Five years after Uri, battery energy storage has proven itself as a practical, market-driven tool that strengthens reliability, lowers costs and supports economic growth.
Source: San Antonio Express-News
By Matt Welch, state director for Conservative Texans for Energy Innovation.
This week marks five years since Winter Storm Uri exposed the consequences of a fragile power system.
Texans don’t need reminders of why grid reliability matters; we lived it. The question is what we’ve learned since then, and whether we’re building a system that can withstand the next test.
Texas has taken meaningful steps to strengthen the grid since Uri. One of the most effective — and least understood — tools behind that progress is battery energy storage.
Energy storage isn’t a political statement or a government mandate. It’s an insurance policy for a fast-growing state that demands affordable power and expects the lights to stay on in extreme conditions.
It strengthens the grid we already have by storing electricity when it’s abundant and cheap, and releasing it when demand spikes or supply unexpectedly drops.
Since Uri, Texas has added roughly 17 gigawatts of energy storage — enough to power more than 4 million homes during peak demand. That capacity didn’t appear because lawmakers picked winners and losers. It showed up because Texas’ competitive market rewarded solutions that deliver reliability when it matters most.
We’ve already seen the payoff.
During Winter Storm Heather in January 2024, battery energy storage reduced power costs in Texas by $750 million, supplied electricity to 434,000 homes and helped avoid grid failure.
Another hot summer in Texas put the electric grid to the test, but increased capacity from solar and battery storage met the call.
Most recently, during Winter Storm Fern, energy storage made up nearly 10% of ERCOT’s fuel mix during peak demand, helping drive down energy prices by more than 50%.
That flexibility is increasingly valuable as the state’s electricity demand grows.
ERCOT forecasts show demand rising rapidly as manufacturing expands, population increases and data centers come online. Battery storage helps manage that growth efficiently by smoothing peaks and reducing stress on the system — responding in seconds, not hours.
Just as important, battery storage helps keep electricity affordable. By reducing scarcity pricing during tight conditions, batteries lower wholesale power costs.
Battery facilities aren’t placed at random.
Sites are chosen after engineering analysis and grid planning to address specific reliability needs, often in areas where transmission congestion or rapid demand growth puts added strain on the system.
Developers must work within local zoning and fire codes, coordinate with emergency responders and ensure projects are located near compatible uses.
Since battery facilities require little land and use no water during normal operations, they can be integrated into communities with minimal disruption while delivering outsize reliability and economic benefits — generating millions in property tax revenue that support schools, roads and emergency services.
Just as important, energy storage allows for stronger security than much of our legacy infrastructure. Many older power assets rely on outdated control systems that were never designed for today’s cyber threats.
New energy storage projects, by contrast, are digitally monitored, regularly updated, and designed with supply-chain traceability and access controls from day one. Diversifying suppliers and building components in the U.S. and allied countries further reduces risk.
Five years after Uri, battery energy storage has proven itself as a practical, market-driven tool that strengthens reliability, lowers costs and supports economic growth — helping ensure that when the next storm hits, Texans won’t be left in the dark.