The Climate Party

🔋 Battery storage is becoming cheaper than gas peaking plants, and Britain is installing it at record speed. 🇬🇧⚡ Two reports published this October highlight how quickly the economics of electricity generation and storage are changing. 📉 First, the economics. Wood Mackenzie examined 43 electricity markets worldwide and found that new four-hour battery storage is now cheaper than building new gas-fired peaking plants in every market assessed, including Europe. This is a significant milestone. Gas peaking plants have traditionally met periods of high electricity demand, particularly during the evening when demand rises and solar generation falls. But batteries can increasingly perform that role more cheaply, charging when electricity is abundant and inexpensive, then discharging when demand and wholesale prices are higher. Unlike gas turbines, batteries don’t burn fuel, have no direct operational emissions and can respond almost instantly to changes in demand. 🇬🇧 Meanwhile, Britain is installing grid-scale batteries faster than ever. According to Modo Energy, Q3 2026 was a record quarter for battery installations in Great Britain. 🔋 917 MW of new battery power capacity 🔋 1,844 MWh of additional energy storage ⚡ Total installed battery power now stands at 8.5 GW 🔋 Total energy storage capacity has reached 14.4 GWh The 500 MW Coalburn 1 battery also entered commercial operation, becoming Britain’s largest battery storage site. Britain’s battery fleet could theoretically deliver 8.5 GW for around 1 hour and 42 minutes at full output, although actual operation depends on individual battery capacities and state of charge. That’s substantial power available during peak demand without burning gas. 🌬️☀️ Why does this matter for renewable energy? One longstanding criticism of wind and solar is that they don’t necessarily generate electricity when we need it most. Battery storage helps address that problem. When it’s windy or sunny and electricity generation exceeds demand, batteries can absorb surplus electricity rather than allowing it to be curtailed. When demand rises, they can discharge that stored electricity back onto the grid. This reduces the need for gas generation, makes better use of renewable electricity and can help reduce wholesale electricity price spikes. As battery installations increase, so does our ability to shift renewable electricity from periods of abundance to periods of higher demand. 📊 But there’s still room for improvement. Britain’s existing battery fleet averages approximately 1.7 hours of storage at rated output. Batteries commissioned during Q3 averaged around two hours. Longer-duration batteries will become increasingly valuable as renewable generation expands, particularly for covering evening peaks and periods when renewable output is relatively low. Four-hour batteries cannot eliminate all backup generation, especially during prolonged periods of low wind and sunshine. But they can substantially reduce the gas generation needed for shorter peaks. And the economic case for building them is becoming stronger. 💚 The energy transition isn’t just about building more wind turbines and solar panels. It’s about building an electricity system that makes the best possible use of the clean electricity they produce. Battery storage is becoming increasingly competitive with new gas generation on cost, while Britain rapidly expands its installed storage capacity. The more renewable electricity we can store and use when needed, the less dependent we become on fossil fuels, with their volatile prices and associated carbon emissions. This isn’t some distant technological promise. It’s happening right now. Sources: Wood Mackenzie, 8 October 2026: woodmac.com/press-releases/f… Modo Energy, GB battery buildout Q3 2026: modoenergy.com/research/en/g… #BatteryStorage #RenewableEnergy #EnergyTransition #UKenergy #netzero #climate