Nancy Skinner

In 2008, Nancy Skinner was elected to the California state legislature.

In 2008, Nancy Skinner was elected to the California state legislature.

In 2008, Nancy Skinner was elected to the California state legislature.

When the sun doesn't shine or the wind doesn't blow, there's no power. Several people approached Nancy to raise this issue.

When the sun doesn't shine or the wind doesn't blow, there's no power. Several people approached Nancy to raise this issue.

When the sun doesn't shine or the wind doesn't blow, there's no power. Several people approached Nancy to raise this issue.

Nonetheless, Nancy was optimistic that eventually it would happen if you created a market signal. So she introduced a bill requiring utilities to purchase a certain percentage of battery storage when they bought electricity. Nancy remembers pushback.

Nonetheless, Nancy was optimistic that eventually it would happen if you created a market signal. So she introduced a bill requiring utilities to purchase a certain percentage of battery storage when they bought electricity. Nancy remembers pushback.

Nonetheless, Nancy was optimistic that eventually it would happen if you created a market signal. So she introduced a bill requiring utilities to purchase a certain percentage of battery storage when they bought electricity. Nancy remembers pushback.

Still, in 2010, the bill passed, although nothing really happened. Grid-scale batteries remained a pie-in-the-sky concept for years. And then all of a sudden, in 2021, batteries took off. Hello, and welcome to Planet Money. I'm Cooper Katzmachan.

Still, in 2010, the bill passed, although nothing really happened. Grid-scale batteries remained a pie-in-the-sky concept for years. And then all of a sudden, in 2021, batteries took off. Hello, and welcome to Planet Money. I'm Cooper Katzmachan.

Still, in 2010, the bill passed, although nothing really happened. Grid-scale batteries remained a pie-in-the-sky concept for years. And then all of a sudden, in 2021, batteries took off. Hello, and welcome to Planet Money. I'm Cooper Katzmachan.

Today on the show, we go on a kind of road trip for electric battery storage. Two stories from two states. We'll begin in California, where battery storage first took off in the U.S., to see how the state supported its wind and solar energy markets. And then we'll look at how battery storage was put to the test in Texas.

Today on the show, we go on a kind of road trip for electric battery storage. Two stories from two states. We'll begin in California, where battery storage first took off in the U.S., to see how the state supported its wind and solar energy markets. And then we'll look at how battery storage was put to the test in Texas.

Today on the show, we go on a kind of road trip for electric battery storage. Two stories from two states. We'll begin in California, where battery storage first took off in the U.S., to see how the state supported its wind and solar energy markets. And then we'll look at how battery storage was put to the test in Texas.

These stories come from Planet Money's sister show, The Indicator, where we just ran a mini-series on batteries and energy.

These stories come from Planet Money's sister show, The Indicator, where we just ran a mini-series on batteries and energy.

These stories come from Planet Money's sister show, The Indicator, where we just ran a mini-series on batteries and energy.

I am back indeed from the very sunny California where there are enough batteries to power 13 million homes. I wanted to go because I have no idea how batteries actually work. And I hope you learned this on the trip. I did. I connected with a battery storage facility that's connected to a solar farm spread across 2,900 acres.

I am back indeed from the very sunny California where there are enough batteries to power 13 million homes. I wanted to go because I have no idea how batteries actually work. And I hope you learned this on the trip. I did. I connected with a battery storage facility that's connected to a solar farm spread across 2,900 acres.