. This is a textbook example of failed technology-driven innovation.

The public and local communities often have limited knowledge of the technical dimensions of BESS technology, including its risks and failure rates. That raises a fundamental question: who is responsible for educating communities in a credible and unbiased way? Is it the companies developing and deploying the technology, or local governments tasked with protecting public interest?

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Al Christie's avatar

"Energy storage (typically battery storage) offers utilities a way to increase capacity on the electric grid by charging the batteries when electricity demand is low and discharging them back onto the grid when high demand could impact supply"

The fancy name for this is 'arbitrage' in the big time investment world. These batteries are being subsidized purely so the high rollers can make a profit on the very fluctuations in power supply that they are producing with their intermittent (fluctuating with the weather) "renewable" (cough) power sources. They buy low and sell high.

Who profits? The owner; not the consumer. As long as these BESSs keep discharging the minute they can make a profit, they'll be at half charge about half the time - useless as a grid backup during an outage.

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Ann L. Klieves's avatar

These fires have been seen all over the US.I read an article that said there is one of these fires every day!! I wish this climate blob would fall apart faster so many people will not be effected!! The one on Monterey Bay in CA cost people their lives and health. Wake the heck up America and stop these con artists before it is too late!!Thanks Tom!

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Kilovar 1959's avatar

Maybe they use them to heat those busses

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Stanley Vick's avatar

The taxpayers got betrayed into funding this useless toxic dumpster fire, and when the politicians get sued for the toxic damages, it’s the taxpayers who will be paying the settlements.

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