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Vermont replacing power plants with home batteries

389 points · 304 comments · devonnull

whartung · 1790724645 · focus · HN ↗
We have this in CA. I have Tesla batteries and they promote wanting me to enroll my batteries into a larger grid so their capacity can be used during higher load events.
I thought it was a novel idea when I heard about it.
1. thelastgallon · 1790726151 · focus · HN ↗
  Tesla Electric customers report making as much as $150 a day: <a href="https://electrek.co/2023/07/05/tesla-electric-customers-report-making-150-day/" rel="nofollow">https://electrek.co/2023/07/05/tesla-electric-customers-repo...
  1. senectus1 · 1790728409 · focus · HN ↗
    there is something really wrong with the economics of this.
    it shouldnt be celebrated.
    beering · 1790729232 · focus · HN ↗
    What is wrong with this?
    AuthAuth · 1790730958 · focus · HN ↗
    Its an inefficient use of capital.
    thelastgallon · 1790731631 · focus · HN ↗
    Whose capital?
    AuthAuth · 1790732404 · focus · HN ↗
    The people buying the batteries and the government's capital. It only benefits the private util companies.
    The better option is for the government/utility company to build out the required storage for a fraction of the cost.
    JumpCrisscross · 1790734058 · focus · HN ↗
    > better option is for the government/utility company to build out the required storage for a fraction of the cost
    Ex ante, sure. Right now, the existing batteries are a sunk cost the utility didn’t have to pay capital costs for. The right answer is to do both.

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