How Arizona sends solar power to your light switch, long after the sun goes down

Opinion: Who needs renewable energy mandates when new battery technology is making solar energy storage in Arizona so much more viable?

Markets that have more choice and competition are better for consumers.The energy market is no different.In the past, our choices were mostly limited to a handful of fuels — coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear and hydroelectricity.But the falling cost of renewable electricity — a roughly 60% to 80% reduction, in the case of wind and solar — has given power companies and consumers more options to choose from.Now, another technology is entering the marketplace — the battery energy storage system — and Arizona is playing a leading role in its wider adoption.Batteries store electricity from solar panelsIn Arizona, batteries can store electricity generated by solar panels in the middle of the day until times of peak demand in the late afternoon and evening. Just as the cost of solar-powered electricity has fallen, so has the cost of batteries — by around 80% over the past decade, in fact.With even greater cost reductions predicted in the coming years, there’s been a surge of interest in battery energy storage projects in Arizona, especially those buil …

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