Marty Mattes Discusses Clean Energy Lessons Learned From California Blackouts

Marty Mattes was quoted in the Law360 article, “5 Clean Energy Lessons From California Blackouts” (subscription required). The article provides an overview of what can be learned from the recent rolling blackouts in California due to extreme heat and how states that continue to “greenify their power grids to combat climate change” can prepare for such events as they transition away from traditional energy resources.

Marty noted, "You can make a powerful commitment to renewables, but you need to deal with the transition period in a practical way.” Referencing the continued usage of California’s remaining gas-fired power plants during a transition to green energy, he added, “You can't abandon the availability of backup power sources until you have a much more robust energy storage infrastructure…It requires, in every region, an analysis that looks at: what is the supply mix and what is the timing of availability of new sources of supply."

California has energy storage mandates and procurement goals, and accelerating development in this area can help ensure that renewables meet peak electricity demands and also aid the development of microgrids that can supply electricity during outages to a broader power system.

"It's logical and compelling to try to develop more of a microgrid orientation that allows power to be supplied more locally," Marty said. "That's where energy storage can be a more prominent part of the picture as well."