Distributed Energy Keeps The Lights On In The Face Of Severe Weather
The Washington-Baltimore region, which includes Northern Virginia, has become the national hotspot for severe weather.
Severe weather can cause prolonged power outages, which can lead to the loss of life; this was illustrated in both Texas and Louisiana this year.
Virginians can avoid power outages by implementing decentralized distributed energy systems, which utilize batteries to better guarantee access to electricity.
Throughout Virginia and the United States, severe weather is causing power outages that affect thousands at a time. These outages have been most visible in places like Texas and Louisiana, which became the focus of the national media earlier this year. In Texas, winter storms caused millions of homes to lose power for days, leaving at least 200 dead. Hurricane Ida caused power outages in Louisiana that led to the deaths of at least 14 people; countless others were forced to survive weeks of Southern summer heat without air conditioning.
Virginians should take this news as a warning about what could come — especially since severe weather has been increasing in the state this year. The Mid-Atlantic has experienced frequent thunderstorms throughout 2021. The National Weather Service office serving the Washington-Baltimore region — which includes much of Northern Virginia — has reported 223 more storm warnings than usual in just the first nine months of this year. And the NWS office serving coastal and central Virginia has reported this year 67 more storm warnings than usual.
This is bad news for Virginia’s electric grid. Damage reports, which indicate downed trees and electrical wires, are up in both the Washington-Baltimore region and eastern and central Virginia. The Washington-Baltimore region has recorded 1,406 damage reports this year alone, which is more than any other region in the country.
How can Virginia keep the power on in the face of increasingly severe storms? The answer lies in distributed energy systems powered by renewable sources and energy storage.
Distributed energy systems generate electricity at or near the location the energy will be used. A solar panel generating electricity near an apartment building it provides electricity to is a simple example of a distributed energy system. Distributed energy systems can incorporate batteries, which store excess energy generated to be used later on.
These systems become particularly useful in the event of severe weather — rather than relying on a centralized electrical grid subject to widespread outages, distributed energy systems form decentralized microgrids, which keeps energy local. When batteries are incorporated into these microgrids, electricity can continue to flow even if the power is out in other parts of the state.
There are currently efforts to utilize distributed energy systems and battery storage systems in Virginia. Just over a month ago, Dominion Energy acquired the state’s largest battery storage project. Known as the Dry Bridge, the Chesterfield County-based battery will help to power up to 5,000 homes at a time. Among other things, the battery will be used to improve electric grid resiliency. The Virginia Clean Economy Act mandates the development of 3,100 MW of energy storage; Dominion is required to develop at least 2,700 MW, and this acquisition will help in meeting that goal.
Unfortunately, members of the media and even elected officials have spread misinformation about renewable-powered distributed energy systems. Texas Governor Greg Abbott attributed his state’s infamous blackout to solar and wind. Fox News host Tucker Carlson echoed this false claim; natural gas accounted for most of the state’s loss of power when pipelines froze.
With severe storms becoming increasingly common in Virginia, a decentralized electric grid powered by renewables is the best way to keep the lights on. An investment in distributed energy systems and batteries makes Virginia more attractive to businesses seeking to reduce their carbon emissions and brings high-paying clean energy jobs. Paired with the fact that it improves resiliency to inclement weather, investment in distributed energy systems and batteries is a win-win for Virginia.